The joint conference of the Center for Inquiry, the Council for Secular Humanism, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, incorporating 
October 24-27, 2013
A meeting of minds—a call to collaborative action.
The time has come: humanists, skeptics, and other critical thinkers coming together to work together for a more rational world. Join us at the breathtaking Hotel Murano in the heart of downtown Tacoma. Just south of Seattle.
1320 Broadway Plaza · Tacoma, Washington
Or register by phone by calling 855-417-9930.
Basic Registration just $199 per person.
Student Registration just $50 per person.
Conference Rate Hotel Rooms just $149 per night.
You must reserve hotel rooms directly with the hotel »
NEW! The new Point of Inquiry team will host a live episode. Josh Zepps will interview physicist and bestselling author Leonard Mlodinow. Lindsay Beyerstein will interview Katherine Stewart, author of The Good News Club. See the full schedule »
Should examination of religious beliefs remain largely off limits for skeptics? Should secular humanists be as critical of fringe science claims, including alternative medicine, as they are of religious beliefs? To what extent do skeptics and humanists have a common mission? Both skeptics and humanists support science and critical thinking—but what else unites them? Are there public policy issues on which skeptics and humanists can productively collaborate?
The best way to answer these questions is to bring skeptics and humanists together to talk about them—and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
On October 24-27, 2013, we’re holding The CFI Summit: a joint conference of the Center for Inquiry and its affiliate organizations, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Council for Secular Humanism.
Student attendees will receive a free one-year CFI membership which includes discounts on national conference and local events among other benefits.
The Great Debates
The heated battles over church-state separation, the health crisis caused by vaccine misinformation, the threats to our schools from pseudoscience and pseudo-history, the oppression of women and religious dissidents around the world, the countless victims of fraudulent psychics and alt-med practitioners, the growth of the “Nones” and the sociology of belief, places where humanists and skeptics can (and cannot) work together – all of it will be part of the grand discussion at the CFI Summit.
The Brightest Minds
Speakers scheduled to appear at this landmark event include science entertainer Bill Nye, author Susan Jacoby, physicist and author Leonard Mlodinow, science education advocate Eugenie C. Scott, science journalist Cara Santa Maria, scholar of secularism Phil Zuckerman, humanist activist and scientist Mark D. Hatcher, journalist and author Katherine Stewart, science education activist Zack Kopplin, Secular Coalition for America director Edwina Rogers, and many others.
Special Members Meeting
The CFI Summit will also have a first for CFI. President & CEO Ronald A. Lindsay will host an exclusive Members Meeting, a chance for CFI Friends of the Center and Associate Members of the Council for Secular Humanism or the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry to join in conversation with organization leadership. Members will be able to weigh in on what they see as the best way forward for our movement, and how our organizations can best work together to achieve those goals.
The Hotel. The CFI Summit takes place at the Hotel Murano, Tacoma’s foremost hotel and conference facility, with bold Euro décor themed to the region’s art-glass heritage. Included in Condé Nast Traveler's 2011 Gold List of the best hotels in the world.
The City. Once a gritty manufacturing town, Tacoma has emerged as one of the jewels of the Pacific Northwest, a luminous center of its thriving art-glass subculture. Tacoma is just over thirty miles from the City of Seattle. (Sea-Tac airport serves them both.)
Attractions include the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a 500-foot outdoor installation by native Tacoman glassmaking legend Dale Chihuly; an innovative Museum of Glass; the Washington State History Museum and Tacoma Art Museum … all within an easy walk of the hotel.
Opened in June 2012, the LeMay Museum displays one of the nation’s largest collections of classic automobiles.
Prefer a more natural getaway? Tacoma is surrounded by incredible outdoor destinations.
Hotel Information
Through Thursday, October 3 DEADLINE EXTENDED! Friday, October 11, 2013, conference attendees can reserve rooms at the special Conference Discount Rate of $149, single or double, plus applicable taxes. All rooms feature complimentary WiFi. Staying to tour the Pacific Northwest? Conference rate is available for up to three days before and/or after the conference. These extra days must be booked at the time you make your room reservations. Room reservations are not included in Conference registration. You must reserve your rooms directly with the Hotel. To reserve your rooms online, visit the hotel’s web site. Prefer to reserve by phone? Dial toll free 888-862-3255, available 24 hours. Mention “Center for Inquiry” to obtain the special discounted conference rate.
Tacoma is served by Sea-Tac International Airport (which also serves Seattle). The hotel does not have an airport shuttle. Commercial shuttle service is available at the airport; allow up to one hour for the 33-mile trip to Tacoma.
Driving to the conference? Parking is available at the hotel: $15 per day for self-park, $19 per day for valet.
The Center for Inquiry values full participation at all of its events, including participation from individuals with disabilities. Requests for reasonable accommodation may be made by contacting organizer Barry Karr at (716) 636-4869 ext. 217 or bkarr@centerforinquiry.net before October 1, 2013.
Don’t miss out on this year’s most spectacular conference.
© 2013 Center for Inquiry · Contact
On clear days, Mount Rainier (summit 14,411 ft.) is clearly visible from the conference hotel.
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