ICASSP 2010 - 2010 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing - March 14 - 19, 2010 - Dallas, Texas, USA

Dallas Information

Hotel & Conference Venue and Registration

Sheraton Dallas Hotel
400 North Olive Street
Dallas, Texas 75201
+1 – 214–922-8000 (tel)
+1 – 214-922-0308 (fax)

Hotels in Dallas are hard-pressed to match the perfect location of the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, right in the heart of the city. This newly renovated Starwood Hotel is surrounded by the Arts and Financial District, and minutes from the American Airlines Center (home of the Dallas Mavericks – basketball – and the Dallas Stars – ice hockey), the historic 6th Floor Museum (see the information about this great venue), the Dallas Museum of Art and much more! The hotel has undergone a $90 million renovation, transforming it to a spectacular residence for the business traveler, including a connection zone, with a flexible modular desk perfect for working, flat panel HDTVs and iPod docking stations. The Sheraton Dallas Hotel is connected via a sky bridge to the Plaza of the Americas, which features an indoor skating rink. And most convenient, the Sheraton Dallas Hotel is a stop on the DART light rail. Complimentary high-speed internet access, PC workstations and printing are all available in The Link, a unique lobby lounge.

NOTE: As of this year, the Sheraton Dallas Hotel is a non-smoking property.

Special Hotel Rates for ICASSP 2010 participants: $188.00 per room, per night, single or double occupancy. All rooms will be subject to a combined tax of 15% per night. Total cost per night $216.20.

Triple or Quad Occupancy are available at rates of $198.00 or $208.00 respectively, plus applicable tax.

Online booking will open soon. We encourage participants to make their accommodations arrangements as soon as possible, as this conference takes place during a popular travel period for Dallas.

PLEASE NOTE: The IEEE Signal Processing Society have a contractual obligation to fill a guarantee block of rooms at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Significant financial penalties will be assessed should IEEE ICASSP 2010 fall short of the expected number of guest rooms. By staying at the conference hotel, you will enjoy the convenience of residing at the conference venue and, to a far greater extent, provide valued assistance in support of the financial obligations of IEEE SPS.

Venue

About Dallas

WELCOME, Y’ALL, TO THE LONE STAR STATE!

Everything really is bigger in Texas! Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas, the eighth largest city in the United States and the number one fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States. The city is thriving and offers an extraordinary leading arts district, professional sports, trendy entertainment districts and endless shopping. Whether you’re in the Dallas Arts District, with its three art museums and sculpture center, or Greenville Avenue, featuring the freshest trends and latest restaurants and nightclubs, or Uptown/McKinney Avenue/West Village, with sophisticated galleries and savvy shops, Dallas has something for everyone!

Weather

Early Spring can be cool or mild, with March bringing moderate temperatures - an average daily high of 68°F (20°C) to an average daily low of 49°F (8°C). Light rain may occur, so you may want to travel with a small, folding umbrella and jacket. Hotel environments can be unpredictable, too, so a light sweater or jacket is recommended during the sessions.

EVENTS AND VENUES OF INTEREST

American Airlines Center
2500 Victory Avenue
214/221-8326 (tel)
http://www.americanairlinescenter.org

Dallas has a team for every sport, however, the seasons for the Dallas Mavericks (basketball) and the Dallas Stars (hockey) overlap with ICASSP 2010. Both teams can be found at the American Airlines Center, with more information about either team to be found at one of the following websites:

Dallas Museum of Art
1717 North Harwood
+1-214-922-1200 (tel)
http://www.dm-art.org

Tuesday and Wednesday 11:00 – 17:00
Thursday 11:00 – 21:00
Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11:00 – 17:00

General Admission $10 or less every day. Combination tickets are available with the Nasher Sculpture Center (www.nashersculpturecenter.org) located at 2001 Flora St.

