E-News Blog
Join a Community
Whether you are a new or continuing member, take some time while in Phoenix to sign up for the Community (also known as Subdivision) of your choice. There is no better way to maximize the utility of your membership. Stop by Registration or INFORMS Booth #58 to learn more.
New Member Welcome/Annual Meeting Orientation on Sunday
October 14, 4:30-5:30pm, Hyatt, Regency C
If you are new to INFORMS or new to the Annual Meeting, plan to attend the new member welcome session and Annual Meeting orientation. INFORMS veterans will be on hand to ensure you know all about your member benefits and how to effectively navigate the meeting. Time will also be set aside for informal networking with colleagues by interest area or geographic location.
Amazon - Phoenix Fulfillment Center
All reservations for this tour MUST be made directly with Amazon by emailing informs-phx-planttour-2012@amazon.com
Monday, October 15, 3:30-5:00pm - the tour is one-hour long
A round-trip coach bus will pick up from the Hyatt Regency Phoenix at 3:30pm. Departures from the plant back to the hotel will begin at 5pm. Please note that because of safety concerns, you cannot go directly to the Center and must use the provided coach bus.
Cost: Free
Please review the Visitor Safety Guidelines and Safety Prep & Procedures prior to tour before responding.
RSVP to informs-phx-planttour-2012@amazon.com.
The number of attendees is limited to 60, and we will implement a first-come, first-served policy.
Check out the Pinterest Annual Meeting board for interesting things to do and see while in Phoenix.
Shivaram Subramanian blogs some suggestions: "You rub your weary eyes and get off that Airbus 380 to signal the end of your long 16-hour flight and wearily make your way to the baggage claim. You patiently wait along with your family to pick up your 4-6 pieces of check-in luggage before proceeding through the customs and immigration checks. It's a tiresome and time consuming process. Is there a way you can make things better for yourself? Perhaps..."
Phoenix International Airport
Distance from airport to hotels: 4 miles (6.4km)/10 min.
Taxi
Rates to/from airport approximately $18 each way for taxi.
Super Shuttle
Phone number: 602-244-9000
Rates to/from Airport $13 each way per passenger. The Super Shuttle is available 24 hours a day. www.supershuttle.com
Valley Metro Light Rail
Proceed to Ground Transportation
Board the PHX Airport Shuttle to Metro Light Rail Line.
Board the Metro Light Rail toward Montebello.
De-board at the Central/Washington Station.
The Hyatt Regency Phoenix & Renaissance Hotel are one block to the east.
Metro Light Rail runs from 4am-11pm daily.
The cost is $1.75 each way.
Finally, some TV worth watching! Tune in to INFORMS TV during the meeting to catch the latest conference highlights, enjoy "behind the scenes" interviews with meeting speakers and INFORMS leaders, and hear reactions and interviews with attendees like you. See INFORMS TV here: video displays in the registration area and Exhibit Hall, Interactive Session foyer, INFORMS Booth, Renaissance Hotel channel 2, and Hyatt Hotel channel 42.
For the first time at an INFORMS meeting, you'll be able to download a FREE app on any mobile device, thanks to our friends at Wiley. Access conference info on the go, including the schedule of sessions and presentations, plenary/keynote speaker information, maps, exhibitor details, free must-have articles, and more.
Click here to download the free app!
Note on installing app: Turn off private browsing and pop-up blockers on device.
Thanks to Our Sponsor!
We're glad you're attending! Each morning of the Annual Meeting - Sunday through Wednesday - attendees will receive an electronic copy of Annual Meeting eNews Daily in their in-box. eNews Daily, the official news magazine of the Annual Meeting, features previews of the upcoming day's key events and a recap of the previous day's happenings. Don't be the last to know. Enjoy Phoenix!
Want to get into the conference mood? Then before you leave, make sure to download a podcast for listening on your MP3 players while you take that plane, train, and automobile. Choose from a new podcast about U.S. Presidential forecasting, evergreen discussions from INFORMS annual meetings past, and a range of interviews with newsmakers, analytics experts, and operations researchers who apply their training in a myriad of fascinating specialties.
Sadly absent from this year's annual meeting but remaining in the hearts of INFORMS members is Mary R. DeMelim, who devoted 25 years to leading The Institute of Management Sciences (TIMS). Mary passed away on September 21. A winner of the George E. Kimball Medal and the INFORMS Fellows Award, Mary took a small, two-person office and helped transform it into the important association that merged with the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA) to become INFORMS. She will be missed by veteran members and all those who worked closely with her. Read an obituary of Mary DeMelim in The Providence Journal and here. Make a donation in her memory here.
