Conference Venue

JALT2013 is taking place at Kobe Convention Center, Portopia, Kobe in Hyogo prefecture. The convention center is easily accessible from major airports and train stations, while the nearby cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara are all just a short train journey away.
Access details: http://kobe-cc.jp/english/access/index.html
More information about the conference venue can be found at the convention center website: http://kobe-cc.jp/english/index.html
The Conference Center, Portopia Hotel, and Exhibition Hall (including the EME), are all an easy walk from each other. From the PortLiner Shimin Hiroba station, you can get to both places in just minutes–turn left for the Exhibition Hall and right for the Conference Center and Portopia Hotel.
Main Hall
Our plenary sessions and the JALT Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) are all in the Main Hall, which is in the Conference Center building and has easy access on the ground floor. On the B1 floor are the cloakroom and a meeting room for some SIG annual general meetings (AGMs). Some SIG AGMs will also be held in the Main Hall, so check the schedule for rooms, areas, and times. The cloakroom will be open during regular conference hours, but make sure you check and adhere to the closing times if you wish to leave any luggage or clothing.
The Conference Center
The majority of the presentations will happen on floors 3-5 of the Conference Center. JALT Junior is on the 5th floor with presentations and poster sessions. Each floor has a very spacious lounge area, so please take advantage of the space to network and relax between sessions.
The Portopia Hotel
We are using some rooms in the hotel for the Featured Speaker workshops, as well as other presentations, on Saturday and Sunday. In the schedule, these rooms are called Ikuta, Nunobiki, Kitano, and Kikusui, which are all located on floor B1, and Sumire, Tsutsuji, and Salon de Savoir, which are located on the 2nd floor. There are two entrances to the hotel: one is near the Shimin Hiroba station, and the other is near the shopping area. For the workshops and presentations, please check the schedule for exact times and room numbers.
The Exhibition Hall
This building is where you can find everything besides the presentations. This is the place to go to visit the Educational Materials Exhibition (EME), where you can talk to publishers, check out their books, and browse through their catalogues. There is also a small food court with a big rest area, the SIG tables, the international and domestic affiliate displays, the Happy Room, the Job Information Center, and the poster sessions. Conference registration is located in the Exhibition Hall as well. As always, we ask you to be respectful of the site and encourage you to properly dispose of your rubbish.
Food and Beverages
There are several restaurants in the site to choose from. In the Conference Center itself, there is a restaurant named Casual Restaurant Terasse that has a lunch buffet from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. In the Portopia Hotel, you can choose from a variety of restaurants, most located on the 1st, 4th, and top floors. If you show your conference badge to any restaurant in the hotel, you can get a discount. As well, Ikea is a short 5 minute walk for the more adventurous types. We will also be selling food and beverages in the Food Court located in the Exhibition Hall next to the EME. See also http://jalt.org/conference/jalt2013/social-events for evening options
Cloakroom
JALT will provide participants with a cloakroom on floor B1 of the Main Hall. Once the cloakroom is closed, JALT will not be responsible for any leftover baggage. Please pick up your baggage prior to closing.
Information Centers
There will be two Information Counters at JALT this year. The first one will be located in the lobby entrance of the Exhibition Hall, and a second one will be located in the lobby of the Main Hall. Please note that the Exhibition Hall will not be open on Monday, 28 October.
Smoking Areas
There is a nonsmoking policy for the entire building of the Kobe Conference Center, Exhibition Hall, and the Portopia Hotel, but there are designated smoking areas:
Conference Center–Smoking room on 2nd floor, next to the #4 elevator. This is a new room which is not listed on the floor layout.
Exhibition Hall (where the EME is located)–Smoking room next to the nursing room.
Portopia Hotel–There are ashtrays in the main entrance areas on the 1st and B1 floors. Smoking room on 2nd floor near the Dining Cafe SoCo.