INDUSTRY

The next Gelato Federation meeting (October 2-5, 2005) — with a focus of Linux-Itanium research in Latin America and beyond—will be hosted by Gelato Member the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Top Itanium scientists, developers, engineers, and end users from Gelato sponsor and member institutions will attend this 2-1/2 day, highly-technical event. This meeting will address current high-performance computing issues and collaborative solutions specific to Linux on Itanium, and will feature formal papers, poster sessions, and the exchange of information in formal and informal settings. Gelato Federation meetings are open to current members and invited guests. If you are interested in attending and are not a current member, please contact Gelato's Managing Director, Mark K. Smith, at mksmith@gelato.org. Registration If you are planning on attending the October 2005 Gelato Meeting in Brazil, please fill out the online registration form by September 12. Your registration will be complete once you receive an e-mail confirmation. If you register after September 12, we cannot guarantee you will be included in the attendee details. Meeting Schedule Below is a rough schedule to allow you to plan your travel. Time changes may occur, but the dates are set. We will add more details to the schedule as they become available. Sunday, October 2 18:30-21:30 Kickoff Dinner In order for attendees to informally meet and mingle, we have scheduled a casual dinner party on Sunday night before our technical meetings start the next morning. This will be a great way to catch up on each other's work progress and unwind before getting down to business on Monday. Monday, October 3 9:00-9:30 Registration 9:30-16:30 Technical Meetings Tuesday, October 4 9:00-10:00 Poster Session 10:00-15:30 Technical Meetings 16:30-21:00 Social Event and Dinner Wednesday, October 5 9:00-12:30 Technical Meetings 12:30-13:30 Wrap-up Luncheon Technical Program Agenda Confirmed Topics While the program agenda is still being developed, we can provide a list of topics already confirmed for the meeting to stir your interest. Getting Open-Source Bugs Fixed and Incorporated Upstream Paravirtualization without Pain Our Grid Software Report and VTune Optimizing the Itanium: Several Case Studies Xen on the Itanium Intel Compiler Switches What Itanium Tools are Available? Itanium Research at PUCRS Itanium Research at the University of Split Itanium Research at the University of Rio Grid Focus Report Scalability Focus Report GCC Improvements Focus Report Travel Arrangements The daily meetings will be held on the PUCRS campus in Porto Alegre. The hotel is located in the downtown area. For any event that is not within walking distance from the hotel, busing will be provided. Flight You will fly into the Porto Alegre - Salgado Filho International Airport (POA). From the airport, it's about a 15 minute taxi cab ride to the hotel. Hotel Sheraton Porto Alegre Hotel Rua Olavo Barreto Viana 18 Porto Alegre, RS Brasil 90570-070 phone: 55 51 2121-6018 fax: 55 51 2121-6020 Rooms We have negotiated special room rates, but you must reserve your room by August 31 to be asssured of pricing and availability. You have the choice of two room types: Superior Single which includes one king-size bed for 89 USD/night + taxes; or Superior Double which has two single beds for 99 USD/night + taxes. Buffet breakfast is included in the price. Taxes: 10% service plus 5% ISSQN plus USD 0.50 tourist tax. High-speed Internet access is available in all rooms for an additional charge of BRL/R$ 28 per day (~USD 12). Parking is available for an additional Parking BRL/R$ 30 per day (~USD 13). Reservation Form (pdf) To book your room at this special rate, you must complete and return the hotel's form or call the reservations desk by August 31. Fax the completed form to 55 51 2121-6020 or call Reservations at 55 51 2121-6015. If you have any problems with your reservation, e-mail reservation@sheraton-poa.com.br or telephone 55 51 2121-6018. Transportation You can catch a taxi cab from the Porto Alegre Airport to the hotel for ~BRL/R$ 20 (roughly USD 8). Use one of the orange or white street taxis in front of the airport exit. Any other transport service available in the airport is not recommended. Please note: taxis only accept cash in local currency (BRL/R$). You can exchange currency in the airport and also at ATM machines (at the airport and PUCRS campus). Once you are in Porto Alegre, you should not need a car during the meeting period. Sunday night's dinner will be within walking distance of the hotel. Monday morning through Wednesday afternoon, busing will be provided to and from all events. Visas Many attendees will require a visa to enter Brazil.* For people simply attending the conference, a tourist visa will suffice. If you plan to do any type of business, you will need a business visa. You must contact your local Brazilian Consulate or visa expediting service directly for complete instructions. *Countries exempt from requiring tourist visas include: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Malta, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Uruguay, Vatican, and Venezuela. Typical Brazil Visa Requirements Specific requirements vary depending on where you submit your visa application. You must contact your local Brazilian Consulate or visa expediting service for complete details. Your visa will be valid for 90 days from date of issuance. Valid Passport. Your signed passport must be valid and with at least one blank page for any visa stamps. Your passport's expiration date must be greater than six months from the date of entry into Brazil. Passport Photo. This must be a recent (max. 1 year) professional passport-size photograph in color