[MODEST] Re: MODEST-6: first announcement

[Fred Rasio]

Hello everyone,

I have received relatively few responses so far, probably because the  
timing
of my first message was not ideal (just before the holidays).

Please take a minute now to read the announcement and, if you haven't  
done so
yet, let me know if you will likely attend (or not), and whether you  
will
need a hotel.

In order to make a hotel block room reservation and get a discounted  
room rate,
I need a reasonably accurate estimate of the number of people who will  
need a
hotel. The rate I could get if I signed the contract offered to me is  
$119 per
night (plus tax) at the Orrington Hotel (see below; normal rate is  
$149). This
is for a double room, and sharing is possible. The Orrington is just a  
few
minutes from campus, by far the most convenient hotel nearby.

We now have set up a web site for the meeting:

http://www.astro.northwestern.edu/MODEST6/index.html

Thanks,

Fred

On Dec 11, 2004, at 5:57 PM, Fred Rasio wrote:

> Dear MODEST friends,
>
> As announced a while ago, MODEST-6 will take place at Northwestern  
> University on
> August 29-31, 2005 (Mon-Wed).
>
> I am sending this first announcement relatively early because Chicago  
> is an
> extremely popular summer destination, and many of you may want to come  
> here
> for a more extended stay including some sightseeing and fun (see below  
> - it
> turns out that the jazz festival is right after the meeting!!).
>
> Please do the following:
>
> 1) Read the information below.
>
> 2) Send me (rasio at northwestern.edu - not the whole list!) an email  
> message
> telling me:
>
> o if you plan to attend the meeting definitely, definitely not, or
> the probability that you'll be attending if you are not sure yet.
>
> o if you have suggestions for what format to adopt. Based on recent  
> feedback
> from previous meetings, my tendency would be to spend ~50% of the time  
> with
> a more structured program (with talks) and the other ~50% with  
> discussions or
> loosely structured parallel group meetings.
>
> o if you'd like to give a "review talk." In that case also describe  
> exactly
> what you'd like to cover in your review.
>
> Please put "MODEST-6" in the subject of your message so I can keep  
> track easily.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Fred
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> --------
>
> Local Info:
> -----------
>
> Northwestern has two campuses. One is located in downtown Chicago. The  
> other,
> main campus is located in Evanston, Illinois, about 20 minutes North  
> of downtown
> Chicago on the shore of Lake Michigan (This is the nice "North Shore"  
> area of
> Chicago suburbs - not to be confused with the ugly "south side" where  
> that other
> university is :).
>
> The Evanston campus is where the meeting will be taking place. If you  
> are not
> familiar with Northwestern or the Chicago area, you may want to read  
> the main
> "About Northwestern" page at
> http://www.northwestern.edu/about/facts/
> and the campus information page at
> http://www.northwestern.edu/campus/.
> You can find a lot of useful campus information online, including maps,
> directions, and information on where to park.
>
> If you are flying to Chicago, make sure to arrive at O'Hare  
> International
> Airport (ORD), which has nonstop flights to and from most major  
> airports around
> the world, and is only about 30 mins from Evanston by taxi. If you are  
> going to
> spend some time in the Chicago area and have fun (see "entertainment"  
> below),
> you should consider renting a car at the airport.
>
> Entertainment:
> --------------
>
> We will probably organize some kind of welcoming event on Sunday  
> evening,
> August 28th. Many of you will want to arrive on Saturday, August 27th,  
> to
> take care of cheaper airfares with a Saturday night stay. Chicago has a
> lot to offer to visitors, and the weather in late summer is  
> particularly
> pleasant (usually dry and not too hot). There are also many interesting
> destinations in the North Shore area. For example, the Ravinia Festival
> (summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and much more) is  
> located
> in Highland Park, just 20 mins North of Evanston by a very convenient  
> train
> ride. Check http://www.ravinia.org/ later in the spring for the  
> program.
>
> Chicago is also world famous for jazz, and it turns out that two major
> festivals are taking place right around the time of our meeting:
>
> 27th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival
> September 1-4, 2005
> http://chicagojazzfestival.org/
>
> 17th Annual Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival
> August 27-28, 2005
> (the weekend just before the meeting)
>
> Downtown Chicago has fantastic architecture. One of the best summer
> activities for visitors is the Chicago Architecture Foundation's river
> cruise (http://www.architecture.org/river.html), often booked months
> in advance. The new Millenium Park is free and not to be missed:
> http://www.chicagotraveler.com/chicago_millennium_park.htm
>
> There are also several major museums, including the Chicago Art  
> Institute,
> the Field Museum, and the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum (the
> oldest planetarium in the world; http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/).
>
> Lodging:
> --------
>
> The most convenient hotel to be walking distance (5 mins) to campus is  
> the
> recently re-opened (and renovated) Hotel Orrington:
> http://www.hotelorrington.com/
> The currently advertised rate on the web for the dates of the meeting  
> is
> $149/night for a "deluxe room." If there is sufficient interest, we  
> will
> try to get a special Northwestern group rate at this hotel for the
> conference. This would likely decrease the rate to $119/night.
>
> A cheaper but still very nice hotel a bit further from campus is the
> Hilton Garden Inn:
> http://www.hiltongardeninn.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=ORDEVGI
> ($109/night)
>
> Finally, within about 20 mins walk is the Best Western University  
> Plaza   
> http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do? 
> propertyCode=14166
> ($99/night)
>
> If you book now, wherever you call, make sure to ask for a special
> "Northwestern University" rate. The full list of hotels that offer  
> special
> rates to Northwestern is at
> http://www.univsvcs.northwestern.edu/travel/evanston_hotels.htm
>
> You can also find special Northwestern rates at downtown hotels. See
> the same page above but follow the link to "Chicago hotels." If you are
> coming with family/SOs, that may be the better option (for them at  
> least).
>
> ------------
>
>