Dear Colleagues and Friends,
It is a great honour to welcome you to the ICS Annual Meeting in San Francisco from September 29th to October 3rd, 2009. This will be the first time in 10 years that the meeting has been held in the USA, and it is most fitting that our society has chosen this vibrant, diverse and beautiful city to host this event.
The meeting will be held at Moscone West, the newest addition to the Moscone Convention Center. It is surrounded by hotels, restaurants, gardens and museums. You will be in the heart of the city, within walking distance of many major attractions including, Union Square, China Town, and the Ferry Building. You can hop on a cable car to sample the culinary delights of Fishermans Wharf, or check the breathtaking views from Nob Hill.
We hope these wonderful surroundings will not distract you from the educational and scientific program being planned. The 5 day meeting starts with over 40 educational courses and workshops spread over the first two days. The scientific meeting will open on October 1st and you can be assured that a stimulating program is being planned.
Tradition has been an important cornerstone of our society, and accordingly we will welcome you at San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday September 30th. You will be able to meet old friends and renew the spirit of ICS in this beautiful French Renaissance–style Beaux Arts building, the “Crown Jewel” of the city.
San Francisco International Airport has connections from all over the world and is an easy 20 minutes from the city center. Additionally, we hope you will spend some extra time in this beautiful corner of the world. San Francisco is within easy driving distance of many tourist spots including the Napa Valley and the wine country, the Monterey peninsula, the gold country and magnificent Lake Tahoe. I should add that the weather in Northern California at this time of year is perfect.
On behalf of myself and our organising committee, we are truly looking forward to seeing you in San Francisco in September.
Anthony Stone
Chair, ICS 2009