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Need to Know

Travel to Seattle

All conference sessions will be held at the Washington State Convention Center, 705 Pike Street and Sheraton Grand Seattle Hotel, 1400 6th Avenue.

Local Transport

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the main airport for the Greater Seattle area. The airport is located less than 15 miles from the Washington State Convention Center.

Click here for more information regarding ground transportation from the airport to the hotel, as well as around Seattle.

What to Pack

Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to lower 50s (10-15 C), Meeting rooms are also often cold, so pack a light jacket or sweater.

Area Activities

Check out the Visit Seattle website.

Download the Mobile App!

To check for the most up-to-date information, as there have been some room changes since the Quick Reference Guide has been printed.

Presenter and Chair Guidelines

Presenters: AV, Bring Your Laptop, Courtesy to Speakers

Computer projectors will be available in every technical session room. You must bring your own laptop (or plan to share with another presenter) and AC power adapter. If you have a Mac, don’t forget your adapter. Technical assistance will be available for any AV problems. During technical sessions please turn off cell phones and other mobile devices. Also note that the use of camera and recording devices is prohibited unless you have received prior permission from the speaker.

Presentation Guidelines

The room and location of your session are listed in the Technical Sessions section and in the Master Track Schedule. Please be on time for your session and check-in with the session chair.

  • Presentations are expected to be in English.
  • Limit the presentation to key issues with a brief summary.
  • Time your presentation to fit within your designed time span, leaving time for audience questions.
  • You may bring copies of your paper or other handouts to distribute to the audience.

Session Chair Guidelines

The role of the Chair is to coordinate the smooth running of the session. The Chair:

  • Begins and ends each session on time. Each session lasts 90 minutes, with the time per session determined by the number of papers in the session. Equal time should be given to each paper.
  • Introduce each presentation (just the title of the paper and the name of the author).
  • Complete the session attendance form (form will be in the room). Leave the form in the session room when departing.

Questions about the Program, Last-Minute Presentation Changes or Cancellations

Come to the Washington State Convention Center, Atrium Level 4, just across from registration, if you have general questions about the meeting and/or questions about your own presentation.

Accessing Wi-Fi in the Exhibit Hall

Network: informs2019
Password: Seattle19

Registration

Conference registration will be located in the Washington State Convention Center, Atrium, Level 4 on Saturday through Tuesday from 7am-5pm, and on Wednesday from 7am-3:30pm.

Express Check-In/Badge Printers

Express kiosks with name badge printers will be available for pre-registered attendees in the Sheraton Grand Seattle, Spruce, 2nd Floor, on Friday from 5-8pm, Saturday from 7am-8pm, Sunday from 7am-8pm, and Monday from 7am-12noon.

Receipt Kiosk

Print your conference receipt on demand by going to the Washington State Convention Center, Atrium Lobby, Level 4 located near INFORMS Registration

Attendance Certificate

Print your own Attendance Certificate letter by going to the General Information Counter in the Washington State Convention Center, Atrium Level 4, just across from registration.

Passport Raffle and Drawing

When you check in at Registration, you will receive an Exhibitor Passport. To enter the Exhibitor Passport Raffle, you must visit at least 55 exhibitor booths, including Booth #25 (IBM) for stamps. Starting Sunday, October 20 at 12noon, when the Exhibit Hall opens, the passport can be stamped. It will continue throughout the conference during scheduled exhibit hours. Turn you passport in at the INFORMS Center in the Exhibit Hall, 4AB, Level 4, of the Washington State Convention Center.

The first drawing will take place on Tuesday October 22. You must have your passport turned in by 1:40pm Tuesday for the drawing for a pair of Bose Headphones at 1:45pm. You must be present at the time of the drawing.

The second drawing will take place on Wednesday, October 23. You must have your passport turned in by 9:15am Wednesday for the drawing of a Google Home at 9:20pm. You must be present at the time of the drawing.

Navigating the Annual Meeting

Badge Required for Technical Sessions & Meeting Events

Badges MUST be worn to all meetings events. All attendees, including speakers and session chairs, must register and pay the registration fee.  

Mobile App

The INFORMS Meetings App is available for iOS and Android devices. Detailed information, including the schedule of sessions, session abstracts, meeting locations, maps, exhibit details, and much more can be found on the app. This dynamic app can be downloaded directly to your devices by visiting the iTunes Store or the Google Play Store and searching for “INFORMS Meetings.” When you view the meeting program in the app, you can either browse through the panel sessions and special events or search for a specific speaker or keyword(s). As you locate the events, sessions, and presentations you are interested in, click on the star button, which bookmarks it to the My Schedule itinerary. Use My Schedule for a quick reference tool. The app provides login access across all your mobile devices.

Please install the latest version of the app (INFORMS Meetings 3.1). Once you open the app, you may not see the Annual Meeting homepage.  Please switch to the Annual Meeting by (1) touching the double arrow on the homepage or opening the main menu and second ”Switch Conference” and (2) selecting “2019 Annual Meeting.”

One of the great features of the conference app is that it will allow attendees – upon logging in – to search for other attendees, and send messages and requests through INFORMS Connect.

Print-Ready Quick Reference Guide Now Available Online

If you would like to print out the digital Quick Reference Guide before you travel, the PDF can be found here.

You can also use the itinerary tool in the Program Search on the meeting website or the mobile app “My Schedule” to plan your day.

Meeting Program

The 2019 INFORMS Annual Meeting program will be available for attendees in a number of convenient ways:

  • The 2019 INFORMS Annual Meeting Mobile App – Download from the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store
  • The 2019 Annual Meeting website, you can download it now.
  • A total of four kiosks with the Program Flip Books throughout the Washington State Convention Center and the Sheraton Grand Seattle.

All attendees will receive the 2019 Annual Meeting Quick Reference Guide upon registration to help you navigate the conference. The handy Quick Reference provides information on all sessions, meetings, events, and receptions.

Start your INFORMS Membership Journey!

Stop by the INFORMS Center and learn how to make the most of your INFORMS Membership. If you renew on site, we will give you an INFORMS t-shirt, or click here to renew online.

New – Reporting Hotline

We are committed to a culture of openness, trust, safety, diversity and inclusion. That is why we have both a Code of Conduct and an Ethics Code. These Codes are part of our efforts to advance professional and ethical conduct and a safe environment for all involved in INFORMS activities.

Effective October 18, 2019 we have engaged Lighthouse Services to provide an anonymous code of conduct and ethics hotline that will ensure anyone wishing to submit a report anonymously or otherwise can do so.

Please note that the information provided by you may be the basis of an investigation. Your anonymity will be protected to the extent possible by law, by Lighthouse and INFORMS. Investigations, when required, will be conducted by a third-party company, Operations Inc.

Lighthouse Services toll free number and other methods of reporting are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • Website: www.lighthouse-services.com/informs
  • Toll-Free Telephone:
    • English speaking USA and Canada: 855-650-0005
    • Spanish speaking USA and Canada: 800-216-1288
    • Spanish speaking Mexico: 01-800-681-5340
    • French speaking Canada: 855-725-0002
  • E-mail: reports@lighthouse-services.com (must include INFORMS name with report)
  • Fax: 215-689-3885 (must include INFORMS name with report)