52nd Annual Anomalous Absorption Conference (AAC2024)
AAC2024 will be held at the Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana, on Sunday, June 9th – Friday, June 14th, 2024.
On behalf of the Anomalous Absorption Conference Board of Directors, we look forward to seeing you in Big Sky. Please refer to the Deadlines and Abstract sections to prepare for your participation and attendance at the conference.
The conference format will be similar to previous conferences with oral presentations in the mornings and afternoons free for individual discussions and recreational activities. Evening plenary and poster sessions will be held Monday, Tuesday and Thursday with Wednesday evening reserved for the conference banquet. A conference reception will be held Sunday evening starting at 6:00pm, so be sure to arrange your travel plans to allow you and your travel companions to enjoy this communal conference activity.
The Big Sky Resort is located approximately one hour’s drive from the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, so attendees are encouraged to explore the abundant natural resources with your colleagues during the conference.
The informational sections across this page were designed to provide all the background information regarding the conference and location, including links for more details and specifics. Should you require more information or have questions, do not hesitate to send an email to AAC2024@AnomalousAbsorption.org.
Deadlines
Early Registration: Before May 9th
Late Registration: May 9th - June 9th
Abstract Due Date: May 9th
Hotel Reservations at conference rate: May 9th
Lodging
The Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana will be the host site for the 52nd Anomalous Absorption Conference. Located about one hour from either Bozeman, MT, or West Yellowstone, MT, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, this year’s conference will combine exceptional conference facilities in a majestic alpine destination with a wide variety of summer activities and outdoor fun. To facilitate hotel accommodations, a block of rooms are reserved for conference participants and their families. Deluxe rooms look onto the grounds of the Resort, at the Resort Mall, or at the surrounding mountains. A variety of room options are available to meet your needs. A limited number of connecting rooms are available. One king/queen bed or two queen beds are available. Please make your reservations early as only a limited number of rooms are available at the block rate and any remaining room will be released on May 9th. Your credit card will be charged for one night’s cost (including fees & taxes) at the time of booking.
The conference hotel room rate is $189-$299 per night, single or double occupancy. For each additional person in the room, add $10 per person, per night. An additional charge of 22.8% (to cover a 10% resort service fee and 12.8% taxes) will be added to all accommodation charges. Attendees can obtain the conference rate during conference days, and if available, during the nights immediately preceding and following the conference dates. A credit card deposit equal to one (1) night’s stay (including fees & taxes) will be required at the time of booking to secure the reservation.
The 10% resort fee includes the following amenities:
- Resort Bellman shuttle for transport within the Big Sky Community
- Exclusive access to resort activity schedule
- Children’s activities in the Huntley Lodge lobby
- Movies in the amphitheater nightly
- Complimentary scenic lift rides
- Complimentary boat rentals at Lake Levinski every Wednesday from 9 am – 1 pm
- Complimentary self-parking
- Complimentary Wi-Fi in hotel rooms and in the conference venue
- Complimentary access to Pool, Hot Tub and Fitness Center
In addition to the block hotel rooms, you may request to stay in a more private accommodation on the Resort property. The condos afford a larger overall living space and may accommodate families that choose to make the AAC2024 conference a destination family vacation. Please contact Big Sky Resort Reservations directly at the number below for pricing and availability.
Any remaining conference block rooms will be released on May 9th, 2024 (or sooner if the room block is fully booked before then). You may begin reserving your room at any time. Reservation requests after May 9th will be accepted on a space available basis and at the standard hotel rates.
Contact information for the Conference site in Big Sky, MT:
Big Sky Resort Reservations: (800) 548-4486
Resort Physical Address: 50 Big Sky Resort Rd, Big Sky, MT 59716
The brochure for the location is here
Reservation Procedures (and cancellation):
Individuals will make their own reservations directly via the lodging link below. If the reservation is canceled within 30 days of the arrival date, 100% of the deposit is forfeited including the 22.8% resort fee & taxes.
In order to confirm the group rate it is important that you make your reservations through the conference block webpage link below. If issues arise, please call the resort directly at (800) 548-4486, option 2 and reference Anomalous Absorption Conference 2024 to receive the discounted rates.
