The conference will be held at the Sheraton Wall Centre Vancouver. Located in Downtown Vancouver's shopping and entertainment districts, it is within walking distance of the city's best restaurants and most attractions.
Rooms are available at 175 CAD per night for conference attendees, excluding tax and service charges. Room blocking will be available until June 13, 2014, subject to availability.
A limited number of rooms is available at a special rate for students attending the conference at 159 CAD per night for a room, excluding tax and service charges. Rooms can be shared by up to four persons (two double beds).
The conference venue (Sheraton Wall Centre) has links for hotel guests with a local Vancouver service named "Nannies on Call". Guests should directly book a sitter with this service. Booking is available online or by phone.
Here we paraphrase some information about the service for your quick reference. All information directly from Nannies on Call, if conflicting, should be assumed to be more accurate.
It works in two steps: 1) you pay Nannies on Call a booking fee (~$32); 2) you pay the nanny after her/his services (at an hourly rate which depends on how many children and how many families they come from).
After making an online booking, Nannies on Call will find a nanny that is qualified for the child(ren)'s age and email the parent information about the nanny so parents can be assured s/he is qualified.
The nanny comes to the hotel and looks after the child in the hotel, can possibly take them to the hotel's pool or for a walk outside in the neighbourhood.
On call rates for nannies are $16 per hour for up to 3 children from the same family. There's a four-hour minimum for each booking. A nanny can look after children from more than one family but this increases the hourly rate. Indicate this information when booking. There are a variety of plans to choose from.
You can book online as early as a month in advance and as late as 36 hours in advance. Less than 36 hours in advance, a call is needed. Booking earlier is better, especially given there will be lots of conference attendees using the service.
Two separate time periods in the same day count as two bookings and each requires a separate $32 fee. Overtime charges apply after 8 hours.
The Nannies on Call website also linked to "Babys on the Go" for renting baby gear locally rather than bringing it over from home.
A survey on this child care arrangement will follow after GECCO 2014.
About Vancouver
Vancouver is a large and multicultural Canadian city with a distinctive West Coast twist. Nestled between the sea and the mountains, it is a vibrant city close to nature. The remarkable Stanley Park as well as the 22 km seawall, which offers unparalleled opportunities for walking, cycling, and rollerblading, are in walking distance from downtown. The diversity of the city's restaurant scene is second to none. Vancouver has regularly been ranked as one of the most livable cities worldwide and is a beautiful destination to visit.
Travelling to Vancouver is easy and convenient, with direct flights from many cities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and a rail connection between the airport and downtown (Canada Line). Visit Tourism Vancouver Web site for more information.
