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2016 AMS Annual Meeting

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All Attendees

First-time Attendees

We're so glad you are going to join us at the Annual Meeting! Please also visit our  first-time attendee information page with tips on how to get the most out of the AMS Annual Meeting. 

Have a question at the conference?  Ask an AMS Beacon, who may be identified by their bright yellow lanyards, or stop by the AMS Information Desk for assistance.

Message Center

AMS will operate a message center in the lobby of the Morial Convention Center for meeting attendees and exhibitors. The message center hours of operation are listed below. To leave messages for attendees or exhibitors, please call 504-670-4100:

                                Sunday, 10 January                            12:00–5:30 P.M.               

                                Monday, 11 January                          7:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M.      

                                Tuesday, 12 January                          7:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M.      

                                Wednesday, 13 January                  7:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M.      

                                Thursday, 14 January                        7:30 A.M.–3:00 P.M.      

Attendee Information

The AMS Information Desk is located on the second floor of the Morial Convention Center. It will be at the top of the escalator that is behind the registration desk. The hours of operation on Sunday–Thursday will coincide with those of the Registration Desk. The Information Desk provides maps of the convention center as well as schedules of committee meetings and conference sessions, plus details on other programs of interest.

Member Services

A Member Services Desk is collocated with the AMS Registration Desk in Lobby D of the Morial Convention Center. The Member Services Desk provides attendees with the opportunity to renew dues, apply for membership, and/or inquire about account activity. AMS staff will be available for assistance during the following times: Monday, 10:00 A.M.–6:00 P.M.; Tuesday–Wednesday, 7:30 A.M.–6:00 P.M.; and Thursday, 7:30 A.M.–3:00 P.M.

E-Mail Stations

Sunday–Thursday, 10-14 January

E-mail stations will be located on the Lobby Level 2 and Level 3 Meeting Room Foyers of the Morial Convention Center. As a courtesy to other attendees, e-mail users are asked to limit their time at the e-mail stations. Hours of operation Sunday–Thursday, 10-14 January, are from 7:30 A.M. until the close of activities in the convention center.

For attendees with their own laptops, wireless access is free in all public areas, such as lobby/prefunction spaces. We also have charging stations located near the AMS Resource Center that is located in the Exhibit Hall.

Business Center

The FedEx Office Print & Ship Center is located across the street from the convention center, 901 Convention Center Blvd , 100, New Orleans, LA 70130 (tel: 504-585-5750. The store will provide printing services, office and convention supplies, and shipping and freight services. The hours of operation are 7:30 A.M.–9:00 P.M. Monday–Friday; 8:00 A.M.–6:00 P.M. Saturday; and 12:00-6:00 P.M. Sunday

Green Meetings

AMS Green Conference Guidelines

As a scientific and professional organization whose members are keenly aware of environmental issues, the AMS strives to be in the forefront of environmental stewardship. As atmospheric scientists, many members of the Society are particularly concerned about rapidly increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and associated climate change. The AMS Committee on Environmental Responsibility (http://www.ametsoc.org/committeepges/envres/index.html) created guidelines that summarize the Society’s commitment to conducting conferences in a manner that stresses the responsible use of natural resources and the minimization of greenhouse gas emissions and other waste and pollutants. These guidelines are provided for coordinators, committees, contractors, and all AMS members, as well as AMS staff, and aim to educate and inspire continued mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions both within AMS and the larger society. These guidelines will be reevaluated as technologies and mitigation options continue to develop. Further information is available online (http://www.ametsoc.org/MEET/greenconferenceguidelines.html). Broader recommendations for organizing meetings are offered in the Professional Guidance Statement on Green Meetings (http://www.ametsoc.org/policy/2011green_meetings_amsstatement.html). If you are interested in joining the AMS Committee on Environmental Responsibility, please contact Claudia Gorski ([email protected]).

Note that we will have recycling areas near the registration desk and the information desk for attendees that would like to recycle their program and/or plastic badge holder.

Carbon Offsets

AMS recognizes that personal travel to its professional meetings likely represents the largest contribution to the carbon footprint of its meetings and is probably a significant fraction of each attendee’s personal carbon footprint. The average round-trip commercial flight to an AMS meeting is about 1000 miles and produces roughly 1700 lb of CO2 per passenger. Consistent with the AMS Policy Statement on Climate Change (http://www.ametsoc.org/policy/2007climatechange.html), and in an effort to reduce emissions, the AMS asks meeting participants to consider measures to offset the climate impacts of traveling to its meetings. At this time, AMS encourages either personal actions to reduce emissions or purchasing carbon offsets. Details of each approach are available on the Society’s website (http://www.ametsoc.org/MEET/greenconferenceguidelines.html).

About Your Badge

Attendees must carry their badges with them at all times while at the convention center. The badge includes a bar code that contains name and address information provided during registration. With an attendee’s approval, exhibitors may scan the bar code to easily obtain the name, postal mail and e-mail addresses, and phone number information for follow-up after the meeting.

