AAAI 2012 Spring Symposia

The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, in cooperation with Stanford University's Department of Computer Science, is pleased to present the 2012 Spring Symposium Series, to be held Monday through Wednesday, March 26–28, 2012 at Stanford University. The Symposium Series will be preceded on March 25 by a community-wide John McCarthy Celebration at Stanford University. The titles of the six symposia are as follows:

Each symposium will have limited attendance. Participants will be expected to attend a single symposium throughout the symposium series. In addition to participants selected by the program committee of the symposia, a limited number of other interested parties will be allowed to register in each symposium on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, please come to the onsite registration desk, which will be located on the lower level of the Cummings Art Building in the foyer of Annenberg Auditorium.

If you have already registered, please pick up your complete registration packet at the Spring Symposium Series 2012 registration desk, which will also be located on the lower level of the Cummings Art Building in the foyer of Annenberg Auditorium.

Registration hours will be as follows:

Monday, March 26
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday, March 27
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday, March 28
8:30 AM – 12:00 PM

The AAAI Spring Symposium Series sessions will be held in the History Corner (Building 200) of the Main Quad.

Please call AAAI at 650-328-3123 or email sss12@aaai.org for further information.

Parking

Reserved parking for attendees is available at the Galvez Field Parking Lot, located at the intersection of Galvez Street and Campus Drive East (entrance to lot is on Campus Drive East). The Marguerite Shuttle (Line Y) picks up at the Alumni Center, which is located on Galvez Street. The shuttle picks up every 20 minutes, 6:05 AM – 8:59 PM, Monday through Friday, for transport to the corner of Galvez and Serra Street.

If you purchased a permit at the time of your registration, you should have received the permit and instructions in the mail. If you have not already purchased a permit, or did not receive your permit in the mail, please go directly to onsite registration. Permits will also be available for purchase for $15, which covers the duration of the event. Please note that if you intend to purchase a permit onsite, you will need to temporarily park your car in one of the metered parking spots available on campus. The Galvez Field Parking Lot is about a 10–15 minute walk to where AAAI's registration area is located, and the parking permit needs to be visible on the dashboard of your car at all times.

Coffee Breaks

Coffee breaks will be held at 10:30 am and 3:30 pm in the Citrus Courtyard, or in the History Building Arcade in case of rain. Note: There is no coffee break prior to the commencement of the symposia each morning. Coffee is available for purchase at the following places, near the History Corner:

Cubberley Café
Cubberley Education Building, Basement
Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Stanford Bookstore Café
Stanford Bookstore, Upper Level
Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

CoHo Stanford Coffee House
Tresidder Memorial Union
Monday-Saturday, 7:00 AM – midnight

Tentative Program Schedule

(Subject to change)

Sunday, March 25
4:00 – 7:00 PM: John McCarthy Memorial Celebration
Monday, March 26
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM: Symposia sessions
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Reception
Tuesday, March 27
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM: Symposia sessions
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Plenary session
Wednesday, March 28
9:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Symposia sessions

Special Event: Celebration of John McCarthy's Accomplishments

March 25, 2012, 4:00 – 7:00 PM

The AI and Computer Science Community will gather at Stanford University to celebrate John McCarthy's life, accomplishments, and contributions to the field of artificial intelligence and computer science. For those of you planning to attend this event, complete information about the schedule, location, and parking is available at the McCarthy special event website. The talks will be held in the Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center and will consist of a two-hour series of short talks without slides beginning at 4:00 PM and followed by a reception in the Oberndorf Event Center, three floors above the auditorium, which will last until about 7:00 PM. All symposium attendees are welcome. If you have already registered through AAAI, your name has been forwarded to the organizers. If you haven't and you wish to attend, you must register directly. This event is cosponsored by the Stanford University Computer Science Department and AAAI.

PLEASE NOTE: AAAI Spring Symposium registration will not open until Monday morning at 8:00 AM. Likewise, your AAAI SSS-12 parking permit is not valid until Monday, March 26. Please proceed directly to the Cemex Auditorium for the McCarthy event on Sunday. Underground parking at the Knight Management Center is free on Sundays.

Accommodations

For your convenience, AAAI has reserved a small block of rooms at the hotels listed below. Symposium attendees must contact the hotels directly. Please identify yourself as an AAAI Spring Symposium Series attendee to qualify for the reduced rates. Attendees are encouraged to reserve early because of limited hotel rooms due to other events in the Palo Alto area at the same time.

