DIGISTAR USERS GROUP
September 25th to 27th

WESTERN ALLIANCE OF PLANETARIUMS CONFERENCE
September 29th to October 1st

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center seeks to inspire life-long learning by furthering
the public's understanding and enjoyment of science and technology.

We Invite You To San Diego

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and Space Theater is proud to invite our planetarium colleagues to visit our expanded facility on the tenth anniversary of the last San Diego conference.

We've doubled the size of our science center and added a Digistar II to the theater, so come on down!

The Location

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center was the worlds first tilted dome, and the first theater to combine large format film and a planetarium. The brainchild of a forward looking group of citizens in the days when San Diego was the hub of a vital space and aerospace design and manufacturing industry, the Space Theater, as it was called then, was the first of its kind.

In recent years, we doubled the size of the Science Center in a major expansion. We host major exhibitions, we have a Challenger Center, a Dome-IMAX projector and a motion simulator.

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is located in beautiful Balboa Park, home to numerous museums and the Famous San Diego Zoo. Paper presentations and workshops will take place in the conference hotel, the fabulous and historic U.S. Grant in the heart of the exciting gaslamp district.
A file with various exciting San Diego experiences is here-> San Diego Fun.

Conference Theme

With all the exciting exploration going on lately, how could it be anything but - "Planetary Exploration ". we will have a strong JPL presence utilizing their Mars rovers and Saturn exploration experience. Speakers and paper sessions will emphasize the knowledge we are gaining and what this means to our understanding of the universe. Full dome video systems will be demonstrated, as well as more traditional planetariums. The Challenger Center will have an open house and special short missions.

Lodging

We have great rates for the fabulous US Grant Hotel.

Located at 326 Broadway in San Diego, CA.
Make reservations at (619)232-3121 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm PST.

Be sure to mention you are part of the Western Alliance of Planetariums OR the Digistar Users Group.

The group rate is an excellent chance to stay at an american icon
in the hotel world at a very good rate, so plan to extend your stay here before or after the conference to see more of San Diego and the area around it.
Conference rates are $149 per night.

Please make every attempt to stay in the conference hotel as they will charge us additional moneys if the minimum is not met. Please make sure to call the hotel from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. P.S.T. to get the conference discount or you can email from the hotel website.

Air Transportation

San Diego's Lindbergh Field is only minutes from downtown.

America West, 800-235-9292
American, 800-433-7300
Continental, 800-525-0280
Delta, 800-221-1212
Frontier, 800-432-1359
jetBlue, 800-538-2583
Northwest, 800-225-2525
SkyWest, 800-453-9417
Southwest, 800-435-9792
United, 800-241-6522

Ground Transportation Shuttle Service is available from Cloud Nine - (619) 278-8877.
The US Grant hotel offers complimentary airport shuttle service to their hotel.
Please call the hotel from the payphone area located in the airport baggage claim area.

CAR RENTAL: The following rental agencies are located at or near Lindbergh field.

San Diego Rental Cars
Additional Rental Agencies

877-252-6600 Discount Code: 479429

Dollar Rent A Car 800-800-3665 CD# BM5667

Thrifty Rent A Car 800-847-4389 PC 14UU for Possible PHONE Discount!

National 800-227-7368 Contract ID 5904196

Advantage Rent A Car 800-777-5500 Discount Rate #104FSC

Hertz Hertz Rent A Car (619) 220-5222

Tentative Agenda

Digistar Users Group Day 1 - Saturday, September 25th
3:00 standards committee
6:00 Registration starts
7:00 to 11:00 pm Reception

Digistar Users Group Day 2 - Sunday, September 26
7:30 Continental breakfast and registration
8:30 General session - welcome
9:00 to 10:00 Business meeting
10:00 Coffee break
10:30 Business meeting continued
12:00 Lunch at hotel
1:00 Informal customer forum
3:00 Coffee break
3:30 Enhancement session
5:00 Dinner on own
7:00 Bus to Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
7:30 Digistar sessions at Reuben H. Fleet Science Center - demo contest
11:00 Bus to hotel

