Travel and Logistics Information
Don't forget! Download the Medical Emergency Information Form, (Acrobat (PDF) 5kB Jan13 04) complete it, and bring it with you to the workshop in a sealed envelope.
The workshop will begin at 5:30 PM on Thursday evening, August 2 with optional workshop events in the Lewis G. Weeks Hall for Geological Sciences during the mid-afternoon (beginning at 2:30). We will end after dinner on Saturday August 4th with optional sessions on Sunday morning. Before making travel plans, read about the options for ground transportation to the University from the Dane County airport. It will take 15-30 minutes to travel from the airport to campus, and you may have to wait a while for some modes of public transportation. We strongly recommend that you schedule your flights to Madison to arrive no later than 3:45 PM, so that you will have enough time for travel from the airport and check-in at the workshop. To attend the optional afternoon sessions, you should plan to arrive at the airport no later than 12:45 PM.
Transportation
You are responsible for your transportation to and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison is served by the Dane County Regional Airport. The airport is on Madison's northeast side, 15-30 minutes by car from downtown, depending on traffic. A taxi to the downtown area is approximately $16. You may also fly into Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport (75 miles away) or Chicago's O'Hare or Midway Airports (about 120 miles away) and continue to Madison via bus. If you are traveling by car, we recommend doing a Google driving direction or similar search on Smith Hall, at 35 N. Park Street.
Finding Your Way Around Campus
We encourage you to print out a campus map and bring it with you to the workshop. The University of Wisconsin conference services travel page has more information about travel to and within campus. Workshop sessions will be held at the Pyle Center, which is about a 15-minute walk from Newell J. Smith Hall, where participants will be housed. The University of Wisconsin bus #85 route covers this area, with buses running from 7 AM to 6 PM, at approximately 10-minute intervals, free of charge.
Check-in and Lodging
Workshop participants will be housed in Smith Hall, located at 35 N. Park Street, near the intersection of Park and Regent streets. Check-in and check-out will take place at the front desk of Smith Hall. At check-in, participants will sign in, pick up workshop materials, and return the completed Medical Emergency Information Form (Acrobat (PDF) 5kB Jan13 04) in a sealed envelope. Accommodations will be double-occupancy dorm rooms, with all towels and linens provided. Single-occupancy rooms are availabe for an additional fee, if arranged ahead of time as indicated on the Registration Form (due June 15th). Persons wishing to share a room may do so by informing us in advance of the workshop (we will need to hear from both persons wishing to do so by July 1st). For more information, e-mail CuttingEdge@wm.edu.
Parking
Parking is reserved for our workshop in Lot 29, located in the complex near the welcome center and parking lot adjacent to Smith Hall, at 21 N. Park Street. Parking permits are $8.00 per day per vehicle.
Meals
Most meals will be served buffet-style on campus. Breakfast will be served in the Newell Cafeteria in Smith Hall; lunches and dinners will be served at the Pyle Center, except for one picnic to be held Saturday, August 4th, by the lake. All meals will have vegetarian options. If you chose to eat other than the planned meals, you will be responsible for the costs.
Communications
Telephones are provided in each guest room. On-campus and local calls can be made free of charge. Long distance calls must be made with a calling card. Pre-paid cards are available for purchase in most hall lobby areas. If you bring your own computer, you can connect to the Internet in the privacy of your guest room at no additional charge. For instructions regarding Internet service connection, please see the University of Wisconsin Conference Services Technology Guide.
What to Wear
Dress for the workshop is casual. Madison has mild, average temperatures that range from 57 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in August. We recommend bringing an umbrella in case of rain.
Information about Madison
If you will be in town before the workshop begins or after it ends, Madison is a great place with lots to do. Read about it on the chamber of commerce website.
Emergency Contact Information
Conference Services: (608) 262-5576
Campus Police: (608) 264-COPS (264-2677)