The 25th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists will be co-hosted by the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City Zoo. The OKC Zoo will also host several of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's (AZA) primate Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) meetings in the week before the ASP Opening Reception. In addition, a session on the bushmeat crisis will be held at the Zoo on June 1st, prior to the ASP icebreaker. More information about these zoo-based events will be available in future issues of the ASP Bulletin and via the relevant AZA sources.

DATES:  Saturday, June 1st, is the opening day. Standing committee meetings will be held at various times between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. at the conference hotel, the Renaissance. The Opening Reception will be held down the street from the Renaissance, at the Myriad Garden's Crystal Bridge (7:00-9:00 p.m. on Saturday evening, June 1st,with hors d'oeuvres and drinks). Scientific meetings will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 2nd and end at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 4th. Poster sessions will be held between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. All meetings and poster sessions will be held across the street from the hotel in the newly remodeled Cox Convention Center (see map). The closing banquet will be held at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (formerly known as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame) on Tuesday, June 4th, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Transportation will be provided to and from the hotel for the banquet. (Note: Although the museum has a western theme, the band will play rock - not western - music!)

MEETING FACILITIES:  We will provide slide projectors, laser pointers, overhead projectors, VCR (VHS) and PowerPoint equipment. If you plan to give a PowerPoint presentation, please follow the detailed instructions provided by the ASP Program Committee, so this high-tech addition to our conference will go smoothly.

MEALS:  Registration fee includes: continental breakfast each morning before the sessions (Sunday through Tuesday), light snacks during sessions, hors d'oeuvres during the opening reception and poster sessions, dinner at the closing banquet, and lunch on Sun-Tues. The only meals not included in your registration fee are the evening meals (Sat-Mon). Numerous restaurants are within walking distance of the hotel, at the Bricktown Canal entertainment district (see map).

WEATHER AND DRESS:  Early summer in Oklahoma City is typically very pleasant (with the exception of the occasional tornado!). The month of June sees an average high of 87° F, average low of 67° F. Banquet dress is casual.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  Oklahoma City has undergone a great deal of development and expansion in recent years - through a $300 million renovation project. The conference hotel is the finest in the City, located within walking distance of many sites of interest and entertainment. The nearby Myriad Gardens' Crystal Bridge, site of our opening reception, is home to beautiful gardens and a small lake - providing an excellent place to relax between ASP sessions. A renovated warehouse district - Bricktown - has a variety of shopping and dining venues, in addition to the mile-long Bricktown Canal. Both the Myriad Gardens and Bricktown are in walking distance of the hotel and conference site.

Oklahoma is a great place to visit if you're into the great outdoors; camping, fishing, and sites for wildlife watching abound. If you wish to receive literature and maps related to Oklahoma tourism, contact Local Host, Janette Wallis.

Hotel Information The Renaissance Oklahoma City Hotel has been chosen as the conference hotel. It is located across the street from the meeting rooms and walking distance from the reception site and many restaurants & bars. Special rates are available for conference attendees. Please contact the hotel directly for your reservations and state you are with the ASP group.

* Note: We recommend a suite for those wishing to share expenses. Suites are equipped with two full beds, a fold out couch in separate living area, and 1 ½ baths.

How to get there:

By air: Will Rogers World Airport (airport code: OKC) is approximately 12 miles from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. From the airport, travel north on Meridian Avenue to Interstate 40 East. Take the Harvey Street exit, circle right and travel north. Turn right on Reno Avenue and left on Robinson Street. (As you go by this corner, notice the long transparent tubular building. That's the Crystal Bridge, the location of our opening reception Saturday night.) Turn right on Sheridan. The Renaissance Oklahoma City Hotel is on the corner of Broadway and Sheridan. The conference meetings will be held across the street, in the Cox Convention Center.

Airport Express offers shuttle service from Will Rogers World Airport to the Renaissance Hotel for $13.00 one-way if alone (but as low as $6.00, if 3 or more people). You can easily identify the blue vans just outside the doors on the lower level of the airport (outside baggage claim). In this area, you'll also find taxis and other vans.

Air Travel: American Airlines is the "Official Airline" for the 2002 ASP conference. American will offer discount airfares to Will Rogers World Airport. To receive the maximum discount, please purchase your airline tickets 60 days in advance. You must call the American Airlines Meeting Services desk at 1-800-433-1790 and refer to Authorization Number A6452BC. Identify yourself as an ASP member.

By car: As you see in the map below, the Renaissance Hotel is conveniently located near U.S. Interstate 40, just a few miles west of the Interstate 35 interchange.

By train: Though Amtrak service is extremely limited at present, the OKC train station is located just down the street from the conference hotel (note track on map). Those seeking an adventure may want to consider Amtrak.

For more information, please visit these web sites:

• The Renaissance Hotel: www.renaissancehotels.com/OKCBR

• The Myriad Botanical Gardens (site of the Reception): http://www.okc-cityhall.org/BotanicalGardens/index.html

• The Cowboy Hall of Fame (site of the Banquet): www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/

• The Oklahoma City Zoo: www.okczoo.com/

• The Oklahoma City National Memorial: www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/

• The Oklahoma City Convention Bureau: www.okcvb.org/index.html