Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the MacWorld Expo & Conference?
In 2010, MacWorld Expo & Conference will be held at the Moscone Convention Centre in San Francisco, California, in the United States. San Francisco is the major city in northern California and the gateway to Silicon Valley. The dates for this years conference are Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13, February 2010.

How do I get to the USA?
Most Australian delegates enter the US through San Francisco or Los Angeles.

There are non-stop flights from Sydney to San Francisco with United Airlines who also offer flights via Auckland and Los Angeles from Melbourne. Qantas operate non-stop from Sydney to San Francsico and Melbourne to LA and it's about one further hour flight from LA to San Francisco. As well as the non-stop flights, there are flights via Auckland, including one from Brisbane.

From other Australian points of origin, your travel agent will almost certainly book you through Sydney, Melbourne or Auckland. Any way go you, it's a very long overnight flight. Qantas list SYD/LAX as 13 hours 30 minutes; MEL/LAX is 13:45 and AKL/LAX is 11:50.

Wear comfortable loose fitting clothes, bring something to read, flex your leg and feet muscles from time to time (helps you avoid DVT), drink plenty of fluids but not alcohol! Earplugs are invaluable for getting to sleep and noise-canceling headphones are great for watching the movies and listening to music if you can get hold of some (an iPod is a good investment!). A good book also helps pass the time.

How do I get to my hotel from the Airport?
If you fly into San Francisco Airport, the best way to get to a hotel in downtown San Francisco is by shuttle bus. For something like $US10 to $US20, they'll take you and your bags to the hotel door. At the airport, follow signs or ask directions to Shuttle Busses. The shuttle companies have agents on the footpath (sidewalk) who will arrange things for you. They take credit cards, but it's easier to pay cash. The driver will expect a tip (usually $1-$2).

The BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is another good option if you don't have much luggage. It's cheap and quick and you can walk to your hotel from a nearby train station.

All of the hotels listed by the AUC are either an easy walk to the Moscone Convention Centre, or to the local public transport system which takes you to the Convention Centre. Rain is unusual but it will be cold as it is the middle of the Northern hemispheres winter.

For the journey home, arrange in advance for a shuttle bus to the airport.

When should I travel?
The conference starts on Tuesday 9 February, and it usually kicks off with a keynote by Steve Jobs. You need to be early to get a good seat. There's a 7 hour time difference from Sydney to San Francisco, and that difference along with an overnight flight is enough to knock most people about. If you're traveling direct from Australia, plan to arrive in California by Monday the 8th (which means leaving Australia on Monday 8th, because of the International Date Line).

The Conference & Expo finishes on Saturday 13th February. It is possible to make a late night departure that night from San Francisco, but that's cutting it fine. If you're heading straight back to Australia, there will be much less strain if you leave the US on Saturday. It will probably be a night flight which gets you back to Australia (east coast) on Monday morning.

What passports and visas do I need?
You will need a passport. Check with your travel agent, but Australian and UK passport holders can enter the USA under a visa waiver program and do not usually need a visa issued in advance for a visit of less than 90 days.

If you are flying on a nationality that does require a visa then leave about 4-6 weeks to arrange this through your nearest US consulate.

What about security?
Security on airlines has been tightened and all US airports and carriers have new rules regarding access to terminals, aircraft and other secure areas. Make sure you have the correct paperwork (tickets, passport, visa, etc) with you before you arrive at the airport. Travelers should allow at least 3 hours for international check-in and be prepared to have all luggage (carry-on and checked) hand searched by security staff. You may even be asked to undergo a physical body search and have your shoes and clothing examined.

Remember some basic rules when traveling:

• Arrive early (at least 3 hours for international and 2 hours for domestic flights).
• Be prepared to have your luggage and clothes searched.
• Be prepared to have your photo taken and fingerprints scanned at US Customs.
• Be patient and friendly, remember that the increased security is for your benefit.

Do I need Insurance?
Don't even think about leaving home without travel insurance. It's a very bad idea to visit the United States without travel insurance, particularly to cover medical and ambulance costs. Delegates supported by the AUC (particularly University staff) may well be covered by blanket travel insurance policies held by their Universities - but don't make an assumption about that! Check whether the University has you covered and if not, arrange your own insurance. Your travel agent can assist you with this.

How do people dress at MacWorld?
It's casual. You'll see a few suits, but hardly any. You'll see a lot more jeans, t-shirts and jumpers. On a typical winter day, a jacket, sweater or windsheater would be required outside, but in the conference centre it will be warmer so dress in layers. Delegates from most parts of Australia will find that the weather in San Francisco is a lot colder than Australia at that time of the year. San Francisco is also generally colder than the surrounding Bay Area due to the on-shore winds from the Pacific Ocean. The days are quite short, with sunset a little after 5pm.

How do I stay in touch with home?
At MacWorld you will not find many 'free to use' computers and there is limited 'free' wireless networking available. Your best chance to use the web is via an Internet Cafe or by bringing your own laptop and using the internet service from your hotel room (costs may apply).

For phoning home, avoid charging calls from the hotel "to the room". Hotels charge outrageous mark-ups and service charges on international calls. Instead, take something like an Optus Calling Card, a Telstra Telecard or a prepaid Telstra Phoneaway card. These can also be used from public phones. Also make sure your mobile phone carrier allows 'global roaming'.

What's the MacWorld Expo & Conference like?
In the