Joint Session of the USA and India Branches of IFA
Washington, DC
The Fairmont Washington Hotel
May 27-29, 2009
     

ACCOMPANYING PERSONS’ PROGRAM

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Host City Hospitality Suite available at the Fairmont Washington Hotel

Afternoon Shuttle Bus to the US Capitol Visitor Center
The Capitol is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. The Senate and the House of Representatives have met here for more than two centuries. Begun in 1793, the Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored; today, it stands as a monument not only to its builders but also to the American people and their government.
From its inception, the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) has been conceived as an extension of the Capitol that welcomes visitors to the seat of American government. At nearly 580,000 square feet, the CVC is the largest project in the Capitol’s 215-year history and is approximately three quarters the size of the Capitol itself. The entire facility is located underground on the east side of the Capitol so as not to detract from the appearance of the Capitol and of the grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1874.
The conference organizers have arranged for a van to shuttle participants between the Fairmont Washington Hotel and the Capitol Visitor Center at a small fee.  Information on the shuttle schedule will be available closer to the conference date.
Shuttle Ticket: $25.00 per person

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Host City Hospitality Suite available at the Fairmont Washington Hotel

Thursday Tour: A Visit to our Colonial Past and Historic Old Town
Today, you will travel back in time to the eighteenth century – to the life and times of The Father of our Country, George Washington. Your trip aboard a luxury mini coach will take you over the Potomac River to Mount Vernon, America’s most visited historic house. The estate sits on a grassy, shaded slope overlooking the Potomac River. Upon arrival you will pass thru the newest additions to the estate: The Ford Orientation Center and Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center. The 25 galleries and theaters that make up the new buildings house iconic artifacts a state-of-the-art exhibits that complement the historic area experience by illuminating fascinating chapters of Washington's life. The exhibits depict Washington as an incomparable American hero who evolved from a young man of modest means into this country's first and greatest president.
From the visitor’s center, you will make your way along the garden path to Washington’s home, where you will be presented with an authentic look at the life of George and Martha Washington. Docents will describe the rich history and significant historical events that took place in each of the bright and colorful rooms in the mansion. From there, you will tour the outbuildings where much of the day-to-day domestic activity on the plantation took place – from the curing, spinning and laundry houses to the living quarters for overseers and slaves.
Following the tour of Mount Vernon, guests will board the coach for their journey to historic Old Town Alexandria, the famous port city along the Potomac that was home to many of our nation’s founding fathers. The coach will pass Christ Church, where both George Washington and Robert E. Lee worshiped, the Lee Boyhood Home, the Lee-Fendell House, the Carlyle House, George Washington’s townhouse, Gadsby’s Tavern – an authentic 18th century tavern and the Apothecary Shop. You will be led on a brief walking tour with your guide who will fill you in on the details as you pass historic sites. Spend the rest of your afternoon enjoying lunch on your own and visiting the city’s numerous galleries and quaint shops along historic King Street. Another favorite spot to visit while in Old Town is the famous Torpedo Factory, filled with over one hundred studios, galleries and unusual works of art.
Tour Ticket: $75.00 per person

 
Gala Dinner
Sponsored by KPMG
Ticket included for conference attendees, $150.00 per person for accompanying persons

Friday, May 29, 2009

Host City Hospitality Suite available at the Fairmont Washington Hotel

Friday Museum Shuttle to the National Gallery and the Smithsonian Museums
The National Gallery of Art was created in 1937 for the people of the United States of America by a joint resolution of Congress, accepting the gift of financier and art collector Andrew W. Mellon. During the 1920s, Mr. Mellon began collecting with the intention of forming a gallery of art for the nation in Washington. In 1937, the year of his death, he promised his collection to the United States.
The paintings and works of sculpture given by Andrew Mellon have formed a nucleus of high quality around which the collections have grown. Mr. Mellon's hope that the newly created National Gallery would attract gifts from other collectors was soon realized in the form of major donations of art from hundreds of donors.
The Gallery's East Building, located on land set aside in the original Congressional resolution, accommodates the Gallery's growing collections and expanded exhibition schedule and houses an advanced research center, administrative offices, a great library, and a burgeoning collection of drawings and prints. The Gallery also boasts an outdoor sculpture garden designed to offer year-round enjoyment to the public with works of modern and contemporary sculpture.
Smithsonian Institution: In 1826, James Smithson, a British scientist, drew up his last will and testament, naming his nephew as beneficiary. Smithson stipulated that, should the nephew die without heirs (as he would in 1835), the estate should go “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” 
Today, the Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine. Most of its facilities are located in Washington, D.C., but its 19 museums, zoo, and 9 research centers include sites in New York City, Virginia, Panama, and elsewhere. It has over 136 million items in its collections, publishes a monthly magazine named Smithsonian and employs the Smithsonian Police to protect visitors, staff and the property of the museums.
The conference organizers have arranged for a van to shuttle participants between the Fairmont Washington Hotel and the National Gallery and Smithsonian Institution Information Center (“The Castle”) at a small fee.  Information on the shuttle schedule will be available closer to the conference date.
Shuttle Ticket: $25.00 per person

Saturday, May 30, 2009

City Sightseeing Tours: Trolley Tours (hop on/off to visit stops on your own), and “DC Duck” Potomac River Tours
Tour at your own pace! Old Town Trolley Tours' on and off privileges make it easy to explore the most interesting sights of the city. Hop off at your favorite stops – for lunch, shopping or to experience an attraction – and then hop back on to continue your sightseeing tour.
DC Ducks is an exciting way to see Washington. Climb aboard an authentic, fully restored 1942 “Duck” and let the adventure begin! From Union Station the vehicle will waddle down to the mall where you’ll see the awe inspiring monuments and fabulous Smithsonian Museums. Then at the Potomac River you’ll splash down for a whole different look at the nation’s capital. From the land to the water, it’s all in the same vehicle!  The Ducks are fully restored, U.S. Coast Guard approved vessels.

The conference organizers will purchase tickets on your behalf for these city tours which are open to the public. 
Trolley Tour Ticket: $35.00 per person
DC Duck Tour Ticket: $32.00 per person