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22–25 October

Seattle, Washington, USA

IMPORTANT DATES

• Late March: Meeting room request system opens (non-technical, social, and
business meeting room requests);

• Mid-May: Housing opens (Orchid Events is the official housing bureau for
GSA 2017 Seattle);

• Early June: Registration and Travel Grant applications open;
• 6 June: Meeting room request deadline—fees increase after this date;
• Early August: Student volunteer program opens (new timing this year);
• 1 August: Abstracts deadline;
• 18 September: Early registration deadline;
• 18 September: GSA Sections travel grants deadline;
• 25 September: Registration and student volunteer cancellation deadline;
• 27 September: Housing deadline for discounted hotel rates.

With more than 50% of Washington wines scoring 90+ points in Wine Spectator, flying
home with your perfect souvenir might take some pre-planning! Source: Washington State
Wine Commission.

HOTEL INFORMATION

The official GSA Housing Bureau, Orchid Events, will open for reservations in mid-May.
The Sheraton Seattle Hotel will serve as GSA headquarters, and it’s just half a block from
the Washington State Convention Center. The GSA block includes 10 hotels offering rates
from US$169 to US$219 single/double occupancy (per night, plus tax). All hotels are within
walking distance of the Washington State Convention Center.

Protect yourself: As the number of online hotel bookings continues to increase, so does
the rate of booking scams. According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, fraud-
ulent websites con 2.5 million North Americans out of US$220 million every year. Use only
a trusted source to make your hotel reservation and beware of anyone contacting you directly
via email, phone, or fax. If you have any questions, please contact the GSA Meetings
Department at meetings@geosociety.org. We will post information to our website regarding
hotel reservations in mid-May.

ON TO THE FUTURE

“The On To the Future (OTF) program made me feel like I belonged at this conference
no matter what my background was and where I was from which was amazing.”

Join more than 400 students who have received travel funding to attend a GSA Annual
Meeting. On To the Future provides students from groups that are traditionally underrepre-
sented travel funding and mentorship to their first GSA Annual Meeting, this year in
Seattle, Washington, USA, on 22–25 October 2017. Awardees will be exposed to an array of
geoscience research, career options, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to inter-
act with GSA leadership. The deadline to apply is 26 May.

Check the OTF website for eligibility guidelines and application information:
www.geosociety.org/GSA/OTF/Home.aspx. Questions? Contact Tahlia Bear at tbear@
geosociety.org.

24 GSA Today | March–April 2017