Important Information for Attendees

Expectations of Attendance

When you decide to attend a PLoP conference, you effectively make a commitment to your Writer's Workshop group, one that involves providing constructive comment and review for each of the authors. Many of the PLoP activities are designed to form cohesive Workshop groups and to encourage effective communication between members. PLoPs are generally small conferences ( between 20 and 60 people) and so each individual has a chance to make a contribution to the Workshop groups and the conference.

We expect that an author who submits a paper to KoalaPLoP intends to attend the entire conference, or to send a proxy (preferrably a joint author) in the event that he or she is unable to attend. PLoP conferences are unique in that you, the author, get expert review before submission. The time of expert reviewers (ie. our network of shepherds) is valuable, and we expect that this investment will be repaid with attendance and active contribution to the conference program.

We also expect that all attendees will be present for each of the 3 conference days (Wednesday 9am to Friday 2pm), for the obvious reasons of continuity. PLoPs are deliberately situated some distance from cities and centers of activity to encourage the 'retreat' aspect of the experience of attending. We therefore actively discourage partial or selective attendance. If for some reason you cannot attend all conference sessions, please let the Conference Chair know, and we will attempt to deal constructively with genuine requests for absence from a part of the conference.

Tuesday Night

As stated in the Agenda, this year we have decided to make attendance at The Country Place optional on Tuesday night. This means the KoalaPLoP 2002 will officially commence at 9:00am on Wednesday May 15th. This allows some attendees to save the extra expense of dinner, bed and breakfast for Tuesday 14th at the Country Place. We expect to see everyone at 9:00 am at the Country Place (foyer) on Wednesday morning for registration.

However, you are most welcome to choose to stay at The Country Place on the night of Tuesday 14th May. We have had an early indication that a few attendees will be choosing this option. You may elect to book just accommodation (bed and breakfast), or you may enjoy an excellent 3-course dinner as well.

The Country Place have quoted us the following rates for Tuesday night for conference attendees:

$A207.90 for dinner, bed and breakfast for Tues night.

$A156.20 for bed and breakfast only for Tues night.

Both rates are for one person, partner rates are stated below.

They will settle all expenses incurred for Tuesday night with you personally, rather than via the KoalaPLoP account. This means that you will personally settle with The Country Place for your Tuesday night expenses, as well as paying the KoalaPLoP 2002 registration fee, which will cover all your expenses for the duration of the conference.

Of course, you may choose to stay in or around Melbourne on Tuesday night. See the About Australia page on this site for some options. If you stay in Melbourne, remember to ask your host about transport to The Country Place for Wednesday morning.

Registration

All attendees will be required to regsiter at 9:00am at The Country Place on Wednesday 15th May. At the registration, you will be required to make payment, if you haven't already done so.

We will also require you to sign a simple statement that indemnifies the organisers of the event from any personal legal challenge. This indemnifies the individuals associated with running the event from any personal legal challenge, it does not compromise the indemnity insurance cover held by any of our vendors, or The Country Place. If you have any questions about this procedure, please email the Conference Chair .

Accepted Methods of Payment

We will process all conference fees through Monash University. Monash accept Mastercard, Visa and Bankcard. When you regsiter, please fax a signed authorisation with card type, card number, expiry date and amount to Mr. Akamon Kunkongkapun, Monash CSSE, on +61 3 9903 1077. Akamon will handle the transaction and issue a receipt if required.

If you prefer, you can snail-mail a cheque, made payable to "Monash University KoalaPLoP" to Akamon at Computer Science and Software Engineering, 900 Dandenong Rd., Caulfield East, 314, Victoria, AUSTRALIA.

