CTS2015 Social Events
The 2015 International Conference on Collaboration Technologies and Systems
(CTS 2015)
June 01-05, 2015
The Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
CTS 2015 SOCIAL EVENTS
REGISTER NOW! DEADLINES AND MAXIMUM LIMITS ON ALL SIGNUPS
EARLY BIRD RATES THROUGH MAY 4th. DEADLINES FOR ALL SIGNUPS ON MAY 18th
PLEASE NOTE: WE SCHEDULE ALL SOCIAL EVENTS SCHEDULED OUTSIDE THE TIME FRAME OF CONFERENCE SESSIONS TO ENCOURAGE MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION AND OPPORTUNITIES TO NETWORK AND EXPLORE THE CONFERENCE CITY
Excursion One: Taste of the South:
Guided Downtown Walking and Progressive Food Tour
Monday, June 01, 2015 6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Have you ever wondered what, exactly, is a grit? Or what, actually, constitutes southern cooking? Rest assured, the answer lies in the stories told over the stove as much as what is cooking on it! You won’t want to miss this special evening as Sweet Peach Tours takes you through the Atlanta Downtown District (aka The Capital of the South, Hotlanta and The ATL!) where you will experience local drinks, foods and an abundance of lore you are sure not soon to forget!
Our night will begin at the Terrace Bistro at The Ellis Hotel where we will sample a favorite local dish of Fried Green Tomatoes paired with your choice of wine, beer or soft drink. You will be fascinated by The Ellis Hotel history and the known hauntings of this building!
Next we will tour the Fairlie Poplar historical district where the movie Gone With the Wind debuted in 1939, and learn the intriguing history of world renown author Margaret Mitchell who lived her entire, yet short, life in this very vicinity. What would be more enticing than a visit to nearby Pitty Pat’s Porch for a taste of Catfish Fingers and Black Eyed Pea Cakes accompanies by a wine, beer or soft drink pairing?
Afterwards, this group shall stroll through Centennial Olympic Park, home of the World of Coke, the Georgia Aquarium and CNN Center. Our last stop will be The Letterbox General Store, located in the very vicinity Coca-Cola was invented, for Coke Floats, and a choice of beer, wine, espresso or coffee.
Sign up on the conference website …
PLEASE NOTE: If you have any food restrictions, please email the social events chair at feliciaatcts@gmail.com as soon as you sign up for this tour.
Pricing, Transportation and Deadlines:
$78 per person, including roundtrip transportation on MARTA, all food and beverages and tour guide.
Deadline to register is May 18, 2015. This excursion requires a minimum of 10 and no more than 40 people.
Excursion Two: Group Dinner Outing: Location TBD
Thursday, June 04, 2015 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Enjoy a dinner with other conference attendees. We will have a list of local and downtown restaurants to choose from. We will provide actual details at the conference. More to come.
Sign up on the conference website …
Pricing, Transportation and Deadlines:
Pay for your own meal. No pre-signup costs required.
Deadline to register is June 1, 2015. Minimum of 10 and maximum of 30.
Excursion Three: All day tour of top Atlanta Attractions
On Friday, Join us for an all day tour of some of Atlanta’s best attractions! (Optionally) finish the day with a trip to a Major League Baseball game!
Sign up on the conference website …
Friday, June 05, 2015 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
This is an opportunity to see many of Atlanta’s top attractions, all in one day!
We will visit all of the following attractions:
Georgia Aquarium with Expedited Entry
The world’s most magical aquarium inspires the imaginations of all ages. Visit Atlanta’s 10-million gallon playground for your imagination and see beluga whales, dolphins, whale sharks, penguins and more. Then, experience the wonder of the AT&T Dolphin Tales Show,* Deepo’s Undersea 3D Wondershow, and special exhibitions. Marvel at a A 100-foot long viewing tunnel through a 6.3 million gallon saltwater home to the gentle giants of the sea, including four whale sharks and four manta rays – the only ones in a U.S. aquarium.
World of Coca-Cola
Visit the World of Coca-Cola® and get closer than ever before to the vault containing the Secret Formula. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the bottling process, take a trip around the world in a thrilling 4-D movie experience and tempt your taste buds with more than 100 beverages from around the globe. Inside, you’ll find there’s a secret formula for everything we do.
Inside CNN Studio Tour
Journey into the heart of CNN Worldwide and get an up-close look at global news in the making. Inside CNN is a 50-minute guided walking tour with exclusive, behind-the-scenes views of Atlanta’s CNN studios and an exciting glimpse of news and broadcasting in action from the global headquarters of CNN, The Worldwide Leader in News.
Center for Civil and Human Rights
Find the heart of Atlanta inside the Center for Civil and Human Rights! See why the New York Times named this cultural gem the "main event" of Atlanta’s revitalization. Engage your senses with experiences that will inspire visitors of all ages.
Pricing, Transportation and Deadlines:
$88 per person for Adults, $74 for Children 3-12
(Includes admission to all attractions and round trip MARTA ticket; meals are pay as you go)
Excursion Four: Major League Baseball Game (Atlanta Brave vs. Pittsburgh Pirates)
(departs directly from end of day tour) - add on option 2.
Friday, June 05, 2015 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Come join us at Turner Field for an evening of America’s favorite pastime followed by a spectacular fireworks display accompanied by Frank Sinatra tunes!
Pricing, Transportation and Deadlines:
$48 per person
(Includes round trip MARTA ticket for Braves shuttle and ticket to game; meals are pay as you go)
FRIDAY TOURS PLANNED ITINERARY:
08:00 am – Depart Hotel from Lobby for Airport MARTA Station via Westin Shuttle
08:15 am – 09: 15 am Take MARTA Train to Peachtree Center Station and walk 0.5 miles to CNN Studios
09:20 am – 10:20 am Inside CNN Tour
10:20 am – 10:40 am Walk through Centennial Park to World of Coke (0.4 miles)
10:40 am – 11:40 am World of Coke Tour
11:40 am – 11:50 am Short Walk to Georgia Aquarium
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm Lunch at café Aquaria in Georgia Aquarium
12:45 pm – 3:15 pm Aquarium Visit
03:15 pm – 03:30 pm Short walk to Center for Civil and Human Rights
03:30 pm – 05:00 pm Center for Civil and Human Rights Tour
05:00 pm – 06:00 pm Time to stop and visit Centennial Park
After this, the group may split up depending on who purchased add-on of Atlanta Braves Game. The options are:
1) Walk (less than 0.5 miles) to Peachtree Center Station and take MARTA Gold or Red line back to Atlanta Airport MARTA station and call Westin hotel for pickup back. Dinner before or after return to hotel based on group preference; OR
2) ATLANTA BRAVES ADD ON: Walk (less than 0.5 miles) to Atlanta Braves Shuttle Station and take Braves Shuttle to Game. The Atlanta Braves will be playing the Pittsburgh Pirates and after the game, there will be Fireworks with Frank Sinatra Music. Dinner (pay as you go) at the game. We will then return on Braves shuttle and catch the MARTA back to the Airport station and catch hotel shuttle back to Westin.
* There will be one more option on your City Pass that you may choose to visit on Saturday, which is Fernbank Museum of Natural History OR College Football Hall of Fame. We won’t have time to do that on Friday because all attractions close at either 5 or 6 PM.
For any questions concerning Social Events, please contact Social Events Co-Chairs:
Mike Franklin, Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, GA, USA, mfrankl2@spsu.edu
Felicia Harlow, Air Force Research Laboratory, WPAFB, Ohio, USA, feliciaatcts@gmail.com
Dawn Tatum, Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, GA, USA, dtatum@spsu.edu