All meetings, activities, and accomodations will be at the historic Fairmont Hotel, located in the heart of New Orleans, adjacent to the French Quarter and the many attractions New Orleans has to offer.
Dates: August 12 (Thursday) is opening day. Committee meetings will be held at various times between 1:00 and 5:00 PM in the afternoon, followed by a welcoming reception, with a sampling of creole delicacies, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Scientific meetings will commence at 8:00 AM on Friday, August 13 and continue through 5:00 PM on Sunday, August 15. Poster sessions will be held between 5:00 and 7:00 PM to allow maximum enjoyment of New Orleans in the evening. On Sunday evening, the Steamboat Natchez has been reserved for an evening of cruising, dining, drinking and dancing on the Mississippi River between 6:30 PM and 11:00 PM. The boat will dock at 10:00 PM for those who need a last Quarter fling or have an early flight, but the band will play until 11:00 at the dock. An optional tour of the Tulane Regional Primate Research Center is being planned by primate center personnel for Monday, August 16.
Meeting facilities: All meeting rooms for the plenary and scientific sessions at the hotel will be equipped with a lighted podium, microphones, laser pointers, slide projectors, and overhead projectors. Participants MUST PAY FOR AND ARRANGE FOR VIDEO PROJECTORS directly with the hotel. Computer projection equipment will not be available.
Directions: Moisant International Airport is located about 30 minutes west of Downtown New Orleans. Downtown shuttles regularly run from the airport, as well as taxis. While specific fares vary with the number of passengers, plan on $8- $24 each way. There is no public mass transit. Rental cars are available at the airport. Follow I-10 east to signs for O'Keefe St. (or Vieux Carre if you miss the first one). The hotel is located between Baronne St. and University Ave., which is an extension of O'Keefe St. The hotel has parking at a reduced rate for registered guests, but is still expensive despite the August "off season." See MapQuest's New Orleans Map for more info.
Hotel rooms: Rooms at the Fairmont have been reserved for us at significantly reduced rates ($115 single, $135 double), and the cost of the meeting rooms is based on the level of occupancy. PLEASE STAY AT THE MEETING HOTEL IF AT ALL POSSIBLE! While the hotel will take reservations at the reduced rate up until July 14, 1999, only 100 rooms per night are guaranteed available at present, so RESERVE EARLY!!! You can call the hotel directly at 1-800-635-4440, and mention the meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. For those of you wishing to come early or stay longer, the ASP rate (although not reservation) is guaranteed for 3 days before and after the meeting (the nights of August 9-18).
Extracurricular opportunities: New Orleans is well known for its music, shopping, eating, and sightseeing. The staff at the hotel are ready to arrange tours for guests and families, and there also are a number of attractions within the hotel (see brochure). There is no excuse to be bored in New Orleans! In this city "that care forgot", there is no need to join a social club to drink at any hour of the day or night, and sipping drinks while wandering the streets is part of the local ambience. However, drinks must be consumed from paper or plastic containers! We DO have rules, but they are just a little different here. SAFETY NOTE: While there is an air of "Disneyworld" about the French Quarter, New Orleans IS a port city, with the usual associated dangers. Thus, plan on enjoying yourself, but also plan on going places in groups, being aware of your surroundings, and leave those expensive jewels at home! A good sense of humor also helps...some folks don't quite know how to handle the Big Easy. Be careful, but, Laissez les bon temps roulez!
Tour of Tulane Regional Primate Research Center: The Tulane Regional Primate Research Center is located about 40 miles northwest of New Orleans. The Center is located on 500 acres of land in a primarily long-leaf pine forest. The Center currently has approximately 4700 monkeys. The species represented in largest numbers are rhesus and pigtail macaques. Other species include cynomolgus macaques, baboons, patas monkeys, and mangabeys. The Center has nine main buildings, several small buildings, and numerous outdoor housing facilities, corrals and corncribs, for breeding.
A tour of the Tulane Primate Center will be possible on Monday morning, August 16. A tour of the Center will require 1 hour travel time from New Orleans to the Center, 2 hours to tour the Center and breeding areas, and to eat, and 1 hour to return to New Orleans.
If you would like to reserve a tour of the Primate Center for Monday, August 16, you will need to make air travel plans from New Orleans accordingly. Air flights should be scheduled to leave after 2:00 p.m. To reserve a tour, notify Richard Harrison at one of the addresses below. The reservation must be made by August 9, in order to arrange transportation and the lunch. At the time of the reservation we will need to know where you will wish to be taken after the tour, I.e., the headquarter hotel or the airport. All pickups will be at the headquarter hotel at 8:30 a.m. The cost of the Monday tour and lunch will be $10.00, payable at the meeting, before 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
Contact Dr. Richard Harrison at any of the following:
E-mail: harrison@tpc.tulane.eduWeather: New Orleans is located in the subtropics, so it will be hot and humid in August. Our air conditioning is superb! August is a "dry month" by our standards, but bring an umbrella. Daytime highs will probably be in the low 80's to low 90's, and nighttime temperatures not much below that.
Information: Questions about your abstract or other matters pertaining to the scientific program? Contact the Program Committee Chair, Mollie Bloomsmith (mbloomsmith@mindspring.com or 404-624-5990). Need information on the hotel? Contact the Fairmont. Other questions related to the meeting site or local arrangements can be directed to Margie Clarke (mrclarke@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu or 504-862-3594).