Attending Partners and Children

Partners and children are most welcome to attend KoalaPLoP. The following statement from James Coplien neatly encapsulates our policy on attending partners, it is reproduced with Cope's permission here:

" At other PLoPs -- well, I guess at EuroPLoP in particular -- bringing a partner along has become quite fashionable and a very nice adjuct to the conference. Couples have always been welcome in the plenary events: the games, the opening ceremony, and so forth. And so have the kids. One thing that may come up is the degree to which we "allow" the partners to "integrate" with our activities. I suggest that the conference be open to them in all regards. That's how it really works at EuroPLoP, and it's not been a problem on any account. It has in fact been a blessing. "

At KoalaPLoP, we adopt the EuroPLoP approach wholeheartedly. There is, however, one proviso -- we will not have the luxury of a separate games leader as EuroPLoP does, nor will we have a dedicated games area. This means that children will need to be supervised by parents during the writer's workshops and possibly some other events. Parents should simply use their discretion.

Partners are welcome to attend any conference events they choose, or to enjoy the relaxation and facilities of the venue and the attractions of The Dandenongs.

The Country Place rates for partners are as follows:

$A97.90 per night for dinner, bed and breakfast.

$A46.20 per night for bed and breakfast only.

You can calculate a Wed to Fri partner rate from these prices:

2 x $97.90 = $195.80 for Wed - Fri dinner, bed and breakfast.

2 x $46.20 = $92.40 for Wed - Fri bed and breakfast only.

The Country Place has emphasised that the rates don't include any lunch or morning or afternoon teas, and we ask partners who change their minds about hanging around at those times to be courteous enough to inform Country Place that they need to be catered for.

Again, please advise Country Place directly of your partner's plans to attend, and your preference for package options. Please also discuss your child's attendance with Country Place directly. If you do decide to bring a partner and/or child , please notify the Conference Chair for planning purposes.

Travel to/from Country Place

The Country Place is located some 35 kilometers east of the center of Melbourne in the Dandenong Ranges, near a small township called Kalorama. Detailed directions are available on the Countryplace website. Select the 'The Venue' menu and the 'Directions' option.

A taxi from Tullamarine airport to central Melbourne will cost about $A30. A taxi from the airport to the Country Place will cost $A80-100. A taxi from central or inner Melbourne will cost about $A60. Buses leave Tullamarine airport every 30 minutes destined for city and suburban locations. See their website for details.

You can get to Kalorama on a suburban train service. The nearest train station is Belgrave station, which is the last stop on the Belgrave-Lilydale line. Trains run on this line all the time, every 10-20 mins, so ther is little point in finding a timetable -- just catch any train to Belgrave.

The closest map reference pinpoints the Belgrave station. Use the Melways service to locate Kalorama.

Once at the station, you can call the Country Place and we will dispatch a car to pick you up. Please let us know of your transport plans before you leave.

If you plan to fly in early on Wednesday 15th at Melbourne Airport, we may be able to arrange a private pick-up car. Please email the Conference Chair if you wish to avail yourself of this offer. We may also be able to do a pickup run on Tuesday night as well, depending on demand and availability of drivers. Deliveries will be made to central train stations or other central locations.

Once at KoalaPLoP, we will track people's movements back to Melbourne city and the airport, and share transport as best as we can.

What to Bring

Melbourne in May is cool, typically fine (ie. not raining) but not extremely cold. We expect high temperatures of around 14-17 degrees Celcius, with night-time lows down to 5-9 degrees. Bring warm clothes, but there is no need to dress for the snow, as you won't see any! You will appreciate a warm jacket for The Night Walk, and other evening activities.

Also bring your favourite 'marking' pen, because you will be doing lots of reading and reviewing patterns.

Don't forget a camera, and if you are travelling from outside Australia, a guide book will help you enjoy Melbourne and further afield.

Accessing Email at Country Place

We will advise of what email access will be available at The Country Place during your stay.

Local Contacts

The Conference Chair and the Local Chair are both available to assist you with any aspect of getting to KoalaPLoP. Please email your questions to us and we will do what we can to address your concerns. When on the ground in Melbourne, you can call the Conference Chair (Paul Taylor) on 0404 819 005, or the Local Chair (Andy Bulka) on 0412 759 186 for on-the-spot assistance or direction.