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Online housing registration for JSM2018

  • 1.  Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-01-2018 12:00
    I am attempted to use the online booking system linked to from amstat.org but that system does not give any of the meeting hotels as options.  How are we supposed to book a hotel room in Vancouver for JSM2018?  I was just told online that all rooms are already booked.  WTF?

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    Frank Harrell
    Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
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  • 2.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-01-2018 15:14

    I find it "statistically interesting" that the JSM housing got pretty much booked up within the first hour of opening, if not less. Five out of the ten hotels became unavailable within the first 15 minutes.

    Assuming that no more rooms will be added later, surely this cannot be the optimal way of selling rooms, from the point of view of either the attendees or the hotels. (I'm guessing most people would be happy to pay more but have more choice for longer, and most hotels would be happy to sell at higher prices but possibly not immediately.)

    Any smarter and easy to implement solutions out there, for the future?



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    Piotr Fryzlewicz
    London School of Economics
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-01-2018 18:11
    You're right.  We should come up with ideas for optimizing the process.
    Frank

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    Frank Harrell
    Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 14:17

    Well, I'm sure we could probably come up with something better than the current system.  

    But, I think it is in the ASA's best interest to quickly resolve this matter themselves, otherwise,

    they may end up with a boycott of JSM due to a lack of available housing.



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    Rodney Sparapani
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-03-2018 16:30
    This is the worst so-called online booking I've ever encountered for a
    JSM meeting.?? I was able to find a room by going through the "general
    housing list" on the web page, looking up their numbers on Google, and
    asking to speak with the manager or convention marketing person,
    whereupon I got the same rate posted on the JSM web page!?? If you call,
    don't say "Michael sent me" but if this advice helps, give me a
    thumbs-up at JSM.

    --
    Michael Friendly Email: friendly AT yorku DOT ca
    Professor, Psychology Dept. & Chair, ASA Statistical Graphics Section
    York University Voice: 416 736-2100 x66249 Fax: 416 736-5814
    4700 Keele Street Web:http://www.datavis.ca
    Toronto, ONT M3J 1P3 CANADA


    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-05-2018 14:18
    I was very disappointed with the process this year. I was not able to view the set of continuing education courses when I clicked on Professional development on the ASA website a few days before housing opened up. As a business statistics and analytics professor and textbook author this is an important determinant in deciding whether to attend the meeting. I did receive a mailing May 3 that provided a list but by that time I was sure that the hotels were all booked. For my interest and needs, I have found the Decision Science Institute and Informs Analytics meetings are better suited.

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    David Levine
    Professor Emeritus
    Baruch College (CUNY)
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-03-2018 23:08
    That is the worst online registration system I have ever seen.  I hope that ASA can do better than this.  And Vancouver has lost its luster.  The last JSM at Vancouver was fabulous and I've been looking forward to this one for some time, not knowing of the sharp room price increases.  It doesn't matter any more that Vancouver is beautiful and has great weather.  Now I'd really take Seattle.  What a fiasco.  But I do sympathize with the fact that ASA has to book years in advance and doesn't want to over purchase blocks of rooms.

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    Frank Harrell
    Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 14:19

    The problem is having a convention in Vancouver in August.   The JSM is in August in large part because that is the hotel off season  in most of the US, except San Francisco and San Diego. That makes rooms cheap and available.  It isn't off season in Canada, however.   Where does the Board like to put the JSM:  in San Diego, San Francisco, and Canada.    




    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 14:42
    I don't agree that the problem is having the meeting in Canada. It is always a problem regardless of where the conference is held. In the past they have added rooms, but they are also gone that day. I've been lucky to get cancellations at later dates.

    I think you can call the hotels directly - you just won't get the same rate. This time I went on the moment it opened and then realized I didn't have the billing address for my travel card - by the time I walked down the hall and got it from our administrator, two-thirds of the rooms were already gone.

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    Douglas Landsittel
    Professor of Biomedical Informatics
    University of Pittsburgh
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 17:28
    Two options for JSM housing:
    * share a larger AirBnB or VRBO with friends
    * stay farther away, but near a SkyTrain station.

