The pre-negotiated rate is $85 plus tax per night, which at current tax rates works out to just under $100 per night. This is a very competetive rate in the metropolitan Baltimore-Washington market. To guarantee this rate, please make your reservation by September 27, 2006 and mention Seidmanfest or Seidman Conference; you might also mention Mathematics Department or UMBC/University of Maryland to help the hotel identify the contract.

The main block of rooms are reserved for Friday night and Saturday night, but a limited quantity of rooms at the same rate have also been reserved on Sunday night in case you want to leave on Monday. The hotel offers a courtesy shuttle to and from the airport terminal; call the hotel on a courtesy phone from the baggage claim area if necessary. If you arrive by train, take the free shuttle to the airport terminal, and then the hotel courtesy shuttle. If you want to go directly to UMBC from the airport or the train station, I suggest using a taxi cab straight from either place; the driving directions below under Directions to the Buildings on Campus might also be useful to help the driver drop you off at the best place on campus.

The Baltimore region is rich with tourist attractions, including Baltimore's famous Inner Harbor, the birthplace of the city and location of many attractions including, for instance, the National Aquarium, the U.S.S. Constellation, and various other museums. The Inner Harbor can be reached without car by taking the hotel's courtesy shuttle to the airport terminal and the Light Rail from there; about $1.60 and 20 minutes later you arrive at the Convention Center stop. Walk 5 minutes to the right along Pratt Street past the Convention Center until you see water on your right.

Directions to the Buildings on Campus

• Plenary Sessions, Breakfast, and Coffee Breaks: Public Policy Building. The plenary sessions, including the panel discussion, will be held in room PUP 105 in the Public Policy Building (PUP), also known as Lecture Hall 9. The coffee breaks and the breakfast will be offered in the Atrium of this building directly outside of room PUP 105.

  The Public Policy building is labeled by number 28 in the C-2 area of the campus map in PDF form at http://www.umbc.edu/AboutUMBC/campusmap/04-05map.pdf. This building is UMBC's newest academic building, located immediately next to the Physics and The Commons buildings.

• Poster Session, Lunch Breaks, and the Conference Dinner: Skylight Room in The Commons Building. The lunch breaks and the conference dinner will be held in the Skylight Room on the third floor of The Commons Building. The poster session with reception preceding the dinner will be in the room adjacent to the Skylight Room, also known as the Fireside Lounge. The elevators of the building are located in the `knee' of the L-shaped building and will deposit you right next to the Skylight Room.

  The Commons Building is in the center of campus, practically exactly in the center of our campus loop (Hilltop Circle), and labeled by number 12 between the B-2 and C-2 areas of the campus map in PDF form at http://www.umbc.edu/AboutUMBC/campusmap/04-05map.pdf.

Let me describe how to get to get to Commons Drive under the assumption that you are already on the access road to our campus loop from interstate I-95, i.e., you know how to get to UMBC's campus in general; for directions how to get there in more detail, please see the extensive driving directions below.

As you approach the campus on UMBC Boulevard (from the left edge of the map at http://www.umbc.edu/AboutUMBC/campusmap/04-05map.pdf), you will see all campus buildings straight ahead. Make a right onto our loop road around the campus, called Hilltop Circle. Pass one road to your left (Administration Drive) and make a left at the next one, which is Commons Drive (due in the middle of the campus map). The parking structure will be on your left, and the traffic loop will be at the end. The Commons building is straight ahead, while the Public Policy building is to your right, behind the Physics building (number 26).

During the weekend, you can park at the parking meters of the visitor parking area on the ground floor of the parking structure without paying or in the student spaces of the upper levels of the structure. You can also park on any (legal) space on the side of Commons Drive (or other roads); notice that there is no legal parking in the traffic loop at the end of Commons Drive. Again, parking meters and restrictions to students are not enforced during the weekend; you do not have to feed the meters during the weekend.

General Location of UMBC and the Hotel

Arriving by Plane

Arriving by Train

Detailed Driving Directions

• If coming from the North of Baltimore along I-95: Use the Fort McHenry Tunnel on I-95 to underpass the Baltmore harbor. Do not use I-895 Harbor Tunnel Throughway, which will re-join I-95 too far South to reach UMBC!
• If coming from the Northwest of Baltimore along I-83: Proceed to the Baltimore beltway I-695, which you will join due North of the city of Baltimore. To drive around the West side of the city of Baltimore on the beltway, join I-695 West (direction Glen Burnie). As you eventually turn the corner on the Southwest side of Baltimore, you will see signs for UMBC, but I suggest to ignore them and proceed to I-95. Take I-95 South (direction Washington, D.C.) and follow the directions to campus below.
• If coming from the West of Baltimore along I-70: Proceed to the Baltimore beltway I-695 and take it South (direction Glen Burnie). As you turn the corner on the Southwest side of Baltimore, you will see signs for UMBC, but I suggest to ignore them and proceed to I-95. Take I-95 South (direction Washington, D.C.) and follow the directions to campus below.

• Southbound directions: If you are on I-95 heading Southbound, keep right on the exit ramp to join MD-166; stay in the accelaration lane without merging, because it becomes the exit lane for UMBC, marked by a sign.
• Northbound directions: If you are on I-95 heading Northbound, keep left on the exit ramp; then merge onto MD-166 from the left, change to the right lane immediately, and use the exit on the right for UMBC, as indicated by a sign.

As you now approach the campus, you will see all campus buildings straight ahead. For detailed directions to the conference venues from here on, please see the Directions to the Buildings on Campus above.

FROM I-95 TO THE HOTEL: The Holiday Inn BWI is reached via the airport access freeway I-195 from the same exit as UMBC itself. The directions above explain already how to get to this exit and the arrangement of the exit ramps. To get to I-195, simply follow the other part of the ramps at the split, where the signs will point to BWI Aiport.

After about 4 miles on I-195 East, take Exit 1A for MD-170 North to Linthicum. After 0.6 miles, make a left at Elm Road, then an immediate left onto Elkridge Landing Road. The hotel is on the left after 1.1 miles. Watch for the green Holiday Inn sign; the driveway entrance is before the sign.

FROM THE UMBC MAIN CAMPUS TO THE HOTEL: If you parked in The Commons Garage on Commons Drive, exit the structure to the right down Commons Drive. Make a right onto our campus loop, Hilltop Road. Then make a left onto UMBC Blvd., following signs pointing to I-95 and/or I-195.

After underpassing a freeway, merge onto the two main travel lanes of I-195 East and underpass I-95 (do not enter I-95; do not stay in the merge lane, which becomes the exit lane for I-95 South). After about 4 miles on I-195 East, take Exit 1A for MD-170 North to Linthicum. After 0.6 miles, make a left at Elm Road, then an immediate left onto Elkridge Landing Road. The hotel is on the left after 1.1 miles. Watch for the green Holiday Inn sign; the driveway entrance is before the sign.

FROM THE HOTEL TO THE UMBC MAIN CAMPUS: This is the reverse of the above direction: From the parking lot of the Holiday Inn, turn right and follow Elkridge Landing Road for 1.1 miles. Make a right at Elm Road. Make another immediate right onto MD-170 South; stay in the entrance lane without merging, because it becomes the exit lane for I-195 West. After about 4 miles on I-195 and underpassing I-95, take the exit for the UMBC main campus to the right.