Venue

The conferences will be held on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, except for PMCCS, which will be held at the Robert Allerton Park and Conference Center in Monticello, Illinois (a short drive from Urbana-Champaign).

All PMCCS meetings, meals, and events will take place on the grounds of Allerton Park. All PNPM, Tools, and NSMC presentations and tutorials will take place in the University of Illinois's Coordinated Science Laboratory building (1308 West Main St. in Urbana); continental breakfasts will be available there in the mornings. On September 2 (the tutorial day) boxed lunches will be served at the meeting site. The September 3-5 lunches will be in the University of Illinois Illini Union. On September 4, an evening banquet will be held in the Grainger Engineering Library on the UI campus. You can download a PDF map of the entire campus. Below is a map showing just the layout of the engineering quad, with all of the buildings hosting Multiconference events marked.

Transportation

It is far more convenient to fly into the Champaign, Illinois airport (CMI) than to fly to a hub (such as Chicago) and try to come the rest of the way via bus, train, or rental car.

For PNPM/Tools/NSMC attendees: If you are going to be staying at the Holiday Inn (see below) or somewhere else not within walking distance of the UI campus, and will be driving a car to the meetings, please notify us (applequi at crhc.uiuc.edu) that you will need a parking space at the conference.

For PMCCS attendees: A van will be available for shuttling PMCCS attendees from Urbana-Champaign to Monticello and back, but you will likely find it more convenient to rent a car and drive yourself. Due to construction work, Allerton Park cannot be accessed via its main entrance, and must be approached via a back route; you are advised to follow the instructions and map posted on the Park's web site, rather than use directions from an online map site.

If you do want to use a rental car, either between cities or for local use, you can get a University of Illinois conference attendee discount from National Car Rental; give them identification number 6201011 when you make the reservation. (For your information, the cost of a one-way National rental car from Ohare Airport to Champaign will typically be in the range of $40-$80.)

The Illini Limo taxi company can take you from the Champaign airport into town for about $10. They are out at the airport to meet most flights, unless they're busy. You can phone them at +1 (217) 384-5892.

If you choose to fly into Chicago and take a bus to Champaign, you may find the Bluebird Charter Coach service convenient. Note that it drops passengers at the south end of campus, so you would then have a rather long walk (or taxi ride) to get to your hotel.

If you choose to fly to Chicago and then drive a rental car to Champaign, be advised that the drive is almost 3 hours. Below is one set of possible driving directions for getting from Ohare Airport in Chicago to the Coordinated Science Laboratory building in Champaign. You may wish to consult a site like MapQuest or Yahoo Maps to obtain maps or other alternative directions.

1. Start going northeast on Departures.
2. Merge onto I-190 EAST.
3. Merge onto I-294 SOUTH towards Indiana, at exit 1D. You will have to pay tolls on this road.
4. Merge onto I-80 WEST (towards Iowa/I-57).
5. Merge onto I-57 SOUTH towards Memphis, at exit 151A on the left.
6. Merge onto I-74 EAST towards Indianapolis, at exit 237A.
7. Take the Lincoln Avenue exit, number 183.
8. Turn right on North Lincoln Avenue.
9. Turn right onto West Main Street.

Hotel accommodation for PNPM/Tools/NSMC portion in Urbana-Champaign

For the portion of the conference being held in Urbana-Champaign on September 2-5, two blocks of hotel rooms have been reserved. You must make your hotel reservation yourself. There are a limited number of rooms available, so please book early.

One block is being held at the Illini Union, which is the student union of the University of Illinois. This block is available for four nights, for people arriving on or after September 1, and departing on or before September 5. Since this lodging is within easy walking distance of conference events, we recommend that you choose this option unless you need to stay in Urbana-Champaign until September 6. Rates are as follows: single occupancy $72/$83, double occupancy $83/88, triple occupancy $93, quad occupancy $97, suite $165. Block is being held until July 25, 2003. Ask for "Illinois Multi Conference."

The Illini Union
1401 West Green St.
Urbana, IL 61801
telephone: +1 (217) 333-3030
fax: +1 (217) 333-0804

The second block is being held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center. This block is available for five nights, for people arriving September 1 or later, and departing on or before September 6. It is not within easy walking distance (about 1.6 miles away), so you will need to drive to campus. We will have one or more vans available to shuttle participants between the Holiday Inn and campus, but you may find it more convenient to rent a car. (The Holiday Inn does offer shuttle service to and from the airport. You can arrange that in advance or call them when you arrive at the airport.) Rates are $65 single or $75 double. Block is being held until July 25, 2003. Ask for "Illinois Multiconference."

Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center
1001 W. Killarney
Urbana, IL 61801
telephone: +1 (217) 328-7900
fax: +1 (217) 328-5427

Hotel accommodation for PMCCS workshop in Monticello

Weather

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