• The KDD2010 Conference Hotel is the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. Directions and map to the Regency Crystal City.
• If you would like to stay at the KDD Conference hotel then we have arranged for a special room rate. Please make your booking through the registration link here https://resweb.passkey.com/go/ACMKDD10, and if there are remaining rooms in the KDD block you should be able to sign up at the reduced rate.
• If you are booking over the phone please using the following phone number: 888-421-1442 and mention that the block code is KDDD.
• It appears that the KDDD offer code does not work on the normal hyatt website so you should use the link above if you want to get the special rate.

• Destination Airports: There are three (3) Washington area airports that you might fly into: Reagan (airport code: DCA), Washington Dulles (airport code: IAD), and Baltimore-Washington International (airport code: BWI).
• BWI Baltimore-Washington is located further away (54 minutes driving time) but may provide an option for getting cheaper tickets.
• IAD Washington DUlles is 32 minutes driving time.
• DCA Reagan National Airport is extremely close to the conference hotel (6 minutes driving time) and would give you an free shuttle back to the airport just minutes away. It is probably the best option in terms of convenience if the ticket fares are comparable
• Embassies in Washington DC Links to all the embassies in Washington, DC if you are traveling from overseas
• Student Travel awards: If you're a student please note that you may be eligible for a Travel award.

The Association for Computing Machinery does not issue formal invitation letters for visas to attend ACM sponsored conferences. We can however issue a visa support letter. For Visa support letters, please send all requests to the Office of SIG Services supportletters@acm.org with the following information:

1. Name and mailing address as it appears on your passport
2. The name of the conference you wish to attend
3. Your Registration Confirmation Number
4. If you are the author of any papers accepted for the conference, please provide the title
5. A valid fax number and current mailing address (**Please note: visa support letters are NOT issued via email)

Washington DC is full of history. Washington was founded in 1790 to be the new capital of the American republic after the American Revolutionary War / War for Independence.

In a kind of payback, the British invaded in The War of 1812. The British sacked the white house. President Madison's wife saved countless paintings as they hastily evacuated Washington and moved to the former capital in Philadelphia. (Hopefully any Brits will be better behaved during the conference - I guess the secret is to be sure to bring plenty of tea). During the invastion the British spared the home of the Commandant of the Marines which is now the oldest government building in continuous use in the nations’ capital. The Patent Office and the Post Office were also spared because of the Superintendent of Patents who pleaded with British to save the building because of the loss of knowledge to mankind.

Washington was also very close to the front in the American Civil War 1861-1865. Indeed fighting was so close that as Confederate General Jubal Early approached Washington in 1864, President Abraham Lincoln ventured from his home to observe the battle. He came under enemy fire. The Future US Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes tackled President Lincoln to prevent him from being shot.

General Lee had to leave his estate in Washington to return to his native state of Virginia to fight on the Confederate States of America under the rebel President Jefferson Davis. General Lee's estate in Washington was converted into a cemetary for union dead - what is today known as Arlington National Cemetry. YOu can visit Lee's estate and cemetry today and watch the changing of the guards at Arlington.

The American Civil War was a calamity in terms of loss of life. 620,000 Americans died on both the Confederate and Union sides through disease and battle. This is the greatest loss of life of Americans in any war before or since including World War II, which is remarkable since the US Population was only 31 million.

• Temperature: In July temperature ranges from 67 Fahrenheit (19 Celsius) to 89 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius).
• Population: 581,530
• 47% male and 53% female
• 46% of DC residents hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher (compared to 27% of US of population).
• 55% of DC residentes are Black/African-American (compared to 12% of US population) and 8% Hispanic/Latino (compared to 14% of US population).
• Median age: 35
• Median household income: $61,105
• Greater Washington has the largest percent of adults with advanced degrees (19%) in the U.S., more than twice the national average. 43.9% of local women have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, the highest percentage in the nation.

