Local Arrangements
Welcome
How to Reach Us
Conference Info
Program
Dining Services
Smoking Policy
Hotel Information
On-Site Facilities
Travel Related Info
Social Events
41st Cray User Group Conference
Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 24-28, 1999
Welcome to the 1999 Cray User Group Conference!
We are excited to welcome everyone to Minneapolis for the 1999 Cray User Group Conference. As the original home of Cray Research, it seems a fitting place to close out the millennium and look ahead to the next. We are indeed at the end of an era, as the supercomputing paradigm has shifted from the "big iron" to an HPC world of high-performance commodity processors.
The CUG Program Committee has planned an exciting week of technical sessions and discussions. Add to that good food, a grand night out in the elegant Minnesota History Center, an evening reception hosted by SGI, a special luncheon for CUG newcomers, and a chance to meet with your colleagues in the comfortable setting of the downtown Minneapolis Marriott City Center Hotel. We think it will be a rewarding and important event for the members of the CUG community.
The technical program promises to be excellent, and we encourage you to peruse the program. In addition, we are excited to have as keynote speaker Cherri M. Pancake, Professor of Computer Science at Oregon State University.
Minnesota is called the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and we hope you take some extra time to enjoy the environment. Spring is a beautiful time of year here, and enthusiasm runs high as people begin to enjoy the outdoors after a long northern winter. From the bluffs of the mighty Mississippi River in the east, to the scenic shores of one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world (Lake Superior) to the farms and prairies of the west, Minnesota provides a diverse offering for visitors. Whether you like outdoor activities and sports, a quiet respite in the northern woods, or just some time in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to see the sights, we hope your stay will be memorable.
Minnesota is known for friendly but reserved people, who often are masters of understatement. To use the words of Garrison Keillor, well-known Minnesota humorist and host of national public radio's "A Prairie Home Companion," we think this conference will be "not too bad," which, translated from understated Minnesota parlance, means it will be great!
See you in Minneapolis!
John M. Sell
Network Computing Services, Inc.
Local Arrangements Chair
How to
Reach Us
Local Arrangements, Minneapolis
- Until May 21, 1999:
- Minneapolis CUG '99 Conference
Liz Stadther
Network Computing Services, Inc.
1200 Washington Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: (1-612) 337-3430
Fax: (1-612) 337-3400
E-mail: cug99@networkcs.com
- From May 22-28, 1999
- Minneapolis Marriott City Center
30 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
USA
Phone: (1-612) 349-7885
E-mail: cug99@networkcs.com
-
CUG Office (Registration)
- 2911 Knoll Road
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
USA
Phone (1-304) 263-1756
Fax: (1-304) 263-4841
E-mail: bob@fpes.com
Conference
Information
-
Conference Location
- Minneapolis Marriott City Center
30 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
USA
(1-612) 349-4000 Phone
(1-612) 332-7165 FAX
Who May Attend
CUG bylaws specify that employees of a CUG member (usually a facility or company using an SGI computer, identified by its CUG site code) and users of computing services provided by a CUG member, may attend a CUG meeting. Visitors are also eligible to attend a CUG meeting, provided they have formal approval from a member of the CUG Board of Directors.Conference Registration
Register for the conference using the on-line registration form located at http://www.cug.org/ or download and print the form to be mailed or faxed. Payment may be made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover); by check or purchase order, payable to "Cray User Group" (in U.S. funds only); or by electronic funds transfer, as detailed on the registration form. Registration forms may also be requested from the CUG Office or the Local Arrangements Office (see "How to Reach Us" above).The member registration fee is $695 through April 30, 1999. The registration fee after April 30 and before May 20 is an additional $55. Registration on or after May 30 is $800. For the first registrant from non-member sites, add $500 for a one-year membership in addition to the registration fee.
Cancellations
Conference registration cancellations must be received by the CUG Office (see "How to Reach Us" above) before April 30, 1999. All registration fees will be refunded if the cancellation is received by this date.
Conference Registration Location/Hours
Conference registration will be located on the 4th floor, Minneapolis Marriott City Center Hotel.
- Office Hours:
-
Sun, May 23 3:00-5:00 p.m. Mon-Thu, May 24-27 8:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. Fri, May 28 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Badges and registration materials are available during these scheduled hours. All attendees must wear badges during CUG Conference activities.
