Accommodations

Participants should make their own arrangements directly with the hotel of their choice and state that they are with the AMS Math Meeting at the University of Richmond to receive the discounted rate. Rates do not include the applicable tax rate of 13%. The AMS is not responsible for rate changes or for the quality of the accommodations. Hotels have varying cancellation and early checkout penalties; be sure to ask for details when making your reservation.

Hotels are all in the same general location, approximately 3.5 miles from the University of Richmond campus, approximately 15 miles from Richmond International Airport (estimated travel time 25 minutes, taxi fare US\$40, and approximately 3 miles from the Richmond-Staples Mill Road Amtrak Station (estimated travel time 10 minutes, taxi fare US\$10). There is ample free parking at each of the hotels. Participants are discouraged from walking to the campus. There are no hotels within walking distance of the campus buildings being used for this meeting, so participants will need to arrange their own transportation between their hotel and the meeting site.

There are several restaurants within walking distance of these hotels; some of these hotels have on-site restaurants.

Courtyard Richmond West by Marriott, 6400 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA, 23230; phone: 804-282-1881; fax: 804-288-2934. Rates start at US\$89 per night. Amenities include exercise center, free high-speed Internet access, free coffee in lobby (coffeemakers in rooms), and a breakfast buffet is available for a modest fee. For more information please visit http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ricwe-courtyard-richmond-west. The deadline for reservations is October 6. Please be sure to check the early checkout and cancellation policy.

Crowne Plaza Hotel Richmond West, 6531 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230; phone: 804-285-9951; fax: 804-673-9632. Rates start at US\$84 per night. Amenities include fitness center; business center; indoor pool; complimentary high-speed Internet access and wireless data connection; ATM; restaurant in hotel (with lounge) available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For more information please visit http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/ricbs. For reservations at the discounted rate, please visit http://www.ihg.com/h/d/CP/1/en/rates?hotelCode=RICBS&rateCode=AMS&_IATAno=99502056.The deadline for reservations is October 15. Please be sure to check the early checkout and cancellation policy

Westin Hotel, 6631 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA, 23230; phone: 804-282-8444. Rates start at US\$99 per night. Amenities include refrigerator and coffeemaker in room, workout room, indoor pool, wireless high-speed Internet access (free in lobby, US\$9.95 per day in room), ATM, in-hotel restaurant offers 24-hour room service. For more information please visit http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1993. The deadline for reservations is October 22. Please be sure to check the early checkout and cancellation policy

Best Western Executive Hotel, 7007 W Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23294; phone: 804-672-7007; fax: 804-672-3251. Rates start at US\$69.99 per night. Amenities include in-room refrigerators and microwaves, fitness center, pool, free high-speed Internet access, and complimentary continental breakfast. For more information please visit http://bestwesternvirginia.com/hotels/best-western-executive-hotel. The deadline for reservations is October 22. Please be sure to check the early checkout and cancellation policy

Baymont Inn and Suites Richmond, 7201 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA, 23294; phone: 804-672-1108. Rates start at US\$49.99 per night. Amenities include microwave and refrigerator in some rooms, exercise room, pool, coffee in lobby (coffeemakers in all rooms), free wireless Internet access, and complimentary deluxe continental breakfast. For more information please visit http://www.baymontinns.com/Baymont/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=20276. The deadline for reservations is November 1. Please be sure to check the early checkout and cancellation policy

Driving Directions to Hotels

From the North on I-95: Travel along I-95 South to Exit 79. Merge onto I-64 West. Remain on I-64 West to Exit 183. For the Crowne Plaza and Westin Hotel, take Exit 183B to merge onto West Broad Street / US-250 East. Proceed 0.5 miles to the Westin, 0.8 miles to the Crowne Plaza. For the Marriott, take Exit 183B to merge onto West Broad Street/US-250 East. Proceed 1.4 miles to make a U-turn at W. Club Lane. Proceed 0.3 miles to the Marriott. For the Best Western and Baymont Inn, take Exit 183C to merge onto West Broad Street/US 250-West. Proceed 0.8 miles to make a U-turn at Bethlehem Road. Proceed 430 feet to the Baymont Inn, 0.3 miles then right on Bynum Road to the Best Western.

