Background

Saratoga Springs is a mid-size town in upstate New York about 150 miles north of New York City. It is an area of high tech, and has been a tourist town for more than 200 years. GE Research is close by, IBM has multiple facilities in the Hudson valley and Global Foundries is a big silicon chip making plant. It is also a horse racing town and every year holds a big race called the “Travers” which is considered to be one of the big three in the USA. In the years when a horse has won the other two, the interest is intense.

There are multiple hotels, a European style high street, and a nice town park.

Transportation

The nearest large airport is Albany twenty miles south. It has direct connections to many towns in the East Coast and mid-west but is only called “Albany International” because of an intermittent service to Toronto. I recommend connecting via Chicago or Detroit if you are traveling from the Far East, or via Philadelphia or Washington Dulles if you are traveling from Europe.

Paradoxically, Albany is too close to New York City to have a good air connection. The best is to Newark, but Albanians go to New York City by car or by train. I frequently take the train but you have to change twice to get to Moynihan station from JFK. This is a new station that is replacing Penn station and advertises itself as the world biggest. (No way I have seen the stations in Japan).

Hiring a rental car is a very good choice because there is lots of parking in Saratoga. If you hire a car then you may also want to consider flying to Hartford International airport which has direct connections to Europe. The drive from Hartford to Saratoga will take you over the Berkshire Mountains (really hills). The roads are very good and the views will be very pretty. It will take two hours. Driving from a New York city airport will also be pretty and take more than three hours. The train from Moynihan to Albany runs along the Hudson and is the prettiest choice. It takes three and a half hours. Boston is also a driving choice. As you leave Boston airport there is a sign saying Albany this way on I90.

If you fly to Albany airport then hiring a car should be relatively cheap because they make all their money during the horse racing season. You can also get an Uber or a Taxi. They should cost about $60.

Meeting Facilities

The meeting will be held at two locations within the town of Saratoga Springs. The Sunday pre-meetings and Monday plenary meetings will be held at the Gideon Putnam which is a luxury hotel at the edge of town close to a famous spa and concert venue.

The meetings from Tuesday to Friday will be held at Empire State College which has a new building near the race course., the down town dining area and most of the hotels.

Hotels

There is a large range of hotels in Saratoga. They are better than average, again because of the horse racing season. There is no recommended hotel. If you are on a budget then there are cheaper options in nearby towns. Clifton Park and Ballston Spa are both very popular because of their proximity to Albany and Saratoga, and the chip making plant. You can also go north to the Adirondack mountains and Lake George.

Hotel Discounts

We have negotiated hotel discounts at the Gideon Putnam and the Holiday Inn. The Gideon Putnam will be used for the pre-meetings and the first day (Monday). The Holiday Inn is the closest hotel to Empire State College which will be used for the Tuesday through Friday meetings. Please use the following links to make your reservations and note the deadlines after which reservations can be made at the normal rate (if available).

Holiday Inn (expires September 24, 2023)

Holiday Inn: Saratoga Springs
232 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY
1-518-584-4550

Group Code: ISO

ISO Manufacturing Link

Gideon Putnam (expires September 22, 2023)

The Gideon Putnam
24 Gideon Putnam Road
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
1-866-890-1171
https://www.gideonputnam.com/

ISO Manufacturing Link

Weather

Every year all the leaves are on the trees on October 1, and are all gone on October 31. Our meeting will take place during the peak fall foliage. The mornings will be crisp and the afternoons will be lovely.

Social Event

The social event will take place on Wednesday afternoon and will feature a boat trip on Lake George for lunch followed by a drive into the Adirondack mountains for a visit to Captain Kirk’s favorite Star Trek set.

Registration Fee

The registration fee is expected to be $350. A web site for paying the fee will be available shortly.