Program
Dining
Services
On Wednesday evening, all attendees are invited to enjoy a night out at the Minnesota History Center, located in St. Paul. A Newcomers' Luncheon will be held on Monday, May 24, for all those attendees who are participating in a CUG conference for the first time. On Monday evening, SGI Research will host a reception for all CUG Conference attendees at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center.
Special accommodations and/or dietary requirements should be noted on the Conference registration form or the hotel reservation form, or you may forward them to the Local Arrangements Chair.
Smoking
Policy
Hotel
Information
Reservations
To ensure that you receive the CUG Conference rates, please use the hotel reservation form for making hotel reservations. Forms may be mailed or faxed to the Minneapolis Marriott City Center. If you use a credit card to guarantee the reservation, you may instead call the hotel to set up the reservation. If you call, be sure to say that you are registering for the CUG Conference. Reservations must be received by the hotel by April 30, 1999. See "Conference Location" above for the address and phone number of the hotel. The reservation form is available through the CUG web site, or you may request a form to be faxed or mailed by the local arrangements office (see "How to Reach Us" above).
Shipping Information
Speakers or others who need to ship items, should ship them to the Minneapolis Marriott City Center Hotel no more than three working days in advance of the Conference. Shipping labels should indicate your name and the CUG Conference, and should be sent to the attention of Sharon Gysbers at the hotel address listed above.
Business Center
The Minneapolis Marriott City Center has a business center located in the main lobby area. Services available there include printing, copying, and faxing. Those with laptops can take them to the business center and send files to printers (including transparencies). There is a charge for these services.
Special Assistance
Any requests for special assistance during the Conference should be noted on the "Special Requirements" area of the registration form, or you may let the Local Arrangements Office know (see "How to Reach Us" above).
On-Site
Facilities
Messages
During the Conference (May 24-28), messages will be taken at the on-site CUG office at (1-612) 349-7885. Messages may also be e-mailed to cug99@networkcs.com. The messages will be posted in the registration area.
E-mail and Personal Computers
E-mail facilities will be provided at the Conference for attendees' use. There will be a Macintosh and a PC available for last-minute editing.
Photocopying
A copy machine for making a limited number of copies will be available in the CUG Conference office on-site. If you plan to distribute copies of your presentation, please bring sufficient copies with you. You may also use the Minneapolis Marriott Business Center for making copies, for a charge.
Travel
Related
Information
Passports and Visas
A visitor visa may be required for travel to the United States, along with a valid passport. Please check with the American Embassy or Consulate in your area for detailed information, or talk to your travel agent.
Currency
The currency is the U.S. dollar. Currency, including travelers checks, can be exchanged at a bank or at the airport. Norwest Bank, at Sixth Street and Marquette Avenue in downtown Minneapolis is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. At the airport, there is a currency exchange service located across from Northwest Airline's ticket counter on the upper level of the main terminal. The hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sundays.
Voltage
Electrical service is 120 volts, 60 cycle. You will most likely need an adapter for use in electrical outlets.
Weather
The average daily high temperature in May is 21 degrees C. or 69 degrees F. Light coats or jackets are recommended, and there may be rain.
Transportation
Airport Express (1-612) 827-7777Airport Express is a public shuttle van service, providing transportation from the airport to hotels in Downtown Minneapolis. A shuttle departs from the airport (in front of the luggage pick-up area) approximately every half hour. The cost is $10.00 one-way and $16.50 round-trip. It is best to make advance reservations using the above phone number.
Taxi (1-612) 726-5877
At the airport, taxis are available at the cab starter booth. From the Main Terminal building, cross underground through the Ground Transportation Center toward the parking ramp and go up one level. The distance to downtown Minneapolis is approximately 16 miles. All cab fares are metered.
- Car Rental Agencies:
-
Alamo Rent-a-Car (1-800) 327-9633 www.goalamo.com Avis Rent-a-Car (1-800) 331-1212 www.avis.com Budget Rent-a-Car (1-800) 527-0700 www.budgetrentacar.com Dollar Rent-a-Car (1-800) 800-4000 www.dollarcar.com Hertz Rent-a-Car (1-800) 654-3131 www.hertz.com National Car Rental (1-800) 227-7368 www.nationalcar.com Americar (1-612) 866-4918 Enterprise (1-800) 325-8007 Thrifty (1-800) 367-2277
Holiday
Please note that Monday, May 31, is Memorial Day, a U.S. national holiday. Some shops and services may be unavailable that day.
Social
Events