From the South on I-95: Travel along I-95 North to Exit 79 (I-64W, I-195S to Powhite Parkway/Charlottesville). Stay on I-64 Westbound to Exit 183. For the Crowne Plaza and Westin Hotel, take Exit 183B to merge onto West Broad Street US-250 East. Proceed 0.5 miles to the Westin, 0.8 miles to the Crowne Plaza. For the Marriott, take Exit 183B to merge onto West Broad Street/US-250 East. Proceed 1.4 miles to make a U-turn at W. Club Lane. Proceed 0.3 miles to the Marriott. For the Best Western and Baymont Inn, take Exit 183C to merge onto West Broad Street/US 250-West. Proceed 0.8 miles to make a U-turn at Bethlehem Road. Proceed 430 feet to the Baymont Inn, 0.3 miles then right on Bynum Road to the Best Western.

From the East on I-64 (from Richmond International Airport): Travel along I-64 Westbound to Exit 183. For the Crowne Plaza and Westin Hotel, take Exit 183B to merge onto West Broad Street/US-250 East. Proceed 0.5 miles to the Westin, 0.8 miles to the Crowne Plaza. For the Marriott, take Exit 183B to merge onto West Broad Street/US-250 East. Proceed 1.4 miles to make a U-turn at W. Club Lane. Proceed 0.3 miles to the Marriott. For the Best Western and Baymont Inn, take Exit 183C to merge onto West Broad Street/US 250-West. Proceed 0.8 miles to make a U-turn at Bethlehem Road. Proceed 430 feet to the Baymont Inn, 0.3 miles then right on Bynum Road to the Best Western.

From the West on I-64: Travel along I-64 Eastbound to Exit 183. For the Crowne Plaza and Westin Hotel, exit onto West Broad Street/US 250 East. Proceed 0.2 miles to the Westin, 0.5 miles to the Crowne Plaza. For the Marriott, exit onto West Broad Street / US 250 East. Proceed 1.4 miles to make a U-turn at W. Club Lane. Proceed 0.3 miles to the Marriott. For the Best Western and Baymont Inn, exit onto West Broad Street/US 250 East. At the first stoplight (Forest Avenue) make a U-turn. Proceed west on US-250 0.9 miles to make a U-turn at Bethlehem Road. Proceed 430 feet to the Baymont Inn, 0.3 miles then right on Bynum Road to the Best Western.

From the Staples Mill Road Amtrak Station: Exit the station by turning left onto Staples Mill Road (US-33 South). Take the 2nd right onto Glenside Drive. After 1.3 miles, Glenside intersects West Broad Street. For the Crowne Plaza and Westin Hotel, turn left onto West Broad Street / US 250 East. Proceed 0.4 miles to the Westin, 0.7 miles to the Crowne Plaza. For the Marriott, turn left onto West Broad Street / US 250 East. Proceed 1.1 miles to make a U-turn at W. Club Lane. Proceed 0.3 miles to the Marriott. For the Best Western and Baymont Inn, turn right onto West Broad Street / US 250 West. Proceed 0.4 miles to make a U-turn at Bethlehem Road. Proceed 430 feet to the Baymont Inn, 0.3 miles then right on Bynum Road to the Best Western.

Note: For those who will be driving, the intersection of Broad and Glenside is a central location for conference hotels and restaurants: 7000 West Broad and 5400 Glenside Drive. Heading west on West Broad Street takes you from lower numbered addresses to higher, with even numbered addresses on your right.

