Practical Information
Looking for travel to London, entry requirements, and things to do in the region, including walking and cycling? See our Local Information page.
Conference Venue
- The welcome reception on Sunday, July 5, 2026, 5:30pm, will be at the Thames Hall Atrium
- Talks will be held in the 3M Centre (Room number: 3M, 3250), which is adjacent to Thames Hall; we recommend entering the building through one of the Thames Hall south entrances and then following the conference signs.
- Posters and coffee breaks will be in the Thames Hall Atrium (one floor below where the talks are held)
- The Banquet on Thursday, July 9, 2026 will be at Spencer Hotel & Conference Center
Maps
Here is a map of the campus and immediate surroundings. Thames Hall is the place to be, and we recommend entering the venue from one of the south entrances, near the roundabout. Bus stops are indicated, with the bus line numbers that stop there. Note that there is construction and road closures (for cars) between Ontario Hall (where many participants are staying) and the campus. Pedestrians should be able to access campus without problems.
Here is the floor plan for the conference venue’s ground floor. Once you enter through the Thames Hall south entrance (indicated as “Recommended Entrance”), there will be ample signage (and LOC members) to guide you.
Registration, coffee breaks and poster sessions will be on the ground floor (which, somehow, is the second level in this building); talks will be one level up:
Posters
The poster boards can accommodate posters up to a maximum size of 4 ft × 4 ft (122 cm × 122 cm). Most standard conference poster formats (e.g., A0 or 36″ × 48″) will fit comfortably within these dimensions. Poster presentations will play an important role in the meeting and will be displayed throughout the conference, rather than only during the dedicated poster sessions. You can find your poster number in the abstract book. Posters are identified by numbers in the format 2.xx (e.g., 2.1 – Vibrational Carbon Character Analysis of Astronomical PAHs). Poster boards will be available at the start of the welcome reception, so you are welcome to put up your poster upon arrival.
Oral Presentations
To ensure smooth transitions between talks and minimize technical delays during the conference, all presentations will be run from dedicated conference computers. We will have both a dedicated Windows machine and a dedicated Mac available for presentations. As a result, speakers will be asked to upload their presentation files well in advance of their scheduled talk time. We kindly ask that you upload your presentation no later than 12 hours before your scheduled talk (i.e., on the day preceding your presentation) using this form.
We will be able to accommodate presentations prepared in the following formats:
- PowerPoint (.pptx) prepared on Windows
- PowerPoint (.pptx) prepared on macOS
- Keynote
Speakers will also have the opportunity to verify that their presentation displays correctly on the conference computer before their session.
WiFi on Campus
Western University offers Eduroam wireless access across campus. If your home institution participates in Eduroam, please make sure your device is configured before you arrive. Alternative WiFi will be available for conference participants without Eduroam access.
What to bring?
We are currently experiencing a heat wave. The forecast for next week calls for daytime temperatures of 27–28°C (81–82°F), but with high humidity, so it will feel much warmer. It will remain warm at night with temperatures approximately 18–20°C (64–68°F). Most buildings and establishments are air-conditioned, providing a comfortable indoor environment.
We strongly encourage participants—especially those joining the excursions—to bring a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, lightweight long-sleeved clothing, and a light rain jacket or umbrella in case of an occasional thunderstorm.
Lunch (and Dinner) Options
Lunch (on and near campus)
Lunch breaks are short, so plan to stay on or near campus. There are numerous eateries right on campus — coffee shops, grab-and-go counters, and food trucks; see Western’s Find Food page for locations and hours. For a sit-down lunch, try The Grad Club in Middlesex College or The Wave in the University Community Centre. Nearby off-campus lunch spots are marked on the map below.
Dinner (downtown)
Evenings are free to explore London’s food scene — most of the best dinner options are downtown, about 10 minutes away by bus.
Food Map
The map below shows some available food options on or near campus. Some personal recommendations of members of the LOC for food options outside campus are indicated as well.
Local Transportation
London’s public transit system (LTC) serves the Western University campus and most parts of the city (see “Conference Venue” above for a map with bus stops and line numbers) near the conference venue. Conference participants receive a free bus pass for the week of the conference. Uber is also widely available. The Western campus is walkable, and campus maps can be found here. We also recommend downloading the all-in-one digital guide for experiencing London — a very helpful resource for dining, attractions, and exploring the city: https://www.mylondonapp.ca/. For information on traveling to London (airports and shuttles), see the Local Information page.
Accessing campus by car
Canada has two seasons: hockey season and construction season — and this year, construction around the university is giving hockey a run for its money. During the conference, construction on Western Road has closed campus access via Philip Aziz Avenue — the main route for participants staying in Ontario Hall. Pedestrian access remains possible via dedicated paths north of the Recreation Centre. Participants arriving by car from the west side of campus should expect significant delays, and other campus access points are likely to experience increased congestion as a result. Please contact the LOC if you need parking on campus.