(Source: US Census Bureau, 2006, Bureau of Labor & Statistics, 2004-2005 and Greater Washington Initiative Analysis, 2007 and Washington.org)

• 1.2 million international visitors come to Washington DC each year.
• Top countries of origin include: United Kingdom, Germany, Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico), Japan, India, South Korea, Nordic (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, Italy and France.
• 84,000 DC residents (15%) speak a language other than English at home
• 74,000 DC residents (12%) are foreign-born
• The Greater Washington region is home to more than 150 embassies and international cultural centers.

The most popular attractions in Washington, DC are (in order of visitors):

• 7 million - Smithsonian’s: National Museum of Natural History
• 6 million - National Air & Space Museum
• 4 million - Lincoln Memorial
• 4 million - World War II Memorial
• 4 million - Vietnam Veterans Memorial
• 3 million - National Museum of American History
• 3 million - National Zoological Park
• 3 million - Korean Memorial
• 3 million - FDR Memorial
• 2 million - Rock Creek Park

(source: washington.org)

The following are some possible tours:

• Microsoft Corporation announces that it will be hosting an Old Trolley Tours: Monuments by Moonlight tour!

  Join Microsoft for a guided tour of Washington DC on an Old Town Trolley Tour on Monday night at 8pm. You must sign up in advance at the Microsoft booth in the exhibit hall on Sunday or Monday to get a ticket to join us. Seats are limited to the first 100 people and you will need a ticket to board the trolley. Food and drinks are allowed but are not being provided.



• 3D Birdseye Map of Attractions which looks awfully cool and another more functional Official Washington.gov Interactive map for planning your visit
• Relaxing Boat cruise A local boat cruise is available which runs quite late in the evening (9pm I think). This will tour the monuments. You can also take a more ambitious tour from Alexandria which discusses history, and there's another that will take you all the way to George Washington's estate (these latter two depart from Alexandria so first it might be a boat trip or public transportation to Alexandria and then another tour).
• Mt. Vernon George and Martha Washington's estate requires a trip outside of the city.
• Pentagon tour. If you're a non-US citizen this may be a bit complicated. However US citizens seem to be able to sign up for tours (you have to sign up in advance though - you can do this through the website). The Pentagon is relatively close to the KDD conference hotel - I believe it is just one bus ride to go to the Pentagon.
• Free Tours of the Washington Monument are available leaving every day. However your tickets for these tours need to be booked in advance - and they tend to fill up months in advance. However have no fear! You can sign up for a tour by going to the following Recreation.gov website, put in the date that you want to do the tour and number of tickets.
• Tours of the Capitol Building are also available.
• The consensus online is to skip the tour of the money printing facility (Engraving and Printing)
• Try to get on the list to tour the reception rooms at the State Department. You may need to submit an application now so there’s time for a background check.
• If you want a tour of the White House you should contact your senator and representative – their offices can help coordinate getting you on the “list” for a tour
• Try to take the orange trolley the first day in DC. The trolley stops at about 15 locations. It gives you a good perspective of DC, places to visit like the Catholic Cathedral that are outside of downtown and then an idea of places to revisit later in the week. Also, a private tour of the Capital Building is great. The general tour is very busy and slow.

• Washington Metro Trip Planner I've been told that Washington traffic is quite congested, and the Metro system is quite efficient. You can type in your start location and destination, and this site will tell you how to get there via Washington public transportation. This is pretty useful if you want to get about and see the sights! The KDD hotel is located closer to the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetry. It is, however, further away from the Washington Monument, Smithsonian, and other central attractions. It looks like the public transport system to get into those attractions involves first a bus to Reagan airport, and then the Metro train with two changes to make it to the Monument; about 45 minutes
• Metro subway map

The following are some tips for your visit provided by some of the Washington locals:

• To minimize on walking, use the Metro. For that matter stay at a hotel that’s close to a Metro station.
• Washington DC Official tourism site This is a really great set of pages
  
• Arlington, VA Official tourism site The hotel is located here.
• Walk through Georgetown
• See a show at the Kennedy Center
• The Washingtonian Local city magazine with great restaurant guide and reviews
  
• Washington Post Visitors GuideMain local newspaper�s visitor guide
  
• George Mason U. Economics Professor's Restaurant GuideA unique restaurant guide from a George Mason University economics professor