Local Information and Parking

Information about the University of Richmond Math and Computer Science Department may be found at http://mathcs.richmond.edu/. A great campus map is found at http://www.richmond.edu/visit/maps/index.html. Please click here to see a campus map indicating where to enter campus, where to park, and which buildings will be used for registration and sessions

Conference participants may park on campus free of charge in lot W41 (see map at http://www.ams.org/amsmtgs/2178_campusmap_marked.pdf, which is a commuter student lot, located off UR Drive. To reach this lot from the hotel area: From the Broad Street/Glenside Drive intersection (near all the hotels), go south on Glenside Drive for about 1.5 miles to the lighted intersection with Three Chopt Road. Turn left on Three Chopt Road, then drive until the road tees into Cary Street/River Road/VA-147. Turn right at this tee (onto River Road), drive 0.3 miles, then turn right onto UR Drive. Follow UR Drive as it bends to the left, then bends to the right, then passes some intramural sports fields on your right. Just past these fields, also on your right, is parking lot W41. Park here, then follow the signs to the Gottwald Center for the Sciences, to register for the meeting.  (Caution! About halfway down Three Chopt, Road there will be a green sign tempting you to turn right to the University of Richmond campus. Do not fall for this siren song! It will put you on the opposite end of campus from where you want to be.)

SURPRISE FOOTBALL SATURDAY: When this meeting was scheduled at the University of Richmond, there was no home football game scheduled for campus on conference weekend. After the local organizers committed to hosting this meeting, the football schedule was changed, much to the consternation of the local organizing committee, so now there will be a football game on campus on Saturday, November 6. This unfortunate fact means two important things for conference participants:

1.     Park on-campus early on Saturday (Sessions begin at 8:00 a.m., so this shouldn’t be an issue.), and stay parked until the end of the conference day on Saturday. If you arrive on campus after 11:00 a.m., you will be told by campus police where to park, and you are likely to end up far away from the meeting site.

2.     Plan to have lunch on-campus on Saturday. The dining hall at the University of Richmond is very good, and is located very near the meeting buildings.

Other Activities

Book Sales: Stop by the on-site AMS bookstore and review the newest titles from the AMS, enjoy up to 25% off all AMS publications, or take home an AMS t-shirt! Complimentary coffee will be served courtesy of AMS Membership Services.

AMS Editorial Activity: An acquisitions editor from the AMS book program will be present to speak with prospective authors. If you have a book project that you would like to discuss with the AMS, please stop by the book exhibit.

Registration and Meeting Information

Invited Addresses and some sessions will be held in Taylor Haynes Commons.  Other buildings used for sessions are Gottwald Science Center, Puryear Hall, Westhampton Center, and Wilton Center.  Meeting registration and the AMS Book Exhibit will be held in the lobby of  Gottwald Science Center. The registration desk will be open Saturday, November 6, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., and Sunday, November 7, 8:00 a.m. - noon. Fees are US\$50 for AMS members, US\$70 for nonmembers; and US\$5 for students, unemployed mathematicians, and emeritus members. Fees are payable on-site by cash, check, or credit card.

Travel to Campus

Richmond International Airport (RIC) is located seven miles northeast of the city of Richmond and approximately twelve miles from campus; the approximate taxi fare is US\$40. Van service is available through Groome Transportation for US\$31.75; you must make a reservation at 800-552-7911 (lower prices are available if there is more than one person making the trip).

From the North

From I-95 South: Take Exit 79. Stay to the left to merge onto I-195 S, the Downtown Expressway. Continue on I-195 S for approximately two miles. Take the Cary St./VA-147 exit. Bear right on the ramp and turn right onto Cary Street. Continue straight on Cary for approximately two miles and pass through the intersection at Three Chopt Road. At the bottom of the hill, bear right at the intersection onto westbound River Road. Drive 0.3 miles, then turn right onto UR Drive. Follow UR Drive as it bends to the left, then bends to the right, then passes some intramural sports fields on your right. Just past these fields, also on your right, is parking lot W41. Park here.

From the South

I-85 to/or I-95 North: Take Exit 79. Stay to the left to merge onto I-195 S, the Downtown Expressway. Continue on I-195 S for approximately two miles. Take the Cary St./VA-147 exit. Bear right on the ramp and turn right onto Cary Street. Continue straight on Cary for approximately two miles and pass through the intersection at Three Chopt Road. At the bottom of the hill, bear right at the intersection onto westbound River Road. Drive 0.3 miles, then turn right onto UR Drive. Follow UR Drive as it bends to the left, then bends to the right, then passes some intramural sports fields on your right. Just past these fields, also on your right, is parking lot W41. Park here. 