Digistar Users Group Day 3 - Monday, September 27
7:30 Continental breakfast and registration
8:30 to 10:00 papers or workshops
10:00 Coffee break
10:30 papers or workshops
12:00 Lunch at hotel
1:30 papers or workshops
3:00 Coffee break
3:30 Papers or workshops
5:30 Dinner on own
7:00 Bus to Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
7:30 Digistar sessions at Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
11:00 Bus to hotel

Tuesday, September 28
8:00 to 12:00 Venders set up at hotel

Note that the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics convention begins today at the SD convention Center
http://www.aiaa.org/space2004/

Western Alliance of Planetariums Conference
WAC Day 1 - Wednesday, September 29th
7:30 Continental breakfast and registration
7:30 Exhibit area open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
8:30 General session welcome
9:00 Papers
10:00 Coffee break
10:30 Vender papers
12:00 Lunch on own
1:30 Vender Papers continue or conferees papers
3:00 Coffee break
3:30 Papers
5:30 Bus to Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
6:00 Dinner at Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
7:30 Planetarium sessions-Venders
10:30 Bus to hotel
11:00 hospitality Suite

WAC Day 2 - Thursday, September 30th
7:30 Continental breakfast and registration
7:30 Exhibit area open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
8:30 IPS site report / Host presentations for 2005
10:00 Coffee break
10:15 Regional business meetings
12:00 Lunch at hotel
1:30 WAC organizational meeting
3:00 Coffee break
3:30 Vender exhibit time
5:00 Dinner on own
7:00 Bus to Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
7:30 to 11:00 Challenger Center demos, open Science Center
8:00 To Worlds Beyond
9:00 Planetarium presentations
10:00 Planetarium presentations
10:30 Bus to hotel
11:00 Hospitality Suite

WAC Day 3 - Friday, October 1st
7:30 Continental breakfast
7:30 Exhibit area open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
8:30 Papers
10:00 Coffee break
10:30 Papers
12:00 Lunch on own
1:30 Papers / Vender exhibit time
3:00 Coffee break
3:30 Venders pack up displays
4:00 Papers or additional regional meeting time
6:00 Cocktail hour
7:00 Dinner at hotel
9:00 Hospitality Suite

Dress

The weather in September can be cool, we are close to the sea, and the wind can kick up. We often receive the dubious benefit of a "Marine Layer", a cloud cover that may or may not burn off by afternoon. Days will be warm, but bring a sweater for the evenings.

How To Register

Registration forms

Western Alliance of Planetariums and Digistar Users Group	PDF
Vendor Registration	PDF
Paper or Workshop Presentation	PDF
Digistar Contest Entry Form	PDF

Registration fees are $120 for the Digistar Users Group
$140 for the Western Alliance Conference.

Print a copy and mail to:
John Young at PO Box 33303
San Diego CA 92163
or email to jyoung@rhfleet.org.

There is no deadline for registration or "early registration rates."
You can even register upon arrival.

Everyone must pay their professional dues for the upcoming year at this meeting (RMPA, PPA, SWAP or GPPA).
Even if you're visiting from outside the region, you must join one of these western regional organizations to attend.

Requests to present must be submitted by September 19.

If you are a vendor and would like to participate, please submit a vender form by September 19.

If you have questions, please contact John Young.

Venders

Astrotec

Ash Enterprises

Audio Visual Imagineering

Bowen Technovation

Digitalis Education Solutions

East Coast Control Systems

Evans and Sutherland

Goto, USA

Loch Ness Productions

Laser Fantasy International

Minolta Planetarium Co. Ltd

Spitz, Inc

Starlight production

Zeiss , represented by SEILER Instruments

Conference Contact

John Young
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
PO box 33303, San Diego, CA 92163
(619) 685-5731
fax (619)685-577
jyoung@rhfleet.org

Email John

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center web site

Updated September 21st by John Young

DIGISTAR USERS GROUP September 25th to 27th

WESTERN ALLIANCE OF PLANETARIUMS CONFERENCE September 29th to October 1st