    From a thread at my work about visiting Vancouver:




    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 21:50
    I actually gave my class a break right at 11 am eastern on May 1 so that I could get a room.  I have learned in the past that the rooms go within less than an hour.  And I almost always have a class from 10-12 eastern, 5 days a week - so I run into this every year.  Many years I just give up on the ASA hotels and find my own deal, or I have a roommate who can make the reservation.  But this year I don't have a roommate and I checked into prices at hotels in Vancouver and there is no way that I could afford to go to JSM without getting a room at the ASA rate.  Even the Super 8 type hotels are in the $300-$400/night range.  So I gave my students at 10 minute break - and explained why.

    I do get funding from my college, but only partial.  They'll cover the full cost of the hotel at $250 US (which is basically what the rates are once you convert Canadian $ to US and then add tax), but not more than that.  And this year they won't cover the cost of food.  I noticed that that IRS rate is $146/day for meals now in Vancouver.  It sounds like the city has become much(!) more expensive than the last time JSM was there.  So even with the hotel covered, JSM is going to be expensive for me this year.  I've attended nearly all of the JSM's since I left grad school 25 years ago.  But if this kind of cost becomes a trend, I'll have to step back and go far less often.  And I will miss the many opportunities and connections that come with attending JSM.  I'm the only statistician at my school.  JSM is one of the few times a year that I get to interact with other statisticians.

     I hope that the ASA takes local cost into consideration when they schedule future JSMs.  I know they plan many years out, economic conditions may change (I think Vancouver has become a very popular destination recently), and Vancouver is a wonderful city.  But.  Those of us with minimal funding will find it increasingly hard to attend.

    Ann Cannon
    Cornell College



    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 14:46
    ​Same problem. I went online  yesterday shortly after getting an email that registration and housing were open and all rooms were already booked. I tried the  Experient (the Official Housing Provider ) customer service chat which did not help at all. They then put up on their site a phone number for Days Inn which no one responded to. At that point I called Experient   and was told that all the rooms were gone except for Days Inn. I explained that I could not reach them. The person taking the call tried to reach Days Inn and also had no response,  I asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor told me that she would try to get ahold of Days Inn and that she would get back to me. I still have not heard . In the meantime I found a different hotel not on the official list and somewhat farther from the conference site than I would have liked.Someone seems to have fumbled the ball here.

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    Benjamin Reiser
    University of Haifa
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 14:56
    Lodging for conventions usually gets gobbled up pretty quick, especially the nice hotels.

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    Herman Autore
    Florida State University
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    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 17:18
    Edited by Nicholas Moloci 05-02-2018 17:18
    It might be true that the rooms go quickly, but this is extreme. I was able to book a room for the 2017 JSM a few weeks after it opened.

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    Nicholas Moloci
    University of Michigan
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    Original Message


  • 15.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 17:38

    Hello, all!

    I wanted to post this here, for anyone who hasn't seen it yet:

    Due to unprecedented demand, the JSM 2018 hotels sold out far quicker than anticipated. We are doing all we can to find more rooms for JSM attendees and will add them to the housing reservation site as they become available. If none are shown as available when attempting to book online, you may wish to search for non-JSM block hotels.

    If you have any questions, email meetings@amstat.org.

    - Lara



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    Lara Harmon
    Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
    American Statistical Association
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    Original Message


  • 16.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-02-2018 22:00
    Lara, 

    I suspect the unprecedented demand is because of the cost of all the hotels in Vancouver.  I stayed at a Best Western the last time we were in Vancouver (not really a luxury hotel).  It was about a mile from the convention center and cost about $150/night then.  The cost now is $400/night nonrefundable, payable now at the same hotel.  If I want a room that I actually pay for after I stay, it is $470/night.  


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    Ann Cannon
    Cornell College
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    Original Message


  • 17.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-03-2018 20:03

    Several years ago, when JSM was in Denver, a friend told me he tried to use ASA to register for a room at the hotel he wanted, but was told they were all gone. So, he called the hotel, did not mention JSM, and they gave him a room for the same price as listed on the ASA site. Maybe that will never happen again, but maybe it will.




