Workshop Location
The MGM Workshop will be held at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 – IGB Building 91.
VISAS
VISA WAIVER COUNTRIES
Citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program do not need to apply for visas to attend the Workshop. You may enter the United States using just your passports and your Workshop Registration Notice. At the port of entry into the U.S, please request to be given a “Visa Waiver for Business” (WB) status. That will allow you to stay in the U.S. for the length of the Conference.
IMPORTANT: Effective January 12, 2009, all Visa Waiver travelers will be required to obtain an authorization via ESTA before traveling to the United States: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/.
The Visa Waiver countries are:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and United Kingdom.
NON-VISA WAIVER COUNTRIES
Citizens of countries not participating in the Visa Waiver Program will need to request a Business (B-1) visa at the nearest U.S. Consulate. Please present at the Consulate your Workshop Registration Notice, along with your valid passport. We urge you to do this EARLY, as there are often delays in this process. Official letters of invitation (without financial commitment) to help overcome administrative difficulties in some countries can be sent upon written request to the conference administrator.
CANADA
Although Canada is not a Visa Waiver country, Canadian citizens do not need to apply for visas at the U.S. Consulate. Citizens of Canada may enter the country using just their passports, along with their Workshop Registration Notice. Please request at the port of entry status as a Visitor for Business (B-1).
What to Bring
LAPTOP COMPUTERS REQUIRED
Please plan to bring your own laptop in order to participate in the Workshop. Details regarding system requirements follow: The standard network setup for the conference will be 802.11b and 802.11g wireless. Wireless network cards of less than 3 years of age will typically be compatible with at least one of these standards. Attendees should have the appropriate higher-level privileges to configure network settings on their systems if needed.
POSTER SESSION
If you would like to, please plan to bring a poster outlining your recent work or an overview of your lab’s activities. We plan to have a poster session on Monday evening, which will give the LBNL crew and the participants the opportunity to learn more about each other’s work. NOTE: Submitting an abstract is not required to participate in the poster session. Please be sure your poster is not larger than 3′ x 4′.
Air Travel, Ground Transportation, & Gate Access
The most convenient airports to Berkeley are the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK). Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). Rental cars, shuttles, cabs, etc., are also available at both airports. See the links below for further information:
SFO (San Francisco Airport)
OAK (Oakland International Airport)
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) – public transportation to and from both airports
Transportation and LBNL Gate Access Instructions:
Meals
AM and PM refreshments and lunch will be provided each day during the workshop. Heavy appetizers will be served on Monday evening during the poster session.
Lodging
You have many lodging options in the Berkeley area. I have listed the hotel locations that are easily accessible from our free LBNL shuttle service which runs between LBNL and downtown Berkeley.
LBNL – Guest House
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has a guest hotel onsite with 57 tastefully appointed guest rooms.
1 Cyclotron Rd. Building 23
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 495-8000
Hotel Shattuck Plaza
2086 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 845-7300
Downtown Berkeley YMCA Hotel
2001 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 848-6800
Downtown Berkeley Inn
2001 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 843-4043
Nash Hotel
2045 University Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 841-1163
TraveLodge by Wyndham
1820 University Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 295-2297
Downtown Berkeley YMCA Hotel
2001 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 848-6800
Quality Inn
1761 University Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 841-4242