Contact Symposium Staff

Headquarters Hotel

The headquarters hotel for the Symposium will be the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront (700 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, MD 21202). This elegant hotel is situated on the Inner Harbor, which is also the home of the National Aquarium, shops, casual and elegant-dining restaurants, and a collection of historic military and fishing ships. Attendees will enjoy strolling along the Inner Harbor during breaks in the Symposium program.

Group Rate
A block of rooms has been set aside at the Marriott Waterfront for Symposium attendees at the reduced group rate of $189 per night single/double plus tax for a standard room. This rate is in effect for reservations made through 5:00 p.m. (EDT), April 13, 2009, unless rooms in the block sell out before that date. Reservations can be secured by credit card or a one-night room and tax deposit.  Subject to availability of rooms at the time reservations are made, the Conference rate can be used for check-in as early as Monday, May 4. To make a reservation on line click here, or call Marriott central reservations at 800-228-9290 or the Marriott Waterfront at 410-385-3000 and state that you are attending the “Battelle Bioremediation Symposium.”
 
Government Rate

A percentage of rooms will be available at the prevailing U.S. Government per diem rate (plus tax) for U.S. federal, state, and local government employees.  If you are a government employee (not a contractor), contact The Conference Group (telephone: 800-783-6338 or 614-488-2030; fax: 614-488-5747; e-mail: info@confgroupinc.com) to request the link for on-line reservations at the Government rate.

Baltimore

Founded in 1729, Baltimore was an important shipping connection within the American colonies and with other points in the British Empire. After the Revolutionary War, the city grew rapidly. The first commercial railway in the U.S. connected Baltimore with the new states arising to the west. By the Civil War, Baltimore was the second largest port in the U.S.

The Inner Harbor area was developed  to commemorate the historical roots of the city. The harbor view reveals a fleet of historic watercraft—shipping, naval, and fishing—that reflect Baltimore’s 250 years as a maritime center. Visitors can stroll along the water, stopping to visit the National Aquarium, tour the U.S.S. Constellation, browse through the many shops, and dine on Chesapeake Bay crabcakes or international cuisine. 

For an extended stay, Baltimore offers many activities and destinations. Take a guided tour of historic neighborhoods, such as Fells Point, Mount Vernon and Union Square. Visit the B&O Railroad Museum, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Cylburn Arboretum, and the Baltimore Zoo—the third oldest in the nation. Take a water taxi to Fort McHenry, where the original “Star-Spangled Banner” flew during the bombardment of the Fort in a decisive battle of the War of 1812.

Details about the Inner Harbor, the many other tourist destinations within the Baltimore area, and the local transportation system can be found at www.baltimore.org. For attendees who may want to take a vacation before or after the Symposium, this site also provides links to information about train service to Washington, Philadelphia, and New York City

An informal, one-hour walking tour of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and nearby Federal Hill will be offered on Tuesday afternoon and again on Friday afternoon for Symposium participants and spouses. The tour, which provides an excellent view of the Harbor, will cover important historic landmarks and also several key environmental restoration projects. Learn about Baltimore’s industrial past and its impacts on the land and the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the country. Your guide will be Ned Tillman, author of Chesapeake Tales–A Guide to Saving the Bay. The tours will leave the Marriott Waterfront at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday and 1:30 p.m. Friday. To participate, be in the hotel lobby 5 minutes before departure time. Inquiries should be addressed to ntillman@columbiatechnologies.com..

Inquiries
Questions about the hotel may be addressed to: The Conference Group (1580 Fishinger Road, Columbus, OH 43221), info@confgroupinc.com; phone: 800-783-6338 (U.S. and Canada) or 614-488-2030; fax: 614-488-5747.