    Original Message


  • 18.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-05-2018 09:36
    To be within easy walking distance of the meeting I had to pay $600 per night and pay for one night in advance.  I'm thankful to my department for granting exceptions to us this year, but this is extremely unfair for the Department of Biostatistics to have to foot that type of bill.  At least the flights were not already booked solid.

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    Frank Harrell
    Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
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    Original Message


  • 19.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-07-2018 13:03
    Has there been any update on the hotel situation since last week? I've been checking daily but have yet to see more rooms released.

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    Nicholas Moloci
    University of Michigan
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    Original Message


  • 20.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-07-2018 14:59
    I was considering going, but won't register at this point. I wonder how many will do as I am doing?

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    Paul Thompson
    Director, Methodology and Data Analysis Center
    Sanford Research/USD
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    Original Message


  • 21.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-07-2018 21:12
    Just a thought:

    Given the unusual difficulty in booking a hotel room for many attendees and visa challenges for international students, have the JSM organizers considered an alternative option of hosting satellite conference sessions?

    Perhaps various participating societies and local chapters could hold key webcast sessions (e.g., named lectures) and provide professional networking/mentorship opportunities?

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    Kelly
    Chair, SPAIG Committee and Chair, HPSS Section
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    Original Message


  • 22.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-11-2018 15:45
    Just FYI, there are plenty of options close to the convention center for around $250 a night on Airbnb.

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    Glen DePalma
    Senior Data Scientist
    Apple
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    Original Message


  • 23.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-14-2018 15:33
    Have to admit, I am kinda mad.  I could have just went ahead and booked a fairly reasonable hotel near the site before May 1st.  But I figured I should wait till it opened up and go through the site.  Now your only options are to get a hotel a good distance away or pay a lot more money for a room.

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    James Holland
    Horizon Health
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    Original Message


  • 24.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-15-2018 14:52
    So I've had some luck looking at Airbnb and Hotwire. You might not be staying at a conference hotel, but it sure beats the $500 hotels that i'm seeing listed currently.

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    Nicholas Moloci
    University of Michigan
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    Original Message


  • 25.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-28-2018 08:51
    ​Does anybody was put on a waiting list during the housing registration process? I was able to get a room from July 28 to August 3rd at the Fairmont, but it says I'm on a waiting list for the night of August 2nd. Does anybody know when we will receive confirmation as to if I have a room for the whole week or not?

    Thanks!

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    Anne-Sophie Julien
    Biostatistician
    Research Centre of the CHU De Quebec - Universite Laval
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    Original Message


  • 26.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-29-2018 14:23
    I was put on the wait list at the Sheraton for the last 2 days but just recently taken off of it and had my room confirmed for the whole time, just a few days ago. I think it’s being done on a hotel-by-hotel basis.

    We went outside the JSM system and found a hotel somewhat farther away with refundable reservations for the missing days. At least as of the beginning of May, there were a number available around the city and at the airport. We canceled the other reservations after the Sheraton was confirmed. If the Sheraton hadn’t confirmed me for the last 2 days, I was planning to change hotels mid-conference and take a bus or taxi or something to get to the conference center the last days.

    There’s no guarantee you’ll be confirmed, so it might be prudent to come up with an alternative.

    Jonathan Siegel
    Associate Director Clinical Statistics

    Sent from my iPhone


    Original Message


  • 27.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-31-2018 12:39
    Hello, @Anne-Sophie Julien,

    I checked in with meetings staff here at the ASA about your question! Here is the response:

    "The housing bureau started contacting people last week and will continue this week with options for those who have waitlisted dates. It is a slow process because the options are different depending on which hotel you reserved and which night(s) are waitlisted."

    - Lara​

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    Lara Harmon
    Marketing and Online Community Coordinator
    American Statistical Association
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    Original Message


  • 28.  RE: Online housing registration for JSM2018

    Posted 05-28-2018 14:48
    Have you guys tried <g class="gr_ gr_20 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="20" data-gr-id="20">airbnb</g>?

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    Donald Van Marcke
    KU Leuven
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    Original Message


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