Useful Tips for Attendees

Travel and Location Logistics

Conference Location
XLDB-2013 is taking place in the Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, on the main campus of Stanford University.  The address is 655 Knight Way. Stanford, CA 94305. See the Knight Management Center page for more details about the facility. For a map of Knight, please click here.

Registration Location
Registration for all four days will be located at the Knight Management Center, outside at Community Court. Registration will be open at 7:30am Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and 8am on Thursday.

Getting to Stanford Campus
Check out the Travel & Directions page for links to local maps, public transit, car rental and the Marguerite - Stanford's complimentary shuttle.

Staying at a local hotel? Don't forget to ask if they have a complimentary shuttle to campus. If you are staying at the Stanford Guest House (located on the SLAC campus), transportation to campus is available through Stanford’s complimentary Marguerite shuttle system. The SLAC line operates between SLAC (with a stop at the entrance to the Guest House) and the Stanford campus, and is available from 7:25 a.m. to 8:55 p.m., approximately every 20 minutes (less frequent service after 6pm).

Parking
Complimentary Parking is available at Galvez Lot on Monday - Wednesday, which is located along Campus Drive between Galvez Street and Lasuen Street. It is a short, half-mile 10-12 minute walk to the venue, the Knight Management Center. A walking map can be found here.

NOTE: A code is required to park in Galvez Lot for free that will be emailed to all participants. Here are directions:

1. First park and remember your space number
2. Touch any key to wake the machine if asleep
3. Enter your space number
4. Select Daily Option
5. Select “Yes” when it asks if you have a coupon
6. Enter the Coupon Number (Provided by XLDB, will be emailed to all participants) and press OK
7. You’ll receive a series of messages that say "Completing Payment Please Wait" then "Free Parking" message appears briefly. “Completing Payment” appears again.
8. Printing Receipt appears and the transaction is complete. No need to display receipt on dashboard.

There will be staff available to direct parking and provide walking instructions to get you headed in the right direction.

Free XLDB-Shuttle from Galvez Parking Lot (Tuesday & Wednesday AM)
As a courtesy, XLDB will provide a free shuttle service between the Galvez Lot and Knight Management Center on the main conference mornings (Tuesday & Wednesday). The shuttle will operate on a 10-minute loop between 7:30am-9:00am each morning and will drop off attendees next door to Knight Center at Burnham Pavilion. The XLDB shuttle stop will be marked with signage.

Disability Parking
For guests with disabilities, where Galvez Lot is not suitable, disabled person placards issued by any state are honored in most marked parking spaces on campus, including meters, designated blue spaces (accessible disabled parking is located near all facilities), Service Vehicle spaces and permit lots. State issued disabled placards are not honored in red zones, Resident Fellow (RF) spaces, “Special Permit Only” or Special Area Permit parking, “No Parking” areas, or beyond the posted time limit. For additional information, please contact us.

Alternate Parking (Fee Based)
For guests who wish to park closer in fee-based spaces, visitor parking information can be found on Stanford's Parking & Transportation page. The closest fee-based parking is beneath the Knight Management Center in Parking Structure 7, which can be accessed directly from Campus Drive East. For more information, please visit Stanford's Parking & Transportation information on-line; check out their maps page for Visitor Pay Parking marked with a "P".

Invitational Workshop Parking (Thursday)
Please come to the registration desk on Tuesday or Wednesday to pick up your free parking pass for Parking Structure 7 if you are registered for the Invitational Workshop on Thursday, Sept 12. We will also have passes on hand at the registration desk on the morning of the workshop.

Arrive Early
Early arrival will allow time for parking and walking to the auditorium, picking up your badge and having a continental breakfast. Visitor access to campus does not require a form of identification.

Internet Access
The Knight Management Center is equipped with a complimentary wireless network; username and password will be provided in your registration packet on-site. If you plan to bring a laptop, please note that there are few power outlets within the facility; we recommend bringing extra batteries.

Weather / Attire
The weather for Palo Alto at this time of year is temperate with an average daytime temperature of 80°F and an average evening temperature of 53°F. As this event will occur both inside an air-conditioned facility and outdoors in the elements, we strongly encourage dressing in layers. We also recommend comfortable walking shoes as there will be some walking and standing outdoors involved. Sunglasses, sunscreen, umbrellas and hats are optional, useful items.

Last Minute Lodging
For last minute reservations, the lodging guide provides links and phone numbers to accommodations near campus.

Sightseeing

SLAC Tour - Weds, Sept 11
There will be a complimentary, docent-guided, 90-minute tour of SLAC on Wednesday, September 11. Tour highlights include a visit to Klystron Gallery Visitors Alcove (2-mile-long building directly over linear accelerator), a viewing of 3-D animations in KIPAC’s Visualization Lab to understand how the universe evolved after the Big Bang. and possible tour of SLD - Stanford Linear Detector. A sign-up sheet will be available at registration for attendees on a first-come, first-served basis; tour will be limited to the first 20 participants. The tour time overlaps with some conference programming and shuttle will depart Cemex at 1:30pm on Wednesday. More information on SLAC can be found here and tour sign-ups will be at the XLDB registration desk.

Seeing Stanford
For those extending their visit, Stanford offers a variety of options for touring the main campus. Stanford offers a podcast tour and a Visit Stanford app for iOS devices like the iPhone. Please see Stanford's Visitor Information page for more information.

Nearby Sightseeing
For those with extra time to explore the area, check out the Santa Clara Convention Visitors Bureau website for local attractions or find out where to go in San Francisco on the San Franciso Travel site.