KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!
Getting to the Lory Student Center and Academic Village:
All conference activities will be held in the upper floor (300 level) of the Lory Student Center on the Colorado State University (CSU) campus. Detailed instructions for getting from the Denver International Airport (DIA) to the CSU campus and various Fort Collins hotels are included in the file <Travel_Instructions.pdf>. If you are taking the GROOME airport shuttle, we recommend you make your reservation at least a few days in advance. If you are staying on-campus at the Academic Village, or in one of the hotels near campus (or near the MAX Bus line), and are able to walk approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 km), you will likely not need a car for your visit.
See the CSU Campus map <CSU Campus Map 2019.pdf> and ‘CES Know Before You Go’ document for more information about the CSU campus.
Getting Around Campus:
All conference activities are within approx. ½ mile walking distance of the on-campus accommodations at the Academic Village, the Best Western University Inn, and the Hilton Fort Collins.
An on-campus free shuttle bus, Around the Horn, connects multiple stops on campus every 30 minutes. Conference attendees would get on/off at the CSU Transit Center (north side of the Lory Student Center); the stop nearest the Academic Village (on-campus housing) is between Edwards & Ingersoll Halls on Pitkin St.
Parking:
Parking is strictly enforced on the CSU campus Monday-Friday (parking is free on Saturday/Sunday). If you did not buy a parking pass when you registered for the meeting (and are not lodging on-campus), or will be registering onsite, you may buy a parking pass when you check-in/register. CSU no longer uses a physical parking permit, and instead collects license plate numbers for any vehicles that will be parked on-campus. If you were unable to provide your license plate number at the time of online registration, please provide it to Conference & Event Services ahead of time OR at conference registration. To record the license plate number before arrival, email conferences@colostate.edu or call 970-491-6222. If you do not have a license plate number yet (e.g. a rental car), please note the number and bring it with you to check-in/registration. You can park in your chosen lot when you arrive, but you will need to go straight to conference registration and pay the parking fee/provide the license plate number – do not wait until later in the day or you will get ticketed! Once you’ve provided the license plate number, your vehicle will be valid in ‘MB’,'Q', ‘W’, 'X' and 'Z' Zones ($5.15/day) OR ‘A’ parking zones ($12.65/day), depending on which pass you have purchased. It will not be valid in metered/Pay-to-Park zones. Pay-to-Park lots are pay-as-you-go and also require a license plate number.
See the CSU Campus map for parking lot locations.
Check-in & Registration:
You can check-in or register for the conference in the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom Lobby on the top floor (300 Level) of the Lory Student Center at the following times:
- Sunday, June 30 from 4:00-7:00 pm
- Monday, July 1 from 7:00 - 10:00 am
- Tuesday, July 2 from 7:00 - 10:00 am
This is where you will pick up your name badge and other conference materials, as well as a parking pass if you requested one when you registered. If you are giving an oral presentation and have made any final changes to your slides, please bring those on a memory stick for upload at this time as well.
Opening Reception:
The Opening Reception will be held Sunday, June 30 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm in the Lory Student Center Ballrooms B/C/D. The reception is a casual social event, so please come as you are, any time before 8:00 pm. Heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided.
Altitude:
Fort Collins sits nearly 1 mile above sea level (5,000 ft/1,500 m). Visitors that live at lower altitudes may experience various effects of the higher elevation when they arrive to Fort Collins.
We have a few tips to help you acclimate:
- Drink lots of water! All attendees will receive a complementary CSU reusable water bottle at check-in.
- Ease into physical activities – you will likely feel more out of breath than you would normally feel when doing similar activities at home. If walking or biking to the conference, give yourself extra time to go a slower pace.
- Be very mindful of alcohol consumption. Most people find that their tolerance for alcohol is much lower at higher elevations, so it is best to go slow and drink lots of water until you know how your body responds.
If you experience more severe symptoms of altitude sickness (headaches, nausea, dizziness, etc.), please notify conference organizers and we will help you find medical care.
Weather:
Daytime temperatures in Fort Collins this time of year will most likely be in the 80s F (high 20s C). However, the temperature typically drops by 20-30 degrees F in the evening, and afternoon thunderstorms often pass through with little warning. We recommend you bring light layers and a rain jacket with you to the conference every morning so you are prepared for storms and cooler evening temperatures later. In addition, our summer climate is very dry, so proper hydration is essential. We recommend travelling with a water bottle and using it often! All attendees will receive a complementary CSU water bottle at check-in.