The museum’s spacious galleries feature an outstanding permanent collection of art spanning from ancient to contemporary periods. Through paintings, sculpture and other media, the DMA surveys the art of the Americas and exhibits an international collection of works from Europe, Asia and Africa. DMA welcomed over 700,000 guests last year, who participated in an array of activities and programs, designed to engage visitors of all ages. “Thursday Night Live!” features lie jazz music and free admission each Thursday from 17:00 – 21:00. Visit the DMA website to learn more about “The Lens of Impressionism: Photography and Painting Along the Normandy Coast, 1850 – 1874,” Impressionist painting’s response to early photography, scheduled to take place February 21 – May 23, 2010.

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
411 Elm at Houston Street (in the West End Historic District)
+1 – 214-747-6660 (tel)
http://www.jfk.org

Open Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 – 18:00; Monday 12:00 – 18:00

Adult admission - $13.50; Senior (65+) $12.50; Youth (ages 6-18) $12.50; Children under 6 – free or $3.50 (including an audio guide). All adult and youth admission include an audio guide.

This museum is located on the sixth and seventh floors of an early 20th century warehouse known in 1963 as the Texas School Book Depository. Since its opening in 1989, the museum has welcomed over 6 million domestic and international visitors – people of all ages seeking information and understanding about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 23, 1963. The museum’s tours are self-guided.

Kimbell Art Museum
3333 Camp Bowie Boulevard (Cultural District)
Fort Worth
+1–812-332-8451 (tel)
http://www.kimbellart.org

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10:00 – 17:00
Friday 12:00 – 20:00
Sunday 12:00 – 17:00
Closed Monday

Complimentary admission to view the museum’s permanent collection. For special exhibitions: Adults $14.00; Seniors (60+) $12.00; Students with ID $12.00; Children 6-11 years $10.00 ** Tuesday and Friday evenings – half-price tickets

The Kimbell’s permanent collection is small in size, comprising fewer than 350 works of art, and distinguished by an extraordinary level of artistic quality and importance. The Kimbel has continued to pursue quality over quantity, yet its holdings range from the third millenium B.C. to the mid-20th century and include major works by Caravaggio, Poussin, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Bernini, Picasso, Mondrian and Matisse. The collection includes Asian and non-Western as well as European art.

Dallas Arboretum
8525 Garland Road
+1-214-515-6500 (tel)
www.dallasarboretum.org

Open daily 09:00 – 17:00

Adults (13-64)$10.00
Seniors (65+) $9.00
Children (3-12)$7.00
Children under 3Complimentary
On-site self parking$7.00

Just minutes from downtown on the shore of White Rock Lake, the Dallas Arboretum features 66 acres with 11 lush display gardens that offer seasonal color all year long. Dallas Blooms, which runs between March 5 and April 11, is the premier floral festival in the Southwest and is regularly on MSNBC’s top ten things to do in America in the Spring. Visit the Arboretum following the ICASSP 2010 program to take place in ArtScape (March 20-21), the Dallas Arboretum’s fine art and craft show and sale. This two-day spring art fair is held when the garden is at its peak and so is the attendance. 15,000 guests visited during this event in 2009.

Prepare for your Travel to Dallas

Dallas City Links

We Also Recommend the Following Sites

For Further Information

Helpful Phone Numbers

Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau +1–214-571-1000
Hospital – Baylor University Medical Center+1–214-820-0111
Drug Store - CVS – 5659 Lemmon Ave. +1–214-252-0121
Emergencies 911

Travel and Transportation

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS – VISAS, VISA WAIVER PROGRAM AND ESTA

All international attendees must have a valid passport. We would like to advise all participants, who may be required to apply for a visa, that the application process requires time and may take up to a few months. Please visit the U.S. Department of State website for full visa acquisition information – http://www.travel.state.gov/.

Non-immigrant visa application processing fees are currently $131.00 USD.

Participants under the Visa Waiver Program countries (see below) will still be eligible to travel without a visa, but will have to obtain an approved travel authorization prior to their travel to the U.S. (see ESTA information below).

Visa Waiver Program – Participating Countries as of August 1, 2009

Travelers coming to the U.S. for tourism or business for 90 days or less from qualified countries may be eligible to visit the U.S. without a visa, if they meet the visa waiver program requirements. Please visit the following website to learn more, and find out if you meet the visa waiver requirements – http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html. Currently 35 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program.

