Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see anything even the least bit confusing here.
Go back down to Mike Mizesko’s first post and he has two links. The first link is for the Event Brite page. Read the posting, and it tells you how to get into the Event Brite page; that is to register for Pagodafest. if you want to come to Pagodafest, you must be a full member and you must register—very simple.
The second link is for the hotel. That is to reserve a room at the hotel. Reserving a hotel room, and attending the event are two completely separate and distinct items. Go to that link, or call the hotel directly to make a room reservation. A room reservation will not register you for the event. All it does is reserve a room at the hotel…
So, unless you are local to the Chicago area and staying in your own home, you will probably need to make two separate registrations. One for a hotel room, and one for the event itself.