From the East (including Richmond International Airport)

From I-64 West: Merge onto I-95 N toward Washington. Take Exit 79. Stay to the left to merge onto I-195 S, the Downtown Expressway. Continue on I-195 S for approximately two miles. Take the Cary St./VA-147 exit. Bear right on the ramp to turn right onto Cary Street. Continue straight on Cary for approximately two miles and pass the intersection of Three Chopt Road. At the bottom of the hill, bear right at the intersection onto River Road. Drive 0.3 miles, then turn right onto UR Drive. Follow UR Drive as it bends to the left, then bends to the right, then passes some intramural sports fields on your right. Just past these fields, also on your right, is parking lot W41. Park here.

From the West

From I-64 East: Take Exit 183/Glenside Drive south. Continue south on Glenside Drive to the fourth traffic light (Three Chopt Road). Turn left on Three Chopt Road, then drive until the road tees into Cary Street/River Road/VA-147. Turn right at this tee (onto River Road), drive 0.3 miles, then turn right onto UR Drive. Follow UR Drive as it bends to the left, then bends to the right, then passes some intramural sports fields on your right. Just past these fields, also on your right, is parking lot W41. Park here.  (CAUTION: About halfway down Three Chopt, there will be a green sign tempting you to turn right to the University of Richmond campus. Do not fall for this siren song! It will put you on the opposite end of campus from where you want to be.)

From US 60 (Midlothian Turnpike) East

Turn left on State Route 147 (Huguenot Road) and continue approximately 7 miles and cross the Huguenot Bridge over the James River. At the next traffic light, take a hard left onto westbound River Road. Drive 0.3 miles, then turn right onto UR Drive. Follow UR Drive as it bends to the left, then bends to the right, then passes some intramural sports fields on your right. Just past these fields, also on your right, is parking lot W41. Park here.

Car Rental

Avis Rent A Car is the official car rental company for the meeting. Depending on variables such as location, length of rental, and size of vehicle, Avis will offer participants the best available rate which can range from 5 - 25% discount off regular rates. Participants must use the assigned Meeting Avis Discount Number (J098887) and meet Avis rate requirements to receive the discount. (Rate discounts are available at all corporate and participating licensee locations.) The best rates are available by calling 800-331-1600 or online at www.avis.com/AvisWeb/reservation/ReservationsInitializer?AWD_NUMBER=J098887.

All car rentals include unlimited free mileage and are available to renters 25 years and older. Renters must also meet Avis’s driver and credit requirements. Return to the same rental location or additional surcharges may apply. Rates do not include any state or local surcharges, tax, optional coverages, or gas refueling charges.

Weather

Early November temperatures range from the low 40's at night to the low 60's during the day. It rains an average of eight days during the month of November. For-up-to-the-minute weather please visit http://www.weather.com/weather/today/23173.

Information for International Participants

Visa regulations are continually changing for travel to the United States. Visa applications may take from three to four months to process and require a personal interview, as well as specific personal information. International participants should view the important information about traveling to the U.S. found at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/biso/visas/ and http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html. If you need a preliminary conference invitation in order to secure a visa, please send your request to dls@ams.org.

If you discover you do need a visa, the National Academies website (see above) provides these tips for successful visa applications:

* Visa applicants are expected to provide evidence that they are intending to return to their country of residence. Therefore, applicants should provide proof of “binding” or sufficient ties to their home country or permanent residence abroad. This may include documentation of the following:

- family ties in home country or country of legal permanent residence

- property ownership

- bank accounts

- employment contract or statement from employer stating that the position will continue when the employee returns;

* Visa applications are more likely to be successful if done in a visitor's home country than in a third country;

* Applicants should present their entire trip itinerary, including travel to any countries other than the United States, at the time of their visa application;

* Include a letter of invitation from the meeting organizer or the U.S. host, specifying the subject, location and dates of the activity, and how travel and local expenses will be covered;

* If travel plans will depend on early approval of the visa application, specify this at the time of the application;

* Provide proof of professional scientific and/or educational status (students should provide a university transcript).

This list is not to be considered complete. Please visit the websites above for the most up-to-date information.