National Minority AIDS Council Building Healthier Communities

October 26, 2009

We look forward to seeing everyone who has registered for the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), from October 29-31, in San Francisco, CA. Below is some helpful information to plan your trip! Below are some last minute notes before you head to the meeting. 

Bring Your Laptop!

The program book and many other materials have not been printed this year, but are being made available on a flash drive, which will be handed out at registration. If you do not have a laptop, do not worry. There will be Cyber Cafés in each of the exhibit halls, located in the Continental Ballroom, on the Ballroom Level, and the Golden Gate, on the Lobby Level.

Other “Green” Initiatives at USCA

Printing less is just one of the steps we're taking toward becoming a more green meeting. Don't worry - we're not changing everything, just trying to do a little bit better. Help us to save some money, cut down on waste, and maybe save a tree or two. Some highlights:

• This year’s conference bag is a reusable grocery bag. We would like to thank Gilead for sponsoring the bag.
  

• We will not be handing out bottled water. Unless we get a health alert, tap water will be available throughout the meeting.  
  

• We are asking everyone to recycle their name tags at the end of the conference for future meetings - just turn it in with your final evaluation. 

• Print Green, a certified environmentally-friendly printing company located just outside of San Francisco, CA, produced many of the printed materials for USCA. You can be assured that they were created using 100% recycled paper and vegetable-based dyes. The company's unique approach to print production and close proximity to the conference venue have helped cut the amount of chemical waste and fossil fuel use associated with the conference, reducing its overall carbon footprint. We will be supporting other green programs carried out by San Francisco and the Hilton.

Follow USCA Online
Sign up to follow the conference on Twitter: www.twitter.com/USCA09 or www.twitter.com/NMACCommunity. Please mark all Tweets and re-Tweets @USCA09!

Join the NMAC/USCA Facebook group:
http://tinyurl.com/NMAConFB.  

Visit the 2009 USCA online: http://www.2009USCA.org

We have two (2) exhibit halls this year – one in the Golden Gate, on the Lobby Level and the other in the Continental Ballroom, on the Ballroom Level, which will be open:

Thursday, October 29th - Saturday, October 31st
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

We are playing Exhibit Hall BINGO as an incentive to ensure everyone visits both halls. You’ll receive your cards at registration. From there you will:

1. Visit all of the organizations in each cell.

2.  Request a hole punch from each exhibitor. 

3. Once you have visited all of the vendors on this card, return the card to Exhibitor Registration located in the Golden Gate Ballroom for a raffle ticket.

4. This bingo card must be completely punched and you must be present to win. You will get a different raffle ticket for each day. 

5.  Raffle Prizes will be drawn at 11:30 a.m. in Golden Gate Ballroom and at 4:00 p.m. in Continental Ballroom 

We have some great prizes, including airfare, hotel and registration for the 2010 USCA in Orlando, FL. You must be present at the drawing to win! Go to the exhibit halls for more details!

Pack for the weather! San Francisco weather can vary wildly throughout the day, and often is chilly at night, so bring a warm jacket. The high temperatures throughout the meeting are expected to be in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Stay informed at weather.com.

Getting to the Conference Venue: San Francisco Hilton (Union Square)

This year’s USCA is taking place at the:

 

 San Francisco Hilton (Union Square) 

333 O’Farrell Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

Telephone: (415) 771-1400.

Be sure to go the right hotel – there are several Hilton hotels in San Francisco. The hotel is sold out; however, some rooms may open up as we get closer to the start of the meeting.

 

If you are flying in, please keep in mind that both area airports – the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK) – are located about 25-40 minutes from the Hilton San Francisco (Union Square). While the Hilton San Francisco does not provide transportation from the hotel, it does offer extensive information about ground travel options and as well as map of the local area. The most cost effective options are:

• Super Shuttle which costs around $17 (each way) and will take you directly to the hotel. Call (800) BLUE-VAN to make a reservation or to ask a question. 

• BART is the acronym for Bay Area’s rapid transit system. It has a route from the airport to a stop about 3 blocks from the Powell Street station, and costs around $8 (each way).

USCA Programming Highlights

 Please check out this year’s conference program in advance on our website here.

 

USCA’s target population this year is the Transgender Community. The meeting will start with an Opening Transgender Plenary, on Thursday, October 29^th, at 12:45 p.m. USCA is holding a transgender focused institute, a transgender lounge and the largest number of transgender workshops and scholarships in the history of the meeting. (The flag above is the Transgender Pride Flag.)

