Per Mary Trotto, USATF Masters Active Athlete Chair, 2/1/2013:

Here is some information: as of Feb 1st the WMA is beginning to take online registrations on the main website (above).

as for the hotels:
I think you need to do some looking first
If you go to any search engine and just put in hotels in Porto Alegre you will get websites that have maps with most of the meet hotels listed. Many of the hotels are in and around the city but not near the venues. There are a few hostels that are close to the main track if you like that sort of accommodation. I can also tell you that the cost of the hotels on the official WMA website is slightly more than what you might find if you went to a site like booking.com or expedia etc.

Unfortunately, a lot of the meet hotels will indicate that they have no availability during the dates of the championships. Additionally, I went to google earth and could literally walk along the streets near the hotels and some did not look like areas that were inviting to walk. I found the Master Palace Express & Suites at a reasonable cost, the area looked pretty good and they were close to all of the other meet hotels, it is also a meet hotel. Master Palace is 5Km from the main track and 2.5km from the third track I booked through expedia and it was a few hundred dollars less than if I had booked it via the official travel agency plus I paid $100 to have free cancellation right up until two days before. Even with paying extra for free cancellation it was still $300 less for the same type room, same dates. In any case, remember that on the website the cost of the hotels are listed in Real the money of Brazil and based on today's conversion it is 2xs the US Dollar so if it says 3,000RS that would be $1500 US

According to the official booklet that is now on line. There will be buses from the meet hotels to the main track and from there shuttles will take you to the other tracks. Basically that is how it was both in Lahti and Riccone, except in Lahti the second track was walking distance to the main track

In Porto Alegre the three tracks are not within easy walking distances to each other. if you want to get a feel for the area, then use something like google earth and you will be able to see the area very clearly with all the hotels and you will be able to get street views for many of the venues. For example, if you put in : CETE- Rua Gonçalves Dias, Porto Alegre - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, you will get to see the main track and from there you can click on search nearby and you will find all of the hotels and hostels on the map as you click on the hotels you can find out more about each and their amenities and their cost.

some useful words
hello= ola
please= por favor
thank you = obrigato (male) obrigata (female speaks)
where is the track= onde esta (pronounced onjay e') a pista
Mr or Ms = Senhor/Senhora
do you speak english? Fala Ingles?
high jump = salto em altura
long jump = Salto em Distância
pole vault = salto com vara.
triple jump = salto triplo,
100m, cem ; 200m = duzentos 400m = quatrocentos"
hurdles = obstáculos, or / Barreiras
steeplechase = corrida de obstáculos
shot put = peso,
discus= disco,
javelin = dardo,
hammer = martelo
Weight = Martelete
relay = Revezamento
Decathlon / Decatlo
throws Pentathlon / Pentatlo Lançamento
heptathlon = Heptatlo

below is the information I received from Marilyn hope all of this is useful to you as you make your plans for the World Championships in Porto Alegre

Per Marilyn Mitchell, USATF Women's Representative for WMA events, 2/1/2013:

The hotel booking site for the 2013 WMA Championship in Porto Alegre seems to be ready for booking. I tried using it moments ago and it seems to be working. The travel people have made some requested changes, i.e., they now seem to have mini-maps next to at least some of the hotel names, once you click for details on a particular hotel.

Please ask the active athletes to disseminate this information. Per my request at the annual meeting, I expect that the active athletes are not just receiving information but that they are also sending it on to other athletes. The idea is to share information and make the process of attending meets easier for all of us.

1. LINK TO HOTEL BOOKING SITE:
(AT TOP OF THIS PAGE) is the link to the hotel booking site...the hotels on the site's list do not seem to be in any particular order.

2. IMPORTANT:
THERE IS A 10-DAY MINIMUM BOOKING PERIOD FOR THE SITE...I HAVE TRIED TO GET THAT CHANGED, BUT THUS FAR I HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. If someone wants to book for fewer than 10 days, I will refer them to someone in the travel organization who may be able to make an exception. From my e-mails with the travel people, I am guessing that the 10-day minimum is a contractual issue on their side, which cannot be changed.

3. CANCELLATION POLICY

1. Cancellation 120 days prior to arrival NO PENALTY
2. Cancellation 119 days prior to arrival 15% reductions accepted.
3. Cancellation 90 days prior to arrival 10% reductions accepted.
4. Cancellation 89 days prior to arrival 5% reductions accepted.
5. Cancellation 60 days prior to arrival NO REFUND

4. LIST OF ADDRESSES OF STADIA AND VENUES: (AT TOP OF PAGE)

I am also attaching a list of addresses of the stadia and venues. This may or may not be helpful with regard to booking hotels...I have not been to Porto Alegre and am unable to answer questions about hotel locations or related matters. What I have heard is that almost no hotels are near anything...the closest hotels to any venues are those close to the npn-stadia event...and I do not know what "close" means.

Aloha!

Marilyn