Judge Your Peers’ Papers and Posters
Your participation in the judging of papers and posters is requested! This important function
determines the winners of the Matson Award, Braunstein Award, SEPM Best Paper and Best
Poster Awards and Division Awards. Your effort will involve judging and evaluating one or more
oral or poster sessions. Stop by the Judges’ Room to pick up your packet of judging materials
and enjoy a beverage or snack on your way to the session. Please mark your registration form to
volunteer to judge at the 2010 convention!
No-Smoking Policy
Smoking is prohibited at the convention center.
Travel and Transportation
Airport Information
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is approximately 11 miles from the Central Business District. Taxicabs, shuttle buses and public transportation routes can get you to the CBD 24 hours a day. Passengers are advised to arrive 2 hours prior to your scheduled departure time. Airport officials also recommend booking your flight early as flights out of New Orleans are operating at or near capacity. The airport now offers wi-fi services in 85 percent of the airport terminal’s main level, which includes most gates, sitting areas and food courts. Airport travelers can get real-time flight arrival and departure updates from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport website, browse information about the retail and restaurant offerings in the airport, and get the latest travel tips.
Ground Transportation (prices subject to change)
- Taxicabs: A cab ride costs $33.00 from the airport to the Central Business District (CBD) for one or two persons and $14.00 (per passenger) for three or more passengers. Pick-up is on the lower level, outside the baggage claim area. There may be an additional charge for extra baggage.
- Airport Shuttle: Shuttle service is available from the airport to the hotels in the CBD for $20.00 (per person, one-way) or $38.00 (per person, round-trip). Three bags per person. Call +1 866 596 2699 or +1 504 522 3500 for more details or to make a reservation. Advance reservations are required 48 hours prior to travel for all ADA-accessible transfers. Please call well enough in advance for the specially equipped shuttle to be reserved. For group reservations of 50 or more people please dial +1 866 596 2699. Ticket booths are located on the lower level in the baggage claim area.
- Jefferson Transit: The Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) Bus picks up outside airport Entrance #7 on the upper level. The fare for Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) is $1.10. The fare boxes will accept $1, $5, $10, $20 dollar bills and all U.S. coins. The fare boxes will provide change in the form of a value card that can be used for future fares. The Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) provides service from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, down Airline Drive into New Orleans. The Airport bus stop is on the second level of the Airport, near the Delta counter, in the median (look for the sign and bench). At Carrollton at Tulane it connects with RTA’s 27-Louisiana and 39-Tulane buses. (Visit the RTA website to check their current schedules.)
Convention Shuttle
The AAPG shuttle bus system provides convenient transportation Sunday through Wednesday
between selected convention hotels and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Please note that
some hotels are within walking distance of the convention center and will not be serviced by the
shuttle buses. Lobby E is the pick-up and drop off point for the convention center. Look for “AAPG
Shuttle” signs for more information.
Getting Around
New Orleans is one of the world’s busiest ports and the cultural capital of the South, yet the city
is remarkably compact and easy to navigate. Visitors are always pleasantly surprised to learn that
many of the city’s attractions, accommodations and event venues are within walking distance of
each other; in fact, “hoofing it” (in New Orleans’ case, translated as walking or grabbing a muledrawn carriage) is a favorite means of transportation in the Crescent City.
But, if you prefer wheels to legs, New Orleans has a very accessible and reasonably priced public
transportation system, too. It only costs $1.25 to take an RTA bus… or one of the city’s famed
streetcars, which travel the Riverfront and Canal Street. Where else can you actually ride on a
historic landmark?
Local Public Transit
For fare information, detailed maps and schedules, go to www.norta.com. The website is also
now available in Spanish courtesy of Google. The RTA Rideline, +1 504 248 3900, is available
weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for live assistance with routes and schedules. In addition, the
Rideline can also now be reached via e-mail at rideline@norta.com.
- Streetcars — RTA is fully operating its #2 Riverfront Streetcar line (runs from French Market Riverfront stop at Esplanade to the Convention Center) and its full #45 Canal Streetcar line (runs the full length of Canal Street to the Cemeteries terminal, also including the Carrollton Spur). Both lines are using the historic olive-green Perley Thomas-type streetcars, which usually run along the St. Charles Avenue line, for this service 7 days per week from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
The streetcars, because of their historic designation under ADA, are not accessible to the disabled. However, PARATRANSIT service is available by calling +1 504 827 7433. RTA apologizes for the inconvenience, but hopes to have its only undamaged accessible streetcar available within the next few months. The Canal bus, which is accessible for the disabled, will continue to run the full length of Canal Street. - New Orleans Bus Routes — In Orleans Parish, RTA now runs the 28 lines. This service includes 61 buses during peak hours on weekdays (51 during the midday), 36 buses on Saturdays, 32 buses on Sundays and 5 streetcars every day of the week.
- 2 Riverfront Streetcar (French Market, Aquarium, Cruise Ships, Thalia)
- 5 Marigny-Bywater (Convention Center, French Quarter, Marigny, Bywater)
- 10 Tchoupitoulas (CBD-Uptown)
- 11 Magazine (CBD-Uptown)
Obtaining a Visa
It is your responsibility to apply for a passport, visa or any other required documents and to demonstrate to consular officials that you are properly classifiable as a visitor under United States law. AAPG cannot assist you with the interview process, nor can anyone representing the
sponsoring organizations call an embassy or consulate on your behalf to provide support for granting a visa. Should your application be denied, AAPG can neither intervene in the process nor change the decision of the governmental agency. All expenses connected with obtaining proper
documentation are your responsibility.
If you need a visa letter from AAPG, you must be registered and fully paid for the convention. You may request a letter by selecting the box either online or on the printed registration form. AAPG supplies this letter for visa purposes only. All expenses involved with attending the convention are your responsibility. If your visa application is denied and AAPG receives a copy of the denial by fax (+1 918 560 2684) before 14 April 2010 your registration fee only will be refunded, less a cancellation charge.
Visa Policy and Procedures
To learn about the visa application process, understand current requirements and get updates on recent developments go to www.unitedstatesvisas.gov.
Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
The VWP enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States without obtaining a visa. For more information go to www.travel.state.gov.
Registering with Your Embassy
Travel advice to tourists suggests that you register with your country’s consulate or embassy when traveling abroad.
