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2007 ILDA Conference 2007 - Site Location Candidates
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Heshan, Guangdong, China |
Cape Town, South Africa |
Orlando, Florida, USA |
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Host |
Neo-Laser (division of
Neo-Neon) |
Ian Powell (ILDA Individual Member) |
ILDA (self-hosted; executive director Patrick Murphy would
be responsible) |
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Location |
Gonghe town, Heshan city, Guangdong province. 2.5 hours southwest of Hong
Kong by ferry. (See
region map,
area map)
Nearest large cities Guangzhou and Shenzhen
are each about 1.25 hours away.
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Milnerton, SA, just north of Cape Town. (See
region map,
area map)
Located across Table Bay with views of Table
Mountain.
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Orlando, Florida (See
area map) Home of theme parks
(Disney, Universal, Sea World). 1 hour to Daytona and Cocoa beaches. 1
hour to Kennedy Space Center. |
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Brief description |
This
is an ILDA-focused visit. We stay at the Neo-Neon factory complex, which
includes two 4-star hotels and restaurants and state-of-the-art facilities
for ILDA functions. Very inexpensive for ILDA and attendees.
Click to enlarge
Hotels at Neo-Neon, photo by L. Michael Roberts
Click to enlarge
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Combined ILDA-focus plus sightseeing opportunities. Located on the beach,
and within 30 minutes of most Cape Town attractions. More of a resort-type
atmosphere.
Click to enlarge
Click to
enlarge
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Combined ILDA-focus plus sightseeing opportunities. More of a
touristy-type atmosphere.
Potential opportunities to visit local laser
installations, including a new 8-laser show at Universal Studios (pictured
below).
Click to enlarge |
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Travel time |
Typical
flight times to
Hong Kong (HKG): Los Angeles 14.5 hours; Orlando
20 hrs; London 11.5 hrs; Frankfurt 11 hrs; Moscow 13 hrs; Sydney 9 hrs,
Tokyo 4.25 hrs.
To the above times, add transfer time and
a 2.5 hr ferry ride from Hong Kong to the location. (Ferry is fastest way
to Heshan. Cost is US$20-30 depending on class.)
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Typical
flight times to Cape Town (CPT): Los Angeles 25 hrs (via
Frankfurt); Orlando 28 hrs (via Frankfurt); London 11.5 hrs; Frankfurt
11.5 hrs; Moscow 16.5 hrs; Sydney 18 hrs; Tokyo 24.5 hrs (via Frankfurt).
Hotel is located 20 km from Cape Town
International Airport.
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Typical
flight times to
Orlando (MCO): Los Angeles 5 hrs; New York 2.5
hrs; London 9 hrs, Frankfurt 10.5 hrs; Moscow 14.5 hrs (via Gatwick);
Sydney 21 hrs; Tokyo, 15.5 hrs (via Dallas),
Hotel area is located about 20 min from
Orlando International Airport. |
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Travel requirements |
Business visas will be required for entry into China. Neo-Neon and ILDA
can provide an invitation letter. Check with your local Chinese consulate
for details.
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Nationals from countries such as Australia, Japan, New Zealand, UK and the
US
do not require visas for visits of less than 90 days. For more
information about visas,
click here.
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Check with your home country regarding any visas needed to visit the US
on business. |
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Hotel |
Two
4-star hotels at the location, run by Neo-Neon. Standard room is US$38,
luxury room is $88. (not including meals). Two restaurants serve Chinese and western food.
Amenities include swimming pool, tennis
courts, basketball courts, exercise room, sauna, KTV rooms. See photo of
the hotel lobby
here. A 5-star hotel is 25
minutes away; transportation to/from can be arranged and would be about
$50. |
Lagoon Beach
Hotel is a new "world-class" hotel with "luxury accomodations".
Sufficient facilities for meetings, exhibitions and events (ballroom).
Room rate is approximately US$118 per day including meals and three snack/coffee breaks.
(In comparing the three ILDA proposals, note that the $118 includes room and
meals; the China and Orlando proposals do not.)
Amentities include being the only hotel with direct beach access, 3
swimming pools, 2 pool decks, boutique and Camelot Spa. Two on-site
restaurants, a bar, 2 pool deck dining areas. Free shuttle service to the
waterfront and the largest shopping center in the Southern Hemisphere.
