LODGING AND LOGISTICS
Accommodations, Attractions, and Transportation
Learn about the attractions, dining, and accommodations and the Convention Center, our 'home away from home' while at the conference.
MAIN CONFERENCE HOTEL
Oakland Marriott City Center, 1001 Broadway, Oakland CA 94607
1-877-622-3140
Online and phone reservations are now being accepted. Deadline for reservations is September 16, 2012, to ensure that you get the NAAEE Group rate of $139 a night (plus taxes).
NOTE: There are no longer rooms available at the Oakland Marriott City Center, please see alternative accommodations options, below.
Executive Inn & Suites, 1755 Embarcadero, Oakland, CA 94606
For a limited time, a small amount of additional hotel rooms will be available for NAAEE attendees at the Executive Inn & Suites for $139/night October 9-14.
510-536-6633
http://www.executiveinnoakland.com/
*The hotel is located 1.7 Miles from the Oakland Marriott City Center. Limited shuttles are available from the airport and to the Marriott City Center with reservations. Continental breakfast, internet, and parking are complimentary.
***To guarantee the discounted rate, guests should make reservations prior to the cut-off, Monday, 9/24/2012 date***
To reserve a room at the Executive Inn & Suites please call 510-536-6633 and use group code GR297YA.
To reserve online:
Go to: www.executiveinnoakland.com
Go to: Book Now
Enter: Arrival and departure date
Enter: GR297YA in the box entitled "Group Code"
Click on: Check availability
Click on: Continue, then make your room selection and enter personal information
Click on: Book reservation
The upcoming NAAEE Conference in Oakland has the potential for being one of the "greenest" conferences yet, in part due to the easily accessible public transportation to the site. Still, by far the biggest environmental impact of the conference will be the plane and car trips to get there. We urge everyone who is driving or who wants a ride to use the conference bulletin board at http://eelinked.naaee.net/n/conference-bulletin-board to hook up with other potential rideshares. Who knows? You could make new friends, and with gas prices so high it could save some hard-earned money! If you can't find a rideshare using the bulletin board, contact Michael Charnofsky at michaelcharnofsky@yahoo.com and he will try to help.
Getting To, Around, and About
AIRLINES
NAAEE is partnering with three airlines that offer a 5% discount off the lowest applicable air fare to Oakland or San Francisco airports. Use the following codes when you make your reservations. (These agreements are subject to cancellation if numbers do not meet minimum requirements.)
American: 47H2DD
Delta: NMEDW
United: Agreement Code 146710, Z Code ZN63 (Enter code in this format: ZN63146710)
AMTRAK
Amtrak offers a 10% discount off the best available rail fare to (Oakland, CA) between (October 06, 2012 – October 16, 2012). To book your reservation call Amtrak at 1 (800) 872-7245 or contact your local travel agent.
Conventions cannot be booked via Internet. Please be sure to refer to Convention Fare Code X31K-948 when making your reservation. This offer is not valid on the Auto Train and Acela Service. Fare is valid on Amtrak Regional for all departures seven days a week, except for holiday blackouts. Offer valid with Sleepers, Business Class or First Class seats with payment of the full applicable accommodation charges.
IN OAKLAND
The Marriott Hotel does not provide shuttle service from the Oakland Airport to the Convention Center/Marriott City Center Hotel.
Option 1: It's easy to take the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system.
From the Oakland airport baggage claim area, exit the terminal and cross the first driveway. At the second driveway, look for the sign 3E, which is where the AirBART shuttle service picks up. This is a bus that will take you to the BART station at the Oakland Coliseum. AirBART costs $3 USD. You can use a credit card to purchase a ticket at the AirBART ticket machine at the junction of the 3E and 3F areas, OR you can pay $3 cash on the bus. The bus driver does not make change.
The AirBART bus ride to the Oakland Coliseum station takes 12-15 minutes depending on traffic. At the Coliseum BART station, you must purchase another ticket from the machines there to get to your final destination. The Oakland Convention Center is the THIRD stop on the line that goes to RICHMOND. As of March 2012, the cost is $1.75 USD.
After purchasing your ticket, take the escalator up to the train platform. Be sure to look at the signs to get on the correct side, and at the signs that announce the train entering the station to be sure to go to Richmond, not San Francisco.
On the Richmond train, get off at the third stop, called 12th Street/City Center. Follow signs to the 11th Street/Broadway/City Center exit. At the top of the escalator, you will see the Marriott City Center across the street.
Option 2. City Express Shuttle, estimated fee $28 USD (one way)
Option 3. Taxi service, estimated fee $40.00 USD (one way)
Eco-Friendly Cab 510-666-9800 http://eco-friendlycab.com/
Option 4. Rent a car. Oakland Convention Center Parking and Directions
More Information about Oakland
Oakland and Bay Area City Guide
DIVERSITY
Today, Oakland is one of the nation's most ethnically integrated cities, Oaklanders speak more than 100 languages and dialects.
Oakland Chinatown. Chinese came to Oakland in significant numbers in the 1850s, after gold was discovered near Sacramento in 1848. They were primarily from southeastern China near Hong Kong. Just blocks from the convention center, take a free tour in a fortune cookie factory!
African American Museum and Library. Oakland has a rich history of African-American culture and civic contributions, dating back to the 19th century. The African American Museum and Library at Oakland AAMLO is dedicated to discover, preserve, interpret and share the historical and cultural experiences of African Americans in California and the West for present and future generations.
ENVIRONMENT
Redwood Regional Park. A hidden redwood forest whose peaceful groves give little evidence of its bustling past lies on Redwood Road just a few miles over the ridge from downtown Oakland.
Lake Merritt, a large estuary centrally located east of Downtown, was designated the United States' first official wildlife refuge and it continues to attract large numbers of migratory birds. For kids, Children's Fairyland (the inspiration for Disneyland) is a 10-acre park on the shores of Lake Merritt where children’s literature comes to life. Plus you can visit the free botanical gardens, which include a spectacular Bonsai collection.
Based on data gathered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oakland is ranked #1 in climate among U.S. cities. Oakland's climate is typified by the temperate and seasonal Mediterranean climate.
ARTS
Oakland has a significant art scene and claims the highest concentration of artists per capita in the United States. The arts are alive in Oakland. Oakland has one of the largest visual and performing arts communities on the West Coast, and the arts are celebrated on every level here, from acclaimed symphony and ballet to museums, galleries, and small arts organizations.
Yoshi's Jazz Club. Yoshi's began in 1973 as a small, North Berkeley sushi bar owned by a trio of struggling students with plenty of dreams. Over the next 20 years, Yoshi's built itself into one of the world's most respected jazz venues and won a reputation as the Bay Area's premier location for people who were looking for great food and the best jazz.
Oakland Museum of California. Bringing together collections of art, history and natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people.
Looking for a Roomate or Rideshare?
Be sure to check or leave a message on the Conference Bulletin Board.
