AIA is building a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility within our profession, firms, and chapters. These efforts extend to the events that we host because ensuring Aspire is an inclusive, accessible experience for all who attend is one of our top priorities.

The Aspire Conference will take place across 10-15 venues located within close proximity to each other, all situated in the heart of Asheville’s vibrant downtown area. Asheville is a pedestrian-friendly city, perfect for exploring on foot. This means transportation between conference sessions will not be provided. There are some small hills in the area so to ensure maximum comfort during your conference experience, we recommend packing comfortable sneakers or walking shoes.

Exploring Asheville

For those interested in exploring Asheville’s wider offerings, including AIA tours or events outside the downtown area, ride-sharing apps like Uber or Lyft are readily available.

Questions about accommodations

Please email us with your questions and requests by August 1, 2024. While we will do our best, arrangements cannot be guaranteed after this date.

Examples of accommodations can be:

• Captioning in education sessions
• Designated accessible seating in keynotes and session rooms
• An accessible entrance to the convention center
• Accessible restrooms
• Braille signage
• A quiet room
• Parent/infant room with a private nursing space
• Service animal inclusion.
• American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters
• Stage ramps for speakers
• Food allergy accommodations upon request during the registration process

Venue information

Twisted Laurel: This venue does not have elevator access.

Cúrate: Please notify Aspire staff if you need to utilize the South Lexington entrance for this special event.

Strada Italiano: This venue does not have elevator access.

Century Room at Pack’s Tavern: The accessibility entrance is through the main restaurant entrance. There is a separate street-level entrance for Century Room sessions.