SOTA 2008 News - Hotel Information

We've found a hotel for SOTA 2008!

I'm happy to tell you that SOTA will be held from October 23-26,2008 at the Crowne Plaza, 33 Carlson Court, in Toronto.

The hotel is off Dixon Road and a bit further east of the airport than last year's hotel. It is accessible via shuttle from the airport ($6.00 each way) or via TTC (bus from Kipling Station).

Room rates will be $119 single or double. They are newly renovated and are bigger and brighter than those in last year's hotel. All rooms have wireless internet access; there will also be internet access in the lobby, the business centre, or both. At the moment this is in the lobby and there are 4 computers.

Crowne Plaza participates in Sleep Advantage, so in addition to brand new beds and pillows that conform to your head, they offer packets containing an environmental/relaxation cd (and there is a cd player built into the clock in each room), ear plugs, an eye mask, a clip to keep the drapes fully closed, and lavender spray. There are handicapped-accessible rooms with walk-in showers; there are also one- and two-bedroom suites.

The restaurant has both buffet and a la carte menus. You can get either a continental or full buffet at breakfast and just soup and salad bar or full buffet at lunch. If you prefer to go outside of the hotel, there are many restaurants within walking distance, incuding Boston Pizza, Mother Tucker's Marketplace, Tony Roma's Ribs, and more.

Now that we've got a hotel, the next step is to select speakers. I hope to have this done by the end of December and will be posting regular updates as speakers confirm. We will be adding a couple of lunch-time lectures to the roster this year. There will be an additional charge for these regardless of whether you have already registered or register once the flyer comes out.

We will also be adding an early morning Sunday breakfast for those who cannot make the Closing Ceremonies. There will probably be a draw for at least one prize at this. Again, there will be an additional charge for the breakfast.

Last but not least, we are changing our price structure. This year it will be possible to sign up for only the main conference activities (from 10-6) or for the full conference including Opening Ceremonies, Showcase and banquet. And yes, if you just want one evening activity you can add that on. Or, as usual, you can register for just one day with or without the evening activity. For those of you who have already registered for conference plus banquet, note that your fees for Opening Ceremonies and the Showcase were included in that price.

I'm still planning to get the flyers out in late January and will also get Pay Pal up and running at that time. For those of you who prefer to register by mail and are not on the mailing list, drop me a line at SOTA2008@rogers.com and I'll see that you get your flyer in time to take advantage of the early bird rates.

Meanwhile, watch this space for further updates and all the SOTA news as it happens.

Best,
Donna

There is, unfortunately, a parking charge --- $6.00 a day for those staying in the hotel, and $12.00 for others.