You can book your rooms on their website through this link
Registration
NOTE: If you intend to purchase guest meal and banquet tickets, it will be convenient for you to save your payment information when you go to pay. It is not saved on our servers, and is handled via Stripe and Link, the payment processors. Credit Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other methods are accepted
Attendees
Early registration will be available from March 1st through May 9th.
Standard registration: Before May 9th - $900.00; After May 9th - $1000.00
Student registration: Before May 9th - $500.00; After May 9th - $1000.00
Students in need of financial assistance to attend the conference should have their institutional sponsor send a “letter of need” to AAC2024@AnomalousAbsorption.org.
The registration fee includes access to all conference sessions, a printed conference agenda and an electronic abstract book, and a meal plan. The meal plan consists of hot breakfasts Monday through Friday and catered lunches Monday through Thursday. The Sunday evening reception and conference banquet Wednesday night also are included with the registration fee. Dinners during the rest of the week are not included so attendees can take the opportunity to enjoy eating options around the Big Sky area with their colleagues.
For attendees who will pay via check or another method, please register by emailing AAC2024@AnomalousAbsorption.org with your name and institution.
Guests
Additional meal tickets can be purchased in advance for attendee guests at the following rates:
Adults: Breakfast - $30.00, Lunch - $40.00
Children (8-17): Breakfast - $20.00, Lunch - $25.00
Children (under 8): free
There also will be a limited number of seats available for guests at the Conference banquet. Conference banquet tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at a rate of $80.00 before May 9th. We expect these extra seats to go fast, so please purchase any extra banquet tickets you will need early so you will not be disappointed.
Abstract Submission
Please submit abstracts before May 9th (written using the template below) via email as an attached pdf file to AAC2024@AnomalousAbsorption.org and include your request for either an oral or poster presentation.
Abstract Specifications
The abstract should have a title followed by an author list and their affiliations. The abstract dimensions should not exceed 6.5 inches (width) and 9.0 inches (length). The font should be 12-point Times New Roman and the abstract should be submitted in pdf file format.
Abstract templates:
Please submit the abstract as a pdf, regardless of which template you use.
All presentations at this conference must be unclassified.
Agenda
The current version of the agenda can be found here
Travel
Travel to the Big Sky Resort is best accomplished by flying into the Bozeman, MT Airport (BZN) and renting a car to drive the final one hour south on Highway 191 to the resort. One may also consider flying into the smaller West Yellowstone Airport (WYS) and again renting a car (limited availability on flights and rental cars) to drive one hour north on Highway 191 to the Resort. Self-Parking at the Resort is free for Resort lodging guests. Valet parking is available at additional cost.
Preparation
Please come prepared for a variety of weather in Big Sky and the surrounding area. The Resort sits at 7218 feet elevation and the new tram and resort ski lifts access elevations up to 11,166 feet. The late spring weather in the mountains of Montana can vary between sub-freezing snowing/windy conditions to balmy short-sleeve sunny weather. Be advised to dress in layers and be prepared for potential cold and rainy conditions. If you plan on hiking into the Montana and Yellowstone backcountry, be sure to carry bear spray and exercise smart hiking practices with plenty of water and sunscreen and follow general guidelines for keeping a safe distance from wildlife and avoiding habits that could attract wild animals. Please note that local weather conditions can vary significantly from general weather website predictions you may see on your cellphone apps. The swimming pools at the resort are heated year round, so be sure to bring a swimsuit if you plan on enjoying a dip in the pool with your favorite libation!
Activities
The following links provide information on a variety of activities in Big Sky and nearby Yellowstone National Park. Note that early afternoon is a good time to access Yellowstone. Peak delays entering and leaving the Park are mornings between 7-9am and evenings between 4:30 and 7:30 pm, respectively. This list is not meant to be comprehensive but merely a starting place for things to do while at AAC2024.
Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Museum of the Yellowstone, Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, Big Sky Resort activities and trails
Contacts
Questions about AAC2024 should be sent to AAC2024@AnomalousAbsorption.org.
You can also email AAC2024 officers at the addresses listed on the Organizers page.