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The official Conference hotel has not been selected. There are a range of
moderately-priced business hotels in the area. Three examples are the
Royal
Plaza next door to Walt Disney World, and the
Sheraton
World Resort in the International Drive area, and the
Radisson Resort Parkway near
Disney World. The official conference hotel
room rate will be roughly US$100 per
night (not including meals). Members could save by staying at other local
hotels; the average room rate in Orlando is about $70 a night.
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Note: Hotel rates above
are estimates. The ILDA Conference registration fee (about US$500) does
not include hotel room or most meals. (Two dinners are included in
the ILDA Conference registration: the Lase-Off dinner and the Awards
Banquet).
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Internet |
Each
room has a CAT5 (wired) connection to broadband. There is no extra charge. |
Wi-Fi in lobby. 256kb/sec access points in hotel rooms. Internet access
time needs to be purchaed: US$2.30 for 15 min, $7.70for 1 hr; $13 for 24
hour access.
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Only
hotels with high-speed, low-cost Internet capability would be selected as
the official Conference hotel. |
Weather |
Average March temperature:
21C high/17C low (69/62 F).
Total March rainfall: 6.3 cm (2.5 in). |
Average March temperature:
24C high/16C low (76/60F).
Total March rainfall: 0.17 cm (0.07 in). |
Average March temperature:
26C high/13C low (79/56F).
Total March rainfall: 9 cm (3.5 in). |
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Note: The ILDA Conference date has
not yet been set. March 2007 has been chosen to give a general indication
of what the weather would be like in spring 2007.
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Advantages |
Costs will be low for ILDA and attendees. Host can make most arrangements
for facilities, reducing burden on ILDA. Facilities are ideal for a
laser/lighting conference, with plenty of equipment available at low or no
cost. China is an important market,
and will be hosting the 2008 Olympics. This could be advantageous for new
members in and near China.
Tour of the factory complex should be
interesting to many attendees. Would include the Laser Factory, Moving
Head Factory, all eight showrooms, and possibly the LED Factory.
Would be the first ILDA conference in Asia
and China.
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Scenic, resort-type atmosphere. Close to Cape Town attractions, including:
Robben Island, Table Mountain (with cablecar ascent), Cape Point, V&A
Waterfront shopping, vineyard tours, Kirstenbosch National Botanical
Gardens. Pre- and post-conference opportunities for day tours including
wildlife safari, great white shark viewing & diving in shark cage, and
whale watching. Would be the first
ILDA conference in the Southern Hemisphere and the first in Africa. |
Travel time and cost may be lower for many members.
Orlando has many tourist attractions,
plus nearby beaches and the Kennedy Space Center.
There are a number of ILDA Members located
in or near Orlando. Some of these may be able to help out with equipment
and logistical help.
An Orlando location would be eaier for ILDA to be "hands-on"
to organize and manage, since the Executive Director and a Board Member
both live in Orlando.
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Disadvantages |
No
significant local tourism (suggest touring Hong Kong before or after, as
most travelers will go through this city).
Travel time (including 2.5 hr Hong Kong ferry)
may be long for many ILDA Members.
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Total attendance costs may be somewhat higher than other alternatives
(when including airfare).
Travel time may be long for most ILDA members.
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ILDA
has been in Orlando for many years: 1993, 1999, and 2002, plus Bradenton
Florida in 1990 and Miami in 1995. It is not a "new" location.
There may be
restrictions on beamshows, due to how U.S. laws are interpreted. It may
not be possible to run all beamshows at the power or with the effects
intended.
Travel time may be long for some ILDA members. |
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For additional information |
Invitation letter
from Jim
Hardaway of Neo-Neon
Detailed site visit report from L. Michael Roberts of
Laser F/X, who visited Neo-Neon in 2006. The report specifically focuses
on how this site would do for ILDA. You can read a
site-visit summary here, or the entire
six-page report in PDF format here.
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Ian Powell's
hosting proposal, in PDF format.
Note that room costs listed in
the PDF are different than above since ILDA costs are included. Normally
ILDA breaks these costs out separately and they become part of
registration. Use the room cost figures above instead. |
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