APEC 2005 Frequently Asked Questions

You will find on this page answers to frequently asked questions about the upcoming APEC 2005. If you don't find what you need to know here or on the other APEC 2005 Web pages, please contact the APEC offices.

Click on a link below to jump directly to the answer you seek.

Questions About Registering For APEC 2005

Questions About The APEC 2005 Hotel, Travel, Transportation And Parking

General Questions About APEC 2005

Do I have to pay to see the Exhibits?

No, admission to the Exhibit Hall is free! You do have to register with the conference to get a badge that will allow admission. The Exhibits Only registration also includes admission to:

• All receptions and coffee breaks held in the Exhibit Hall,
• Plenary Session on Monday afternoon,
• Exhibitor Seminars,
• Rap Sessions and
• MicroMouse Contest

How do I register for APEC 2005?

You can register online, by mail or by fax. See the Registration page for all the details.

How much does it cost to register for APEC 2005?

APEC offers more papers and seminars per dollar than any other power electronics conference. The registration fees vary depending on whether you qualify for member rates, if you register early or not and for which parts of the program you register. Full information on the registration rates and what is included with each registration can be found here.

Members get a discount on registration? How do I know if I am a member?

Members receive a substantial discount on the APEC registration fees. You may register at the Member Rate if either you are a member of the IEEE or your employer is a member of the Power Sources Manufacturer's Association (PSMA).

To check the PSMA's list of members for your company's name, click here.

I'm a journalist or industry analyst covering the power electronics industry. Are there any discounts on registration? What about accommodations for the press?

APEC specifically welcomes members of the press and industry analysts. Credentialed journalists and qualified industry analysts covering the power electronics industry are offered a complimentary registration. Please contact the APEC offices as soon as possible to present your credentials and be qualified for the free registration.

APEC 2005 will have both a Press Working Room and a Press Conference Room. Please see the Press Room page for details.

What is the Early Registration Deadline?

To get the best registration rates, registrations must be received at the Registration Office by the close of business (U.S. Eastern time zone) on Thursday, February 3, 2005.

Do I have to register for the whole conference or can I register for just one part?

You can choose from several registration categories:

• Full Registration for all sessions, seminars and events,
• Sessions Only which includes the presentation sessions, dialogue sessions and conference social event but not the Professional Education Seminars,
• Seminars Only which includes the Professional Education Seminars but not the presentation or dialogue sessions and
• Exhibits only

Please see the Registration page for all the details.

I can't come for the whole conference. Does APEC offer one, two or three day passes?

APEC does not offer registration or passes for less than the full conference.

A great way to take advantage of APEC's offerings if your time is limited it to register for the Professional Education Seminars, held Sunday and Monday. This registration also offers admission to the Plenary Session on Monday afternoon and the Exhibit Hall, which opens Monday night.

Tell me about the conference hotel, room rates and how to make reservations.

The conference hotel is the Austin Hilton, a brand new hotel in downtown Austin just steps away from the historic Sixth Avenue. For full information on the hotel, including room rates and how to make a reservation, click here.

What is the hotel registration deadline to get the APEC rates?

To get the preferred APEC hotel room rates, hotel registrations must be received by Hilton Hotels no later than Thursday, February 3, 2005.

What about hotels other than the Austin Hilton?

The official conference hotel for APEC 2005 is the Austin Hilton. All of the registration fees and room rates are balanced to provide the maximum economy to attendees. By staying at the Austin Hilton you are helping keep both the room and registration rates as low as possible. This why APEC does not provide assistance with lodging at other hotels.

Tell me about getting to and from the Austin airport and Austin Hilton.

Information on public transportation, shuttle vans, taxis and rental cars can be found on the Travel And Accommodations page.

Are there any deals on airfare or rental cars for APEC 2005 attendees?

American Airlines and Avis are offering special rates for APEC 2005 attendees. See the Travel And Accommodations page for details.

I live in the Austin area and plan on driving in to APEC. Where can I find parking for my car?

Parking at the Hilton Hotel is $11.00 per day for self-parking and $16.00 per day for valet parking.

There is limited public parking in the area around the hotel. Parking lots and garages are scattered and typically cost $7-10 per day.

There is a parking garage under construction right next to the Austin Hilton. It is on Red River Street between Third and Fourth Streets. It is scheduled to open in January 2005. Please check with the hotel for the latest information.

