Venue and Accommodations

The Conference will take place in the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Conference Center. Centrally located in walkable downtown Buffalo, the Hyatt is steps from the historic Fountain plaza and minutes from restaurants, nightlife, museums and the revitalized Canalside waterfront district.

The Conference has reserved a number of rooms at a reduced rate of $149 (before tax) per night with the Hyatt full breakfast and complementary Internet access included for one room occupant at this rate. Please note that the Conference is taking place in the high tourist season in the Buffalo-Niagara region and that downtown Buffalo is a popular attraction. Early booking is strongly recommended. Rates and availability will not be guaranteed after June 18, 2017.

Booking will be available through the conference specific hotel registration page (see the link above), or can be done directly by contacting the hotel. Please reference EDISON20 when making your accommodation request.

Buffalo, NY is conveniently located in the western New York area and is easily accessed by travelers flying into Buffalo or the Toronto, Canada area. The Buffalo Niagara International Airport is the closest airport to the venue and, for international participants, is conveniently served via major hubs such as Chicago, Washington DC and New York City. There are regular NFTA-Metro, taxi, and shuttle services from the Buffalo Airport to the Hyatt.

UPDATE: Ridesharing will be legal in Buffalo starting 29 June 2017. Uber and Lyft are two companies that will be available. Their applications are available for download on your smartphone device.

General information on public and private transportation options connecting the airport to downtown Buffalo can be found here. 

This shuttle runs a non-stop service between the airport and Buffalo's central business district, including the Metro Bus station downtown (Metropolitan Transportation Center). One-way fare is $2.50 and the service runs approximately every 30 minutes on weekdays, during peak drive time. The shuttle stop is located in front of the "Arrivals" entrance at the airport.

This route operates between downtown Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. One-way fare is $2.00.

Ride sharing is coming to Buffalo, NY on 29 June 2017. Uber and Lyft are two companies that will be operating in the area. Fares will be comparable or cheaper than taxis. The Uber and Lyft apps are available for download through your smartphone device to set up an account.

There are numerous taxis onsite at the airport. You should expect to pay around $35 for a taxi from the airport to downtown Buffalo

The Toronto Airport is located approximately 157 km from downtown Buffalo. Travel time varies from 1.5 -2.5 hours via the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), dependent upon traffic conditions and wait times at the International Border Crossings.

It is recommended to fly to the Buffalo Airport. However if you are traveling to the conference from Toronto, there are a few options for transportation to be found at https://torontopearson.com/en/toandfrom/outoftown/#. 

For participants who require a visa to travel to the United States, we recommend applying to the U.S. embassy authorities as soon as possible, since the process may require some time.

In cases where participants require an invitation letter to support their application the conference administration will happily provide this. Such requests should be made only after payment of the registration fee is confirmed. Please contact the General Chair (Jonathan Bird) for further information.

Participants from many countries should be eligible to enter the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP allows citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States without a visa for stays of 90 days or less, when they meet all requirements. Travelers must be eligible to use the VWP and have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to travel.

If you are eligible to travel on the VWP, but prefer to have a visa in your passport, you may still apply for a visitor (B) visa.