Getting Around Fort Collins:
Downtown Fort Collins, the city's main entertainment and shopping district, is just over a mile walk from the Lory Student Center, and a short ride from campus on the MAX bus (passes are $1 each from the automated kiosk at every MAX station). The MAX also provides convenient access to a number of microbreweries that Fort Collins is
known for. The city also offers bike share with stations throughout town and the CSU campus, and extensive cycling infrastructure for safe biking around town.
Biochar & Bioenergy 2019 will be held in Fort Collins, Colorado, at the Lory Student Center on the Colorado State University campus.
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a small city nestled at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, an hours drive north of Denver. The city offers visitors a picturesque Old Town historical district, over 20 craft breweries, miles of bike paths, and easy access to hiking trails, lakes, and rock climbing areas throughout an extensive network of parks and open spaces. Fort Collins also provides easy access to a variety of scenic drives and hikes as highlighted on our Sponsorship page, as well as the cities of Denver, Boulder, Laramie, and Cheyenne.
>>> Go to Visit Fort Collins for more information and to download the Fort Collins Visitors Guide
CSU & Lory Student Center
Colorado State University (CSU) is Colorado's land-grant university and a top tier research institution, with annual research expenditures of $300 million. CSU ranks first in the country among public institutions for per-faculty federal research funding. Additionally, CSU earned the first ever Platinum STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) rating for its sustainability efforts. The Lory Student Center is in the heart of the Colorado State University campus, next to the large green space known as the "lagoon," with mountain views to the west.
>>> Learn more about the amenities at the CSU Lory Student Center
Traveling to Fort Collins
Things to Know for On-Campus Housing (PDF)
Air Travel: Denver International Airport is the closest airport to Fort Collins. You will need to account for approximately 1-1.25 hours of driving time to Fort Collins. If taking the airport shuttle, they can provide you with exact pick-up/drop-off times.
Airport shuttle: Groome Transportation (formerly Green Ride Colorado) offers hourly rides from Denver International Airport to Fort Collins. To take advantage of the lowest fare, attendees can arrive to/depart from the CSU Transit Center, which is adjacent to the conference venue and just a short walk from Academic Village. Alternatively, attendees can be dropped off at the CSU Academic Village or other area hotels directly. To book, select Fort Collins: Book Now on the home page, then Arrival Reservations, and then select 'FC - CSU Transit Center', 'FC - Academic Village', or your other hotel from Hotels and other regular pickup Locations drop-down menu.
Private car: A number of rental car agencies are available at the Denver International Airport. A Lyft or Uber ride to/from the Denver airport is approximately $100. For anyone traveling with a car and needs to park on-campus, parking passes can be purchased with conference registration ($5.15 - $12.65/day). For those staying on-campus at Academic Village, parking is included with your lodging package.
Lodging
** Note: on-campus housing is now full **
Stay on campus! Affordable and conveniently-located meeting accommodation is available at the CSU Academic Village, just 3 blocks from the conference venue. Each room has a private bathroom, air conditioning, and twin-size bed. There is an option to have a single/private room or double room with a roommate. On-campus accommodation includes complementary on-campus parking as well as daily breakfast and dinner at the adjacent Ram's Horn dining facility, as detailed on the package you select within registration. On-campus lodging must be booked through the CSU conference website and can be booked when registering for the conference.
For those wishing to stay in a traditional hotel, we recommend the Best Western University Inn or Hilton Fort Collins, which are both a short walk from the conference venue. Other alternatives include the historic Armstrong Hotel in Old Town (0.1 miles from nearest MAX bus stop) or the Fort Collins Marriott in Mid Town near the Foothills Mall (0.6 miles from nearest MAX bus stop).
Getting Around Fort Collins
All conference activities are within walking distance of the on-campus accommodations, the Best Western University Inn, and the Hilton Fort Collins. Downtown Fort Collins, the city's main entertainment and shopping district, is a short ride from campus on the MAX bus. Fort Collins also offers bike share with stations throughout the city and CSU campus, and thorough cycling infrastructure for safe biking around town.