 

This year’s program has a number of special events of note, which are detailed below.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28^TH

 * 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 

Pre-Conference Institute: Positive Futures: HIV, Employment and Vocational Rehabilitation in 2009 Facilitated by the National Working Positive Coalition and Positive Resource Center

All are welcome to participate in this session, though advance registration is required.

 

* 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

USCA Sponsor and Exhibitor Registration Opens

(This is for sponsors and exhibitors only.)

Location: Golden Gate, Lobby Level

 

* 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

USCA Media Registration Opens

Location: Sunset Room, Lobby Level

 

* 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

 

USCA Job Fair

Location: Franciscan B & C, Ballroom Level

This is a free event open to the public. USCA registration is not required.

 

* 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

USCA Registration Opens

Location: West Lounge, Ballroom Level* 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

 

NMAC HIV/AIDS Community Discussion on the National AIDS Strategy

Limited to 300 people on a first-come, first-served basis, and is specifically for people from regions not getting official NAS Town Halls.

Location: Plaza B, Lobby Level

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29^TH

 * 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 

Special All Day New Media Institute

Location: Mason and Powell Rooms

 

* 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

 

Institutes

 

* 12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

 

Opening Plenary Luncheon: Transgendered People & HIV: Our Time Has Come!

Location: Grand Ballroom, Grand Ballroom Level

 

* 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

 

Seminars of note:

 Gilead Seminar: When to Start: 350 Reasons to Be Treatment Literate

 Location: Yosemite A&B, Ballroom Level

 

 Boehringer Ingelheim Seminar: Total HEALTH & HIV

 

 Location: Imperial A, Ballroom Level

 

* 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

 

 Bristol Myers Squibb Special Event: Fight HIV Your Way Photo Contest Exhibit & Awards Celebration

Location: Union Square Park (2 blocks from the Hilton San Francisco.

 

Tickets are required; but available for free at USCA registration or the BMS Exhibit Booth – #161 in the Continental Ballroom.

 

 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30^TH

 

This is a day of special session called the Platinum Friday Series!

 

* 7:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.

 

 Breakfast Symposium: Mental Health & HIV (Support by Boehringer Ingelheim)

 

 Supported by Boehringer Ingelheim

 Location: Grand Ballroom

 

* 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

 

 Exclusive Seminar: Yes You Can! Carrying the HIV Message to the New Administration

Supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb

Location: Plaza A, Lobby Level

 

* 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – Workshops & Roundtables Session I

 

* 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. – Workshops & Roundtables Session 2

 

Exclusive Workshop: Case Management Optimization: A Web-Based Approach for Community Training and Information Sharing

 

Supported by Tibotec

Location: Yosemite B, Ballroom Level

* 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
 Gilead Plenary Luncheon: New Frontiers in HIV: Issues for Today’s Leaders
 Supported by Gilead Sciences
 Location: Grand Ballroom

* 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Workshops & Roundtables Session III

* 5:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Reception and Continuing Education Symposium: The Treatment Continuum for HIV: An Interactive, Case-Based Discussion
Supported by Merck
Location: Grand Ballroom

* 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Special Event: San Francisco Icons & Heroes: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Support by Bay Area Host Committee
Location: Glide Memorial Church (across the street from the Hilton San Francisco)


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31^ST
* 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
Special Breakfast Symposium: “Living Positive by Design” with Jack Mackenroth 
Supported by Merck
Location: Grand Ballroom 

* 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – Workshops & Roundtables Session IV

* 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. – Workshops & Roundtables Session V

* 2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. – Workshops & Roundtables Session VI

* 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Closing Plenary Dinner: The State of HIV/AIDS – A Federal Perspective
Location: Grand Ballroom, Grand Ballroom Level

We would like to thank the Sponsors, Program Partners and Federal Government Supporters who helped make the 2009 United States Conference on AIDS a reality:

2009 USCA Program Partners
AIDS Action
AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families
The AIDS Institute
AIDS, Medicine and Miracles
American Academy of HIV Medicine
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
The Balm In Gilead
Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS
Cable Positive
CAEAR Foundation
International AIDS Society
LIFEbeat
M·A·C AIDS Fund
Mothers’ Voices
The NAMES Project Foundation
National AIDS Housing Coalition
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Association of People with AIDS
National Native American AIDS Prevention Center

2009 Federal Government Supporters
Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Health Resources and Services Administration
National Institutes of Health
Office of AIDS Research
Office of Minority Health
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration