Wednesday, May 28
 
Assembly in the Independence Ballroom:  
Media, sponsors, and spellers and their family members will have open access to the assembly in the Independence Ballroom subject to the capacity limitations of the ballroom. There will be reserved seating for each speller and one parent per speller. The seating capacity in the ballroom is 1,100 people, and of the 1,100 seats, almost 600 seats will be reserved for the 287 spellers and their parents (one reserved parent seat per speller).

Thursday, May 29 

Preliminaries in the Independence Ballroom:  
Media, sponsors, and spellers and their family members will have open access to viewing of the oral spelling in the Independence Ballroom subject to the capacity limitations of the ballroom.  

Quarterfinals in the Independence Ballroom:   
Media, sponsors, and spellers and their family members will have open access to viewing of the oral spelling in the Independence Ballroom subject to the capacity limitations of the ballroom. 

Friday, May 30 

Admission wrist passes for the final day of competition on Friday, May 30—four per speller (including the speller)—will be given to spellers’ parents on Monday, May 26, during Registration.  Bee personnel will not honor wrist passes distributed to individuals who are not spellers’ immediate family members.

It is important to note that the number of admission wrist passes—four per speller—includes one for the speller, whether or not he or she is still in the competition on May 30. Any speller and/or speller’s family member who wishes to attend the event on May 30 must present an admission wrist pass in order to gain admittance to any aspect of the Semifinals and Championship Finals, and this requirement applies to infants and/or children under the age of two. 

In general, we will also grant one media credential per sponsor present in Washington, D.C. The Bee will not grant media credentials to spellers’ family members, cosponsors, ex-spellers, or spouses or family members of sponsors. Media credentials will be distributed through our Press Desk on site in Washington, D.C. 

The Bee’s admission plan was determined in accordance with the fire marshal-approved seating plan for the Independence Ballroom. The competition venue is much smaller than most people imagine it to be: The fire marshal-approved seating capacity for the Bee is about 1,100 people, and we expect at least 1,600 people to request admission to the venue. When the venue nears capacity, Bee personnel will suspend the admission process for individuals bearing wrist passes who have not yet gained access to the venue.