New For International Visitors - ESTA

Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) – As of January 12, 2009, a valid ESTA approval is required for all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to travel to the United States. The Department of Homeland Security, Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a free, automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the VWP. It collects the same information as the paper I-94 form that VWP travelers fill out en route to the United States. ESTA application may be submitted at any time prior to travel. An ESTA authorization generally will be valid for up to two years. Authorizations will be valid for multiple entries in the United States. DNS recommends that travelers submit and ESTA application as soon as they begin making travel plans. For further details about the new system, please visit the following website – http://www.cbp.gov/esta

Please do not apply through a third-party website, which may not comply with ESTA regulations.

Transportation

DFW International Airport

With a central North American location that puts you within four hours of any major city in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, it’s no surprise that DFW International Airport is one of the world’s busiest and fastest growing airports. Twenty-three hundred worldwide destinations are served. Its facilities are user-friendly, with multilingual and easy to understand signage and quick, efficient customs clearance in three terminals.

Dallas Love Field Airport

At present, Dallas Love Field offers service to 19 U.S. destinations. Southwest Airlines, Love Field’s major carrier, offers 121 direct flights daily to destinations throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri and Kansas. Express Jet offers 11 daily flights to Houston. Dallas Love Field was the city’s first commercial air facility and continues to serve a major role in the transportation of both business and pleasure travelers. You may contact the following airlines for further information regarding flights into Dallas Love Field:

www.southwest.com+1-800-435-9792
www.continental.com+1-800-525-0280
www.nwa.com+1-800-221-1212

There are two recommended airport shuttle services:

Go Yellow Checker Shuttle, www.yellowcheckershuttle.com, +1-214/831-1900 (dispatch)

For travel from DFW International Airport, the fare to the Sheraton Dallas is $19.00 each way. A reservation is not needed upon arrival in Dallas, however, it is recommended to contact Yellow Checker for your return transfer. The Sheraton Dallas is a scheduled pick-up point for return to DFW International Airport, with shuttles operating every 30 minutes, beginning at 5:50am (05:50). Depending on traffic, travel time from DFW International Airport to the Sheraton Dallas is approximately 20-30 minutes.

For travel from Love Field, the fare to the Sheraton Dallas is also $19.00, however, a reservation is required for both inbound and outbound travel. Reservations can be booked online at the website address listed above or via phone. Depending on traffic, travel time from Love Field to the Sheraton Dallas is approximately 20 minutes.

SuperShuttle, www.supershuttle.com, +1-972-615-2410 or +1-800-258-3826

For travel from DFW International Airport, the fare to the Sheraton Dallas is $17.00 each way. A reservation is not required from the airport to the hotel, however, for the return trip, a reservation is required at least one day in advance of your departure. A pre-paid, roundtrip reservation will offer a $2.00 discount.

For travel from Love Field, reservations are required for one-way or roundtrip travel. The fare is $17.00 each way.

Car Rental agencies on-site at both airports include:

Alamowww.alamo.com+1-800-327-9633
Advantagewww.advantage.com+1-800-777-5500
Aviswww.avis.com +1-800-331-1212
Budgetwww.budget.com+1-800-527-0700
Dollarwww.dollar.com+1-866-434-2226
Enterprisewww.enterprise.com+1-972-586-1100
Hertzwww.hertz.com+1-800-654-3131
Nationalwww.nationalcar.com+1-800-227-3876
Thriftywww.thrifty.com+1-972-456-5980

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) – This system gets you around 13 cities with rail, bus, paratransit, HOV lanes and rideshare services. DART serves DFW International Airport via the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) Monday – Saturday. To view schedules, please visit www.trinityrailwayexpress.org.

The Dallas light rail system is the newest and most modern urban transportation system in the U.S., which makes navigating the city an easy process. The light-rail reaches from Plano in the north through Downtown and extends to both West and South Oak Cliff. A commuter line also connects Downtown with Irving and Fort Worth.

Single ride options via train or bus are $1.75 and full day passes are $4.00. Local seven-day passes are available as well for $20.00.

For more information on DART, call 214/749-3278, or visit www.dart.org. The DART website will also provide information on the convenient ways to travel from Dallas Love Field to downtown Dallas.


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