Thanks to David Brake there is a wiki page at http://wiki.aoir.org/index.php?title=Chicago with local information for conference-goers. Additionally, if you are coming to the conference, please know that there are still a few tickets available for the banquet and for the L tour. I particularly want to highlight the latter, as it is a unique chance to see Chicago's historical sites from the vantage point of a privately rented Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train (commonly known as the L). The tour will be led by Chicago transit expert Michael Shiffer, CTA vice president and University of Illinois at Chicago associate professor. After boarding the four car train reserved for us, the tour will highlight the importance of mass transit in Chicago and significant Chicago neighborhoods along the several train lines including the oldest line, the brown line. The CTA operates the nation's second largest public transportation system and covers the City of Chicago and 40 surrounding suburbs. On an average weekday, nearly 1.5 million rides are taken on the CTA. Breakfast will be included in the approximately tour departing from downtown Chicago. Riders must meet just outside the Rush Street doors by the lobby of the Marriott Hotel by 8:25 a.m. on Saturday, October 8 to walk to the train boarding location. The tour will last about 3 - 4 hours. As for the banquet, in addition to a terrific menu (featuring a tenderloin carving station, pasta buffet - including vegetarian sauces - soup and salad bar, and coffee station with desserts) this year’s conference banquet will feature the Eric Hochberg Quartet, an ensemble consisting of some of Chicago’s best known and most respected jazz musicians. Eric Hochberg has been a mainstay of the Chicago music scene for more than twenty years, having lent his bass to a variety of projects, performing and/or recording with the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Cassandra Wilson, Von Freeman, Chico Freeman, Ken Nordine, Cannonball Adderly, David Bromberg, and many others. Mark Colby, tenor sax,, has performed with Gerry Mulligan, Jaco Pastorius, Frank Sinatra, Maynard Ferguson, Bob James, Charlie Haden and Mose Allison. He has been a jazz faculty member at DePaul University since 1983. Phil Gratton is ahighly sought after drummer with over 30 years experience, and has played all over the world with Dorothy Donnegan and Marian McPartland. Pianist Dennis Luxion has played with Steve Allen, Chet Baker, Von Freeman, Curtis Fuller, Sheila Jordan, Lee Konitz, Archie Shepp, Woody Shaw, and Toots Thielemans, among others. If you have already registered for the conference but want to add either or both of these options you can go to https://www.conted.vt.edu/ssl/aoir/index.lasso, fill out the personal information and check the boxes only for these options. I'm looking forward to getting the conference under way and to seeing as many of you as are able to make it! Best wishes, Sj