Special Events

Monday, January 24

Informal Luncheon
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., On the Beach, Bayside North
Included in the price of a FULL registration. See registration form for ticket prices for single day registrants, guests and spouses. In case of inclement weather, this function will be held in the Rousseau Suite.

Tuesday, January 25

ION Annual Awards & Fellows Banquet
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Toucan/Macaw Rooms
The ION’s 2011 Annual Awards will be presented and 2011 ION Fellows will be named. Included in the price of a FULL registration. See registration form for ticket prices for single day registrants and guests.

Wednesday, January 26

Informal Luncheon
12:00 p.m.– 1:00 p.m., On the Beach, Bayside North
Included in the price of a FULL registration. See Registration Form for ticket prices for single day registrants and guests.

Accommodations

The Catamaran Hotel
3999 Mission Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92109

Online Hotel Reservations

Accommodations are offered at the beautiful Catamaran Resort Hotel. Enjoy casual elegance in a tropical paradise with acres of lush foliage and miles of sun-drenched beaches. Mission Bay is at your doorstep. And the waves of the Pacific Ocean are just 100 yards away! All technical sessions will be held in the The Catamaran Resort Hotel.

Reservations. You can make an reservation online, or by calling 1-800-422-8386. International participants may call 1-858-488-1081 or fax a reservation to 1-858-488-1387. Be sure to make your reservations by January 5 to receive the special ION rates. Please remember to identify yourself as an ION meeting participant.

Hotel Rates. $160 single/double per night. Internet: Free high-speed wireless internet in guest rooms.

Limited U.S. government rates available. U.S. government rates will be honored only for those persons traveling with U.S. government travel orders and paying with a U.S. government-issued credit card. Failure to provide these validations at check-in will result in your reservation being honored at the group rate. Please do not reserve a government-rate room if you do not meet these criteria because this will deny qualifying individuals from obtaining a room. Government contractors and/or retired or non-active military personnel do not qualify for government rate rooms.

Hotel Parking. $13 per night for overnight guests and $13 per day for visitors with discount voucher.

Transportation

Air Transportation
The Catamaran Hotel is approximately 20 miles from San Diego International Airport. Taxi fare is approximately $35 one way.

Airport Shuttles
Cloud Nine Shuttle is the recommended service at a cost of $13 per person each way. (Note that other shuttle companies may charge substantially higher rates and make numerous stops). Cloud Nine Shuttle can be reached at 1-800-974-8885, or by picking up the courtesy phone in the baggage claim area of the airport, or by waiting in the shuttle pick-up area directly outside the baggage claim area.

Driving Directions. From the San Diego International Airport to the Catamaran: Take Interstate 5 North. Exit and turn left on Grand Avenue; you will be heading west towards the Pacific Ocean. Follow Grand Avenue to Mission Blvd. and turn left. Stay on Mission Blvd. for approximately 4 blocks; the Catamaran Resort Hotel will be on your left hand side, just past Pacific Beach Drive.

To the Catamaran from cities north of San Diego: From Interstate 5 South, take the Balboa exit and turn right at the second light, which is Garnet Avenue. You will be heading west towards the Pacific Ocean. Follow Garnet Avenue to Mission Blvd. and turn left. Stay on Mission Blvd. for approximately 5 blocks; the Catamaran Resort Hotel will be on your left-hand side, just past Pacific Beach Drive.

Attention International Participants

Letter of Invitation requests.
Conference attendees requesting a visa letter to attend ITM must register and pay the registration fees BEFORE a letter of invitation will be sent. If the attendee is unable to secure a visa, he/she will need to apply for a refund according to the printed refund rules of the event. Exemptions to this policy apply only to authors whose papers have been accepted for presentation, company personnel working in the exhibit area, or trade associated press. Visa letter requests should be directed to membership@ion.org.

ION recommends that you apply for your visa at least two months in advance due to security related policies that have greatly increased the processing time for visa applications.

U.S. consular officers now interview most applicants as part of the application process. This can add additional time and delays. Currently there is a mandatory security check period of 30 days for people whose passports are issued from several countries, including China, North Korea, and most middle-eastern countries. Furthermore, the U.S. State Department requires citizens of many countries to obtain visas to attend any scientific program.

Travelers from ALL 27 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries must present either a machine-readable passport or a U.S. visa.

To learn more about the Visa Waiver Program and machine readable passports, go to:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/
For general information about visas, go to:
http://www.nationalacademies.org/visas.