What is the weather going to be like in Austin during APEC 2005?

The weather in the Austin area in March is quite mild. The average daily high temperature is 21-22 °C (70-71 °F) and the average daily low temperature is 9-10 °C (49-50 °F). The average rainfall in Austin for the month of March is of 54 mm (2.1 in) so be prepared for the occasional rain shower.

I don't live in the United States or have a U.S. passport. Can APEC help me with getting a visa to enter the United States?

Please see the Information For APEC Participants Traveling From Outside The United States page for the best information APEC can provide.

I want to bring a guest to the conference. Is there a social program for spouses, partners and guests?

You bet! See the Spouse And Guest Hospitality page for all the details on the Spouse And Guest Hospitality Room, Welcoming Breakfast and available tours.

How do I buy extra copies of the APEC 2005 Proceedings and Seminar Workbooks?

Additional copies of the APEC 2005 Proceedings and Seminar Workbooks can be purchased with your Early Registration. APEC cannot guarantee that the Proceedings (in printed form or on CD-ROM) or the Seminar Workbooks will be available for sale at the conference. See Purchasing Additional Proceedings page for more information.

I don't want to carry my APEC materials on the plane. How can I ship them home from APEC?

For those wishing to ship their conference materials rather than carry them home, there are several alternatives.

The Hilton Austin Business Center has some limited capability for packing and shipping using several shipping services. They have a limited supply of boxes and packing materials.

The Unites States Post Office is a moderate walk from the hotel and probably offers the most economical shipping services. They also have a limited supply of packing materials. The Post Office can be found at:

510 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-494-2201
Web site: www.usps.com/
(Approximately 8 blocks from the Austin Hilton Hotel)

There are also two commercial shipping services a short walk from the Hilton. They offer a wider range of services and packing materials than the Hilton Hotel Business Center or the Post Office.

The CD-ROM Proceedings is a great weight and space saver. But I'd like to have some papers printed out so I follow the presentations. Where can I print papers from the APEC Proceedings CD-ROM?

You can print papers from the APEC Proceedings CD-ROM at the Hilton Hotel's Business Center from your computer, or if you don't have a computer with you, you can rent one of theirs.

Printing of papers from the APEC Proceedings CD-ROM is also available at the Kinko's/Fedex (address, phone number and email above). The Quick Print shop (515 Congress, southeast corner of Sixth and Congress, 512-477-2014) can also print papers from the APEC Proceedings CD-ROM.

How can someone leave a message for me at APEC 2005?

A bulletin board for messages will be placed near the main conference registration area. Messages can be received and posted whenever the Conference Registration Center is open. Please advise any callers who may wish to reach you to call the main number of the Hilton Hotel (512-482-8000) and ask for the IEEE APEC 2005 Registration Desk. APEC participants are encouraged to regularly check the message board.

Will Internet access be available at APEC 2005?

High speed wireless internet access is available throughout the Austin Hilton including all guest rooms and common areas. Guest rooms also offer wired internet access but you must choose between wired and wireless. Signing up for one does not give access to the other. If you want to use your computer throughout the hotel, choose the wireless option. The fee is $9.95 per day ($12.95 per day if you need a public IP address, as do many corporate VPNs).

For those who do not bring a computer to APEC, the Austin Hilton business center rents computer time at the rate of $2.50 per 15 minutes. There are also several internet cafes within walking distance of the Austin Hilton. These can change frequently so please ask at the concierge's desk for the latest information on local internet cafes.

Since everyone is in Austin for APEC, I would like to hold a meeting. How do I arrange for a meeting room and audio/visual equipment and food service?

APEC only provides meeting space for functions that are directly affiliation with one its sponsoring organizations: Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA), IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) or the IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS). Requests for meeting space from any other organization will be denied.

If your function is directly related to one of the sponsoring organizations, send your request to your Society's administrator or the PSMA executive offices. Include in your request the number of people expected, the duration of the meeting, the preferred time of the meeting, any audio/visual/phone service/data communications service/easel/projectors equipment that will be needed, any food service that will be needed and any other special requests. Each sponsor's administrator will combine the requests and serve as a single point of contact between the each of the sponsors and the APEC Conference Managers. The APEC Conference Managers will schedule the meetings and make all arrangements with the hotel.

Please note that no meetings will be scheduled during the Plenary Session and meetings while the Exhibit Hall is open are strongly discouraged.