ISMAR 06 --- Fifth IEEE and ACM International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality --- Oct. 22 - 25, 2006 in Santa Barbara, CA

Venue

General Information

ISMAR will take place at the Corwin Pavilion at the University of California, Santa Barbara.The recommended conference hotel is the MarMonte in downtown Santa Barbara, just steps from the beach. We will run a bus service from that hotel to the conference site.

Related conference: ACM Multimedia 2006. Some conference events (e.g. electronic art and demonstration sessions, open lab visits) may be shared.

Getting There

By Airplane:
Flying into Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is the most convenient, the airport is located right next to the UCSB campus, and 15 minutes from the conference hotel. To get from the airport to the conference hotel there are a number of options. Taking a cab will cost around $40. There is also a shuttle service available for $25 one way, reservations can be made online.

It is also possible to take public transportation for $1.25. From the airport take the 11 bus towards Downtown to the end of the line at the Transit Center. Change there to the 14 bus towards Montecito, and get off at the Cabrillo and Ninos stop. The hotel will be on the left directly across from the beach. If you are arriving on Sunday the 14 bus will not be running regularly. It is possible to get to the hotel by taking a combination of the Downtown and Waterfront Shuttles however. Take the Downtown shuttle from the transit center to the end of the line at the Pier. From there take the Waterfront shuttle towards the Zoo, and go to one stop before the end of the line, Ninos and Del Mar.

It is also possible (and sometimes cheaper) to fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and take a shuttle or drive to Santa Barbara. The shuttle runs seven round trips a day, and costs $42 one way or $80 round trip if reservations are made online. The trip takes approximately 2 and a half hours, and conveniently stops directly in front of the conference hotel.

By Car:
Santa Barbara is located along highway US-101 approx. 100 miles (2-3 hours) north of Los Angeles, and approx. 300 (4-5 hours) miles south of San Francisco. Here are driving directions to the conference hotel from various directions:

From the South:
Take Hwy. 101 to Santa Barbara. Take Cabrillo Boulevard exit (from the left lane). Turn left at the stop, and proceed along Cabrillo. Pass the Bird Refuge, and continue until the hotel appears on the right.

From the North:
Take Hwy. 101 to Santa Barbara. Take the Hot Springs / Coast Village Rd. exit (from the left lane). Turn right and proceed along Cabrillo. Pass the Bird Refuge, and continue until the hotel appears on your right.

From Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA):
From the airport, head east from Fowler Road. Bear left at Fairview Avenue and proceed for one mile. Turn right via an entry ramp onto the US-101 South for 9.5 miles. Take Exit 144. Bear right at South Milpas Street. Turn left onto East Cabrillo Boulevard, and continue for 0.2 miles. The hotel will appear on your left.

Accommodations

Update:
Our original allocation of rooms at the Mar Monte has been used up.

Reservations can now be made at the Parkside Inn, a smaller hotel neighboring, owned, and operated by Mar Monte through October 1. The Parkside Inn has rooms available for Saturday Oct. 21st, as well as the rest of the conference, however there are a limited number of rooms left (<9). Rates at the Parkside Inn are $149 for Saturday night, and $99 for Sunday through Thursday night. To make reservations at the Parkside Inn please call the main Mar Monte number (800) 643-1994 and ask for the block code SB2006.

We also have additional rooms reserved at the Holiday Inn and Best Western South Coast Inn which are neighboring hotels in Goleta. Rooms at the Holiday Inn are $139 for Saturday October 21st, and $115 Sunday night through Wednesday night. To book your stay at the Holiday Inn call (805) 964-6241 and tell them you are with the UCSB - ISMAR Group. Rooms will be blocked until October 6th. Rooms at the Best Western South Coast Inn are $120 for Saturday night, and $115 for Sunday night through Wednesday night. To book a room at the Best Western call (800) 350-3614 and ask for the ISMAR code. Rooms will be blocked until October 5th.

Some other hotel options within a 5-10 minute walk of our shuttle stop at the Mar Monte are (listed in order of distance from the Mar Monte) the Cabrillo Inn, the Santa Barbara Inn, and Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort. Another option 10-15 minutes walking from the Holiday Inn and Best Western is the Motel 6.

Getting Around

Shuttle
The UCSB campus is located 10-15 minutes from downtown Santa Barbara, and the conference hotel. A shuttle service will be provided from the hotel to campus at the beginning and end of each day. A schedule for the buses is now available.

Public Buses
There is also a bus system throughout Santa Barbara. Fares are $1.25 one way. It is possible to take the public bus from campus to the conference hotel, the trip will take approx. 1 hour including changes. To get from the conference hotel to campus take either line 14 or the Downtown Waterfront Shuttle to the Transit Station, and change to line 24x which goes directly to campus.

If you are staying in Goleta at the Best Western, Holiday Inn, or Motel 6 it is also possible to take the public bus to get to campus. From your hotel on Calle Real take either the line 8 bus, or Old Town Shuttle to Pine and Hollister, and then switch to line 11 to get to campus.

Parking at Conference Venue
It is also possible to drive, and park on campus. Parking on campus is $8 per day. Visitors can park in any "C" labeled spot, in the lots colored yellow on this map. Parking can be paid for by Visa, MasterCard, or cash, although no change is given if paying with cash. Permits can be bought only at the permit kiosks which are located throughout the parking lots. When buying a permit remember to put the permit face up in your car.

Campus Orientation
The conference will be held on the UCSB campus in the Corwin Pavilion. This map of campus has the Corwin Pavilion circled, as well as an arrow to where the shuttle will be dropping off and picking up, and places where lunch is sold on and near campus.

Conference Locations
The main program will be in the Corwin Pavilion in UCSBs University Center. Other conference events will also all be held in the University Center, which can be seen here. Some of the Tutorials and Workshops, as well as the Demo and Poster Sessions will be held downstairs in the UCen, in the SB Harbor, Lobero, and State Street rooms. The Sunday Tutorial and Workshop Reception will be held in the graduate student lounge directly above the MCC Lounge. The conference Banquet will be held in the Corwin Pavilion where the main program will be, and the beach BBQ will be held at Goleta Beach, a 10 minute walk from the east side of campus.

Where to Eat

Santa Barbara has over 600 restaurants, most of which are reviewed by locals in the Santa Barbara Restaurant Guide. The downtown restaurants listed below are all within a long walk or short bus ride from the conference hotel. Many are located on State Street, the main street of Santa Barbara which also has an a very active night life.

Some local favorites downtown are:

Lunch restaurants in Isla Vista just west of campus:

Some of Wayne's favourite recommendations in town:

Other Things to do in Santa Barbara

There are many things to do in Santa Barbara, obviously beaches and surfing are two of the most popular, but there are many other things to do as well. The Santa Ynez valley just 45 minutes away has excellent wine tasting, blue and humpback whales can be seen on tours just off the coast in October. There is excellent hiking all around Santa Barbara, as well as museums, a botanic garden, zoo, historic mission, and many other attractions.

Images

UCSB Aerial Photograph
Aerial photograph of the UCSB campus

Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Court House

Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara from Inspiration Point