or black and white on a white background. Visa Application Form. This form is available from your local Brazilian Consulate or visa expediting service. It must be completed and signed by the applicant. Proof of Travel. You must present a copy of a round-trip ticket, a booked itinerary, an e-ticket confirmation, or a letter from your travel agent addressed to the Consulate of Brazil, showing travel to and from Brazil, confirming purchase of the ticket, and passenger's name, itinerary, flight number, and arrival/departure dates. Invitation Letter (tourist visa for attending a scientific conference). You must provide an invitation letter from the conference host. See below for details. Letter from Employer (business visa). You must provide a letter from your employer, written your company's letterhead, addressed to the Consulate of Brazil, and signed by a high-ranking company official (other than the applicant). This letter must state: employee's name and title, contact in Brazil (César De Rose, Associate Professor, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul), the nature of business to be conducted in Brazil, duration of stay in Brazil, how long the employee has been working for the company, and assuming full responsibility for the applicant while in Brazil. Fees. Payment must be in the appropriate form. Contact your local Brazilian Consulate or visa expediting service for details. Invitation Letter You can request a meeting invitation letter at the time you register for the meeting. If you did not request an invitation letter when you registered but discover you need one, please e-mail Nan Holda at nan@gelato.org with the following information: First and Middle Name (as on passport), Surname, Institution, Mailing Address, Country, and Fax Number. We will then ask PUCRS to fax and mail you a letter. A spouse or traveling companion, going to Brazil for purely tourism and not attending the technical meetings, will not need an invitation letter to apply for a visa. Travel Tips Touring Porto Alegre When you check into the hotel, you will receive an early arrival packet containing a list of sight-seeing opportunities. For online information, you can check out VirtualTourist.com or the Porto Alegre Vistors' Bureau. Brazil Nuts also has a very nice Porto Alegre page. Brazil Currency The Brazilian Real (BRL or R$) is the local currency. Check a currency converter as rates vary, but 1 BRL = roughly 0.43 USD (+/- 10-15%). Although credit cards are very well accepted in Brazil (Mastercard, Visa, American Express), you will need local currency for taxis. You can exchange currency in the airport and also at ATM machines (at the airport and PUCRS campus). Porto Alegre Electricity Come prepared with a variety of plug adaptors and voltage convertors. Electric power in Porto Alegre is set at 110 Volts and 60 Hertz. Other cities in Brazil may be 220 Volts, 60 Hertz. Standard electric plugs are type C, with two parallel round prongs ("Europlug" type). In hotels and conference rooms, you will also find type A (two flat blades) and type B (similar to type A but with a grounding pin). Click here for more details. Vaccinations If you take one of the optional tour packages or travel elswhere in Brazil, you may need a yellow fever vaccination depending on the origin country and destination in Brazil. Note that yellow fever vaccinations take approximately 10 days to become effective. Click here for more vaccination information. Please confirm vaccination requirements with your doctor or travel agent. Optional Tour Packages In case you are interested in touring Brazil after the meeting, César De Rose has arranged several optional tour packages. You will need to contact travel agent, Gilberto Chaves, to book your optional tour package. He can also verify package prices and give you recommendations for flights on a case-by-case basis. Gilberto Chaves, DC & Travel e-mail: dctur@dctur.com.br phone: 55 51 33399272 fax: 55 51 33399272 (option 7) Rio de Janeiro package #1 (5-star hotel) Two nights at the Rio Othon Palace Copacabana with breakfast and taxes (on the beach). Ticket: Porto Alegre - Rio de Janeiro VARIG (return flight should be booked from Rio to your home destination). Transfer in - out Site-seeing included: Christ of Corcovado + Sugar Loaf Mountain + Tijuca Forest Single = USD 509; Double (price per person in double room) = USD 401. Rio de Janeiro package #2 (4-star flat) Two nights at the Rio Leblon Flat with breakfast and taxes (3 blocks from the beach). Ticket: Porto Alegre - Rio de Janeiro VARIG econonomy class (return flight should be booked from Rio de Janeiro to your home destination). Transfer in - out Site-seeing included: Christ of Corcovado + Sugar Loaf Mountain + Tijuca Forest Single = USD 408; Double (price per person in double room) = USD 326. Salvador - Bahia Two nights at the Othon Palace with breakfast included. Transfer in - out Site-seeing included: beach city tour Single = USD 178; Double (price per person in double room) = USD 132. Note: Prices do not include air travel fees. In this case, it is cheaper to buy air travel with a Brazilian Air Pass ticket. Airfare is an additional USD 450. Foz do Iguaçu (Iguassu Waterfalls) Two nights with breakfast at the Tropical das Cataratas Eco Resort Experience (a 5-star hotel inside the Iguassu Natural Park). Ticket: Porto Alegre - Iguaçu - São Paulo VARIG. Transfer in - out Site-seeing included: entrance into the park (you will still need to pay the park's USD 8 ecological fee) + Macuco safari tour Single = USD 748; Double (price per person in double room) = USD 554. Questions? Meeting logistics/speaking opportunities/accomodations Andy Schuh at aschuh@gelato.org Attendance registration and visa invitation inquiries Nan Holda at nan@gelato.org