[Taxacom] REGISTRATION INFORMATION - World Gesneriad Research Conference 2010

[John R. Clark]

*GENERAL INFORMATION*

The *World Gesneriad Research Conference 2010 (WGRC 2010) *is an
international meeting of the world’s Gesneriaceae researchers, students and
lay enthusiasts who come together with the goal of understanding and
promoting knowledge of the plant family Gesneriaceae. The next conference
will be held at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, FL, USA from
*13-15 October 2010* with a gesneriad exhibition 15-17 October. The
objectives of WGRC 2010 are to provide opportunities internationally for new
researchers and students of Gesneriaceae to enter into discussion groups,
formalize existing informal international collaborations and working groups
into a virtual organization by initiating a web-based Gesneriaceae
coalition, and summarize the current state of knowledge on Gesneriaceae
phylogenetics with the ultimate goal of creating a comprehensive
Gesneriaceae phylogeny.


 *SCHEDULE:*

*Tuesday 12 October*: Arrivals, registration, poster set-ups (optional
activities may include tours of the gardens, research facilities,
collections, local sights, as well as a visit to a private grower's
extensive gesneriad collection)

*Wednesday 13 October*: Registration, conference opening, presentations, and
discussions followed by evening mixer

*Thursday 14 October*: Conference presentations and discussions followed by
dinner with keynote speaker

*Friday 15 October*: Morning summary session and closing remarks (optional
afternoon tours and time in the herbarium; optional evening preview of
gesneriad flower show; possible departures)

*Saturday 16 October*: Continuing departures (optional time in herbarium and
at gardens and show or local sights)

*Sunday 17 October*: Continuing departures (optional visit to a private
grower's collection or local sights)

Note that all conference activities will be held at Selby Gardens; attire
will be casual. Optional activities will be planned based on interest levels
and time available of individual attendees based on responses received on
the soon-to-be-available registration form.


 *REGISTRATION INFORMATION*

Formal on-line registration will begin as soon as possible (most likely
within the month) and a more detailed daily schedule will be provided along
with a listing of the more than 35 presenters and abstracts. However, to aid
in planning and budgeting for potential attendees and presenters, the
following is a breakdown of registration fees and some preliminary
information on travel and accommodations in Sarasota.


*Full Registration: US$220*: Includes full access to meetings and events,
misc. conference materials, coffee/tea breaks, 2 lunches, mixer (Wednesday
evening; light food; cash bar), dinner [Thursday evening with cash bar), and
printed proceedings (special proceedings issue of *Selbyana*).

*Student Registration: US$150: *Letter from major advisor required; includes
all of the above except printed proceedings (which can be purchased
separately).

*Partial Registration Options: Wednesday* only (*US$65*) includes
presentations, breaks, lunch, and evening mixer; *Thursday* only (*US$80*)
includes, talks, breaks, lunch, and dinner with keynote address.
(Proceedings not included in individual day registration but can be
purchased separately.)

*Housing *(preliminary): We have identified three options for nearby
accommodations (within walking distance or less than a mile from the
Gardens): basic, about $US65; mid-range, about $US85; and deluxe, over
$US125. The rates indicated are per room for 1-2 people per night and
include taxes, but we are negotiating better group rates based on conference
registrations. More information will follow.


*Travel:* Two main regional airports (both international) service the area -
*Sarasota (SRQ) *and* Tampa/ St. Petersburg (TPA) *which is the larger
airport served by more carriers with more frequent flights at better cost.
TPA is, however, over an hour-long commute to Sarasota so we are also
looking at shuttle, bus, carpool, and car rental options. Additional
information will follow.

*Student Travel and Participation: *We have sponsors for two students at
this time and are soliciting more. These sponsorships will be awarded on a
competitive basis and will cover basic travel expenses and conference fees.
We currently estimate that expenses will range from US$720-US$920 for
domestic (in US) student attendance, and US$920-US$1420 for international.
More details about student sponsorships will follow. Students are encouraged
to apply for other sources of funding and the WGRC Planning Committee will
assist in providing letters of support.

We hope this preliminary information will help in planning your attendance
at the conference. Specific questions about the conference can be directed
to John R. Clark at *gesneriadresearch at gmail.com*. As noted earlier, online
registration and more details will be available soon.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Sarasota this October.

The WGRC 2010 Planning Committee

-- 
John R. Clark, Ph.D.
Committee Chair
World Gesneriad Research Conference 2010
Director, Gesneriad Research Center
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
811 S. Palm Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34236
office: 941.366.5731 ext. 256
cell:509.338.5646
fax: 941.951.1474
Email: gesneriadresearch at gmail.com



-- 
John R. Clark, Ph.D.
Committee Chair
World Gesneriad Research Conference 2010
Director, Gesneriad Research Center
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
811 S. Palm Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34236
office: 941.366.5731 ext. 256
cell:509.338.5646
fax: 941.951.1474
Email: gesneriadresearch at gmail.com