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2025 Registration Information

2025 HBCU Kings and Queens Conference Registration Information

To prepare for registration, please review the following details thoroughly.

This information is essential for all attendees and details conference registration fees, lodging, meals, transportation, and attire. 

Due to participant numbers and space limitations, registration will close on July 11, 2025.

All participants must be registered by this date.

REGISTRATION FEES (*please read carefully*)

Early Bird Registration (April 1 - April 30, 2025) (Payment must be received or postmarked by Wednesday, April 30th)

      • $385 King/Queen individual fee (per person)
          • Individual King (e.g., Mister Southern University of New Orleans)
          • Individual Queen (e.g., Miss Southern University of New Orleans) 
      • $335 group fee (per person)
          • King Group (i.e., two (2) or more kings). The official king only qualifies in this category if additional kings attend from his court, i.e., runners-up, attendants, and class kings.
          • Queen Group (i.e., two (2) or more queens). The official queen only qualifies in this category if additional queens attend from her court, i.e., runners-up, attendants, and class queens.
          • NOTE: A single king and a single queen together does not qualify as a group.
      • $395 Advisor fee (i.e., Royal Court advisor, college/university official, other University administrator)

Regular Registration (May 1 - June 16, 2025) (Payment must be received or postmarked by Monday, June 16th)

      • $435 King/Queen individual fee (per person)
          • Individual King (ex. Mister Southern University of New Orleans)
          • Individual Queen (ex. Miss Southern University of New Orleans)
      • $385 group fee (per person)
          • King Group (i.e., two (2) or more kings). The official king only qualifies in this category if additional kings attend from his court, i.e., runners-up, attendants, and class kings.
          • Queen Group (i.e., two (2) or more queens). The official queen only qualifies in this category if additional queens attend from her court, i.e., runners-up, attendants, and class queens.
          • NOTE: A single king and single queen together does not qualify as a group.
      • $420 advisor fee (i.e., Royal Court advisor, college/university official, other University administrator)

Late Registration (June 17 - July 11, 2025)

      • $485 King/Queen individual fee (per person)
          • Individual King (ex. Mister Southern University of New Orleans)
          • Individual Queen (ex. Miss Southern University of New Orleans)
      • $435 group fee (per person)
          • King Group (i.e., two (2) or more kings). The official king only qualifies in this category if additional kings attend from his court, i.e., runners-up, attendants, and class kings.
          • Queen Group (i.e., two (2) or more queens). The official queen only qualifies in this category if additional queens attend from her court, i.e., runners-up, attendants, and class queens.
          • NOTE: A single king and single queen together do not qualify as a group.
      • $420 Advisor fee (i.e., Royal Court advisor, college/university official, other University administrator) 

Group Fee: The group fee incentive is provided to encourage colleges/universities to extend this leadership training to the Royal Court members (e.g., attendants, class kings/queens, etc.). Many of our past Royal Court members who attended the conference later became the official king or queen. This training has also benefited participants' professionally beyond their campus leadership roles and into their professional careers. It has also helped the entire group understand their roles as campus ambassadors collectively. If you are bringing at least two (2) kings or two (2) queens, that is considered a group. The king and queen together do not qualify for the group incentive. 

Advisors:  Royal Court advisors, college/university officials, and other chaperones who wish to attend any of the activities, workshops, etc. must pay the appropriate registration fee to participate. Otherwise, they will not be allowed to participate in conference-related activities.

PAYMENT

To ensure you receive the Early Bird or Regular Registration fees, payment must be received or postmarked by the appropriate deadline. If a college/university registers but misses the payment deadline, the registered advisor will receive an updated invoice reflecting the new registration fee. 

Payment Methods:

  • Credit Card All major credit cards (e.g., Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover) are accepted. 
  • Invoice/Check  After registering, you can select the option to be invoiced and pay by check. Only a college/university or sponsoring company check will be accepted. Checks should be made payable to Leadership for Queens (Federal Tax Id#: 32-0013781), and mailed to:
Leadership for Queens
P.O. Box 16986
Memphis, TN 38186

Please make sure our current W-9 is correct in your filing system. We recommend mailing all checks by July 7, 2025. After July 7th, payments must be made onsite during check-in as our staff will be preparing for their arrival to New Orleans and will be unavailable to check the mailbox. If submitting payment by mail, we suggest you make a copy of your check and obtain a tracking number in case mail is slow or use advanced mail services to expedite delivery. NOTE: All registration fees must be paid by (check-in) Thursday, July 24, 2025. 

NOTE: If an attendee plans to personally cover their registration, they must pay with a cashier’s check or money order. Personal checks will not be accepted. In the case of an attendee personally covering his/her registration, $25 will be deducted from the registration fee according to the advertised fee structure above. Please contact Dr. Michael Rainey at [email protected] to be invoiced directly. 