The Cardinal Hotel

235 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Telephone: 650-323-5101
Website
Reservations URL
Rates: $135 (Standard room with private bath)/$75 (European style room)
Reserve before: March 1, 2012

Creekside Inn

3400 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Telephone: 650-493-2411 or 1-800-492-7335
Fax: 650-493-6787
Website
Reservations URL
Rates: $149 (Single/Double)
Reserve before: March 5, 2012

Stanford Terrace Inn

531 Stanford Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Telephone: 650-857-0333 or 1-800-729-0332
E-mail: reservations@stanfordterraceinn.com
Website
Please refer to Group number: 4463
Rates: $179 (Single Queen) / $199 (Double King) / $189 (Double Queen-Queen)
Reserve before: February 24, 2012

Other Hotels

Available only on a first-come, first served basis; all prices are subject to changes without notice. Please also refer to Stanford University's accommodations page for other options.

Hotel California

2431 Ash Street
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Telephone: 650-322-7666
Fax: 650-321-7358
Website
Marguerite shuttle stops in front
Rates: $89 – $115 exclusive of 12% tax

Comfort Inn

3945 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Telephone: 650-493-3141 or 800-556-1278
Fax: 650-493-6313
Website
Rates: $95 – $105 exclusive of 12% tax

Disclaimer

In offering Stanford University, the Cardinal Hotel, the Creekside Inn, and the Stanford Terrace Inn (hereinafter referred to as "Suppliers") and all other service providers for the AAAI Spring Symposium Series, the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence acts only in the capacity of agent for the Suppliers, which are the providers of hotel rooms and transportation. Because the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence has no control over the personnel, equipment or operations of providers of accommodations or other services included as part of the Symposium program, AAAI assumes no responsibility for and will not be liable for any personal delay, inconveniences or other damage suffered by symposium participants which may arise by reason of (1) any wrongful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of any Supplier or its employees, (2) any defect in or failure of any vehicle, equipment or instrumentality owned, operated or otherwise used by any Supplier, or (3) any wrongful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of any other party not under the control, direct or otherwise, of AAAI.

Ground Transportation and Parking

This information is the best available at time of publication. Fares and routes change frequently. Please check by telephoning the appropriate numbers below for the most up-to-date information.

South and East Bay Shuttle

Van service from San Francisco Airport (SFO) to Palo Alto is $22 for one-person, shared van, one way, and from San Jose Airport (SJC) to Palo Alto is $31 for one-person, shared van, one way. For reservations call 408-559-9477 or 1-800-548-4664. See the webpage for details.

SuperShuttle

24 hour van service to and from San Francisco to Palo Alto. The shared ride fare from San Francisco Airport to Palo Alto is $26 per person one-way plus $15 per additional passenger. Cash or major credit cards only. For reservations write to reservations@supershuttle.net or call (800) BLUE-VAN (800-258-3826). See the SuperShuttle webpage for details.

Stanford Marguerite Shuttle

The Stanford University Marguerite Shuttle Bus provides service from several points along El Camino Real, the CalTrain station, and other surrounding locations to the Stanford Oval as well as transportation around the Stanford Campus. For route and schedule information, see the Margurite shuttle web page.

CalTrain

CalTrain runs between San Francisco and San Jose, with stops in Palo Alto starting at 5:00 AM with the last train leaving San Francisco at 11:59 PM (weekdays). For up-to-date fare information and timetables, please visit the Caltrain website or call 1-800-500-4636.

Parking

Special symposium parking will be available at the Galvez Lot on the Stanford campus, March 26-28, at a cost of $15.00 for all three days. Please indicate on the symposium registration form if you would like a parking permit. The permit will be mailed to you with your registration receipt, along with a map and directions to the assigned parking area. Please note that parking permits are valid only in the designated area.

Note: If you park in the SSS-12 designated parking lot, you will need to take the campus shuttle (Marguerite) to the Spring Symposium registration area and sessions. Please allow an extra thirty minutes travel time in your schedule for the shuttle.

For more information about the 2012 AAAI Spring Symposium Series, you should consult the following:

Symposium Technical Reports

Some AAAI symposia are available as technical reports. For contents and ordering information, consult the Spring or Fall sections of the AAAI Press Technical Reports Catalog.

AAAI 2012 Symposia