Annual Meeting
Travel and Lodging


CRITICAL changes to your Bristol hotel booking
The Radisson Blu Hotel in Bristol will not open due to unforeseeable circumstances. All reservations made by SVP annual meeting attendees at the Radisson Blu have been moved to other local hotels.

All individuals that booked through Destination Bristol or directly with the hotel have been contacted.

If you were not contacted you must email Helen Davies at Destination Bristol by Thursday, September 10. A room has been reserved for you but you will need to confirm your billing and other details directly with Helen.

Helen Davies
Conference Manager | Destination Bristol
Tel: +44 (0)117 946 2218
E-mail: helen.davies@destinationbristol.co.uk
Web: www.conference-bristol.co.uk

Note: Please take into account any time differences. Helen's time zone is GMT.


Location of Annual Meeting Events
All of the 69th Annual Meeting events will be held at the University of Bristol except:

View a map of Bristol with the locations noted above.


Hotel Accommodations
 Destination Bristol has now stopped accepting new reservations in order to transfer reservation/rooming lists to the hotels.

  1. If you need to make a change to an existing reservation please wait to do so until August 25, 2009 to allow your confirmed hotel to enter all reservations lists and contact your confirmed hotel directly.
  2. To make a new reservation you must contact the hotels directly.
    Avon Gorge Hotel
    +44 (0) 117 973 8955     		The Bristol Hotel
    +44 (0) 117 923 0333     		Marriott Royal Hotel
    +44 (0) 117 925 5100
    Novotel
    +44 (0)0117 976 9988     		Marriott City Centre
    +44 (0) 117 929 4281     		The Grand by Thistle
    +44 (0) 871 376 9042

  3. Travelodge Bristol Central Hotel — The Travelodge Bristol Central Hotel is located within a fifteen-minute walking distance to the University of Bristol and provides limited services. Rates range from 30 - 70 GBP dependig on your reservation. To make a reservation from the United States call the hotel directly at
    011-44-871-984-6223 or book online at http://www.travelodge.co.uk/. You must select Bristol as your location to be directed to the correct hotel on the Web site.
  4. There are other options that may be less expensive for attendees. Visit the Youth Hostel Association and the Bristol Backpackers Hotel websites for additional information.
  5. There are serviced apartments and Bed and Breakfast accommodations located close to the University of Bristol. Visit the Bristol website at http://visitbristol.co.uk/site/where-to-stay for a complete listing.

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Roommate Service
For assistance in finding a roommate, contact Christine Meehan at SVP headquarters at cmeehan@vertpaleo.org. We will put you in contact with another registrant looking for a roommate. It is your responsibility to contact the roommate you are paired with and make the reservations with the hotels directly. When e-mailing Christine Meehan, please be sure to include your gender, location and smoking preference so we can try to find suitable matches.


Air Travel
Check out the Bristol International Airport site for all travel information at: http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/.


Airline Discount for Attendees
Continental Airlines now flies direct to the Bristol International Airport from New York/Newark to/from Bristol, Manchester (twice daily), Birmingham (twice daily), Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bristol (each daily); New York/Newark from London/Gatwick (twice daily) to Houston from London/Gatwick (twice daily); and to Cleveland from London/Gatwick (daily, seasonal).

For SVP meeting attendees, a discount arrangement with Continental Airlines for travel to and from the SVP 69th Annual Meeting in Bristol, UK by way of Bristol or London, or any combination of the two has been arranged.

Attendees will be offered discounts off published fares of 2% to 15% or Zone fares. An additional 3% off will be offered if you book your own reservations online at www.continental.com.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

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Transportation to and from the Airport
Transportation information options from the airport to your hotel or the University of Bristol can be found by visiting http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/getting_to_bia.aspx.

Getting to Bristol (Including from London)
Click here for information on transportation to Bristol. By going to the 'How to Get Here' Section, you will find all transportation information, including from downtown London and Heathrow Airport.

The Host Committee makes two suggestions regarding transportation from Heathrow Airport to the University of Bristol.

  1. 1) The National Express bus runs from Heathrow Airport direct to the Bristol bus station, about every hour. The Bristol bus station is a 15 minute walk from the University of Bristol.
  2. 2) The Heathrow Express train runs direct from Heathrow Airport to Paddington, then a train runs from Paddington to Bristol. This option is more expensive than option 1, but it is quicker.


Visas
Visa regulations and EU member states are frequently revised and added — check the UK Visas Web site for up-to-date information or consult your local British Embassy.

If you require a Letter of Invitation please click HERE. You will need to add the date and your contact information at the top of the Letter of Invitation. Print and retain a copy for your records.

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Concerned about your Carbon Footprint?
A ton of CO2 is emitted when you travel 2,000 miles in an airplane, 1350 miles in an SUV, or 1900 miles in a mid-size car. If you are concerned about the CO2 emissions that you add to the atmosphere by traveling to the annual meeting, OFFSET YOUR IMPACT by contributing to an organization that works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  These "carbon offset" providers promote greenhouse gas reduction in various ways, such as funding carbon sequestration projects, alternative energy development, and reforestation.  There are now over 30 offset providers and it is difficult for consumers to choose among them. 

Below are the top eight offset providers as judged by Clean Air- Cool Planet, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding and promoting solutions to global warming. 

CarbonNeutral Company (UK) : http://www.carbonneutral.com/
Climate Care (UK) www.climatecare.org/
Co2balance (UK) : www.co2balance.com/
AgCert/Driving Green (Ireland) : http://www.drivinggreen.com/
Atmosfair (Germany) : http://www.atmosfair.de/index.php?id=9&L=3
Climate Trust (US): www.climatetrust.org/
NativeEnergy (US) : www.nativeenergy.com/
Sustainable Travel/MyClimate (US) : http://www.sustainabletravelinternational.org/documents/op_carbonoffsets.html

In addition, below is a link to a consumer guide to retail offset providers that summarizes their criteria for ranking these companies:
( www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/ConsumersGuidetoCarbonOffsets.pdf).


Conference Attire / Weather
Attire for the SVP 69th Annual Meeting is casual.  Bristol’s average high temperature in September is 70°F (18°C) and the average low is 44°F (7°C).  Remember to check the weather before your arrival. Bristol is located in the Greenwich Mean Time Zone.

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