REFUND POLICY

Registration fees are non-refundable due to participant cancellations. However, if the conference is canceled, all registration fees will be refunded. If a participant cancels their registration, the registration fees can be transferred to another participant for that year's conference only.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

LODGING

Lodging is not included in the registration fee. The Conference will take place at Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, (504) 586-0300. There are two ways to book:

  • Online: click here to book your rooms.
  • By Phone: Call 1-800-SONESTA and use the booking code 071625HBCU or the group name HBCU Kings & Queens Conference.

The hotel cost is $162.00 per night for deluxe king and double queen rooms (plus room tax, $2.00 occupancy tax, and Statutory Tourism tax). Group room rates are available three (3) days before the conference (July 21st - 23rd) and three (3) days after the conference (July 28th - 30th) based on hotel availability prior to the cut-off date of July 11th.

Please do not delay in making your reservations with the hotel because space is limited and we would like all the kings and queens in the same location for the purpose of sharing and bonding. Furthermore, our conference staff will be staying at the hotel in case of emergencies or special concerns. With other big events in the city that weekend, we strongly suggest you reserve your room now to guarantee your space. This block is guaranteed until 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 11, 2025 (or until the block is filled). After this date, we cannot guarantee the group rate or the availability of rooms.

For easy processing for the hotel when paying with a college/university check by mail, please specify the names of your attendees and their reservation numbers. For your travel convenience, please note the Conference's hotel rate is available the day before the conference starts (if you desire to come early) as well as the day the conference ends (if you want to stay over). If you have any issues with your reservation, please contact Dr. Michael Rainey at [email protected] or our hotel contact, Ms. Mia Bullard, at 504-553-2238. Please also contact us if you are told the hotel block is full so that we can check on available space outside of the room block.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

  • Airport: Those flying to New Orleans will fly into the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY), which offers flights to/from most major cities. MSY is 12 miles (20 minutes) from Royal Sonesta New Orleans.
  • Transportation: Royal Sonesta New Orleans does not have an airport shuttle. For ground transportation options to the hotel, please coordinate through https://flymsy.com/ground-transportation/. All other transportation will be provided by the Conference for offsite conference activities.
  • Parking: Valet parking only is available for cars, trucks, and vans at the Royal Sonesta New Orleans for $43.00 per day (plus tax). For those traveling to the Conference via bus, there is no available bus parking at the hotel or in the French Quarter. Buses must unload passengers at Canal and Bourbon Streets, which is two blocks from the hotel. Please contact Dr. Michael Rainey at [email protected] for information regarding option bus parking.

MEALS

Conference meals will be provided as follows:

      • Thursday, July 24th - Opening reception heavy hors d’oeuvres immediately following the program.
      • Friday, July 25th - All meals provided onsite.
      • Saturday, July 26th
        • Breakfast and lunch provided offsite.
        • Dinner not provided and will be the responsibility of the conference participant. Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served at the Awards & Masquerade ball that night.
      • Sunday, July 27th - Ticketed-only event. Tickets must be purchased by the registration deadline. Tickets can be SECURED on the online registration page.

DRESS CODE

The Conference is business casual / business chic. Comfortable shoes are a must. Students should be mindful that they are a reflection of their college/university; therefore, presentable attire in and out of sessions will be required. Please keep in mind that kings and queens are expected to exemplify the highest level of appearance and behavior at all times. Also, it is important to know that pictures and videos are being taken at all times, especially on the day of arrival. As formal training for young business professionals, the Conference staff asks that kings and queens are appropriately and fully dressed when leaving their rooms, including, but not limited to Conference check-in, breakfast, and all other functions as noted via the Conference schedule.

Other important attire information is as follows:

      • Etiquette dinner (Friday evening): After five attire.
      • Royal Game Show ( Friday Night): Kings and queens will wear a college/university shirt. 
      • Saturday for Campus visit: Conference shirts will be provided and worn during the day (NOTE: jeans are not allowed).
      • The Awards & Masquerade Ball (Saturday night):  Formal attire and masks encouraged. Semi-formal attire at a minimum is required. Sashes may be worn during the procession for the Royal Academy Awards (Saturday) only.
      • Closing Breakfast (Sunday): -All white attire required.

CONTACT US

For general information about the conference or questions, please contact Dr. Michael Rainey, Director of Programs and Conference Registration, by email at [email protected] or by phone/text at 804-898-9533. 

 

 

REGISTER HERE

Please note, when submitting your online Registration after 25 minutes, the program will time out. Therefore, for large delegations, we suggest obtaining information for attendees before registering (e.g., name, title, email address, cell number, shirt size, dietary preference/allergies, academic major) so that you do not lose your data and must restart the process. Please call or email us if you have questions, concerns, or difficulties registering.