Location

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, VA (On the corner of Duckpond Drive and Washington Street - Parking can be found in the Litton Reeves Lot) VBI mail code: 0477 and zip code: 24061

VBI phone number: (540) 231-2100
www.vbi.vt.edu

Lodging

Holiday Inn
900 Prices Fork Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
1 (540) 552-7001

Each attendee is responsible for making his/her own lodging reservations. A block of lodging rooms are being held at the Holiday Inn. To reserve a room, call the hotel at 1-540-552-7001, and mention that you are with the "VBI-Oomycete" Group. A special group rate of $92/night (plus tax) has been reserved. The room must be booked prior to May 19, 2009 to get the group rate, so please make your reservations early.

We have 20 rooms available, and we currently have 36 participants registered with the program. If you call to book a room and you find that another participant has already booked the room (and it is a double-sized room) you both may choose to pair up and be roommates during the program.

Transportation

Roanoke Regional Airport: www.roanokeregionalairport.com

Airport Shuttle

Roanoke Airport Transportation Service, Inc.:

• Provides an Airport Shuttle Service between Blacksburg and the Roanoke Regional Airport.
• Vans leave from the Squires Student Center, Inn at Virginia Tech, and University Holiday Inn.
• Reservations are required and can be made by calling 1-800-288-1958.
• For departure times and more information call 1-800-288-1958.

Blacksburg-Roanoke (SmartWay) Shuttle:
The new SmartWay shuttle provides bus service between the Roanoke Valley and the Virginia Tech Campus. The bright blue SmartWay buses provide service between Squires (Alumni Mall inbound side), the Roanoke Regional Airport and downtown Roanoke.

For updates, schedules, and further information, visit the SmartWay website or call their toll free number at 1-800-388-7005. Schedules are also available in the Squires Student Center or by calling the Office of Transportation at 540-231-1737.
SmartWay Transit: www.smartwaybus.com

Other

Local Shuttle & Dining:

Blacksburg Transit: www.btransit.org
Blacksburg Dining Guide: www.cpe.vt.edu/home/resources/restaurants.html
Local Attractions: www.cpe.vt.edu/home/resources/attractions.html Area Information: www.vt.edu/where_we_are/blacksburg/

Procedure for obtaining Travel Reimbursement

*** If traveling by air, please be sure to hang on to your original boarding passes. You will need to submit these for reimbursement.

1. During your travel, keep all receipts for lodging, conference fees, registration, meals, rental cars, parking, and other expenditures that you will need reimbursement for.
   
   
2. Please send these receipts, your original boarding passes, and the address of where you would like your reimbursement check delivered to:
   

   Sam Linkous
   phone: (540) 231-8569
   email: sll@vt.edu