 Everyone (including children) is required to have a badge for admittance into the Exhibit Hall.

On-Site Lunch options

The food court, located on the ground level of the convention center, outside of Hall C, provides an array of dining options featuring local cuisine as well as a full service Starbucks. The area is the perfect place to relax in between meetings and events.

Statement on Open Meetings

Throughout the week, AMS Committees, Boards, and the Council will be meeting at various times and locations. These meetings are open to all members of the Society, although portions of some meetings may be held in executive session when dealing with personnel issues, awards, or other matters of a confidential nature.

As a matter of courtesy and to ensure adequately sized meeting rooms, members wishing to observe a particular Committee, Board, or Council Meeting should contact its chairperson in advance. Members may request a place on the agenda by following a similar procedure. Please feel free to contact Joyce Annese (tel: 617-226-3902; e-mail: [email protected]) at AMS Headquarters for assistance.

Professional and Respectful Conduct at AMS Meetings

AMS is committed to safe and productive meetings for all attendees. Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated at any meeting or event associated with the meeting. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Those who violate the standards of professional and respectful conduct may be asked to leave the meeting immediately and without refund, may not be considered for service on AMS Boards and Committees, and may be subject to additional legal action.

Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; and unwelcome sexual attention.

This statement is meant to cover all meeting-associated events, including those sponsored by organizations other than AMS but held in relation to AMS events. This includes the scientific program and exhibitions, as well as receptions, town hall meetings, and other informal or formal gatherings associated with AMS.

Any attendee who believes he or she may have witnessed or have been subjected to that violates professional and respectful behavior, should contact a senior member of the AMS staff. This may be done by talking with any AMS staff (identified with a staff badge) or by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or leaving a message at 617-226-3965 with the appropriate contact information. A senior AMS staff member will be in contact in a timely manner. (In the unlikely event a reply is not received within 12 hours of sending an e-mail or leaving a voice-mail message, follow-up with an AMS staff member at the meeting is advised to ensure that the original message has been received.) Anyone witnessing or experiencing behavior that constitutes an immediate and serious threat, is advised to call 911 or the local police first.

The AMS takes any breach of professional conduct at an AMS meeting or related function very seriously. Attendees are encouraged to report any unprofessional conduct in the knowledge that AMS staff members will do their best to maintain the confidentiality of all parties to the extent possible while taking appropriate actions. In situations for which additional action is warranted, the AMS will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities.

Americans with Disabilities Act

It is the Society’s sincere desire to comply fully with both the letter and the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. For questions about accessibility such as real-time captioning (communication access real-time translation, CART), special printing needs, reserved seating, or wheelchair-accessible service for the hotel shuttles please contact [email protected].  Four weeks advance notice is necessary to provide seamless action.

If issues arise on site in New Orleans, please visit the AMS Registration Desk, in the Lobby of Exhibit Hall D, or contact the AMS staff at 504-670-4100 during the following hours: Sunday, 10 January,12:00–5:30 p.m.; Monday, 11 January, 7:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 12 January, 7:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 13 January, 7:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; and Thursday, 14 January, 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Special housing needs should also be requested when hotel reservations are made. AMS wants to ensure that each attendee's stay at the 96th Annual Meeting is a pleasant and productive one.

Accessibility at the Convention Center

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is ADA compliant. The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center provides services ramps to entrances and elevated areas, an array of passenger elevators, restroom facilities for the disabled, brailed instructions/directions at strategic locations throughout the building and pay phones located at each level of the facility with (TDD) hearing-impaired functions. Wheelchairs also are available upon request.

For more information on a Mobility Scooter rental, please visit the following Web site:

http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/transportation/gettingaround/handicap-transportation.html.

Accessibility at the Conference

For those with a current functional limitation, please contact [email protected] for questions about accessibility or to request accommodations to fully participate in this conference.  Four weeks advance notice is necessary to provide seamless action. 

Special Meals

Attendees with special dietary requirements (e.g., vegetarian or kosher meals) should make the proper selection when registering. For the banquet, those who have registered for a special meal request will receive a ticket, which they should present to their server.

Photo Release

From time to time AMS uses photographs of conference events in its promotional materials. Unless this permission is revoked in writing to the AMS, by virtue of their attendance all conference visitors agree to the use of their likeness in such materials.

Attendee Lists

The AMS will make attendee lists available to any registered attendee. Attendees who do not want their name and address information included on the list must note this when registering. If you would like a copy of the list, please send a request to [email protected] after the meeting. The list will only be delivered in an electronic format and will contain name, address, and affiliation (if provided). No phone numbers or email addresses will be provided.

Child-Care Services

For attendees that are in need of childcare while in New Orleans, the following option is available locally: Dependable Kid Care (http://dependablecare.net/kid-care/; tel: 504-486-4001).

Attendees may also wish to contact the concierge at their hotel for a list of childcare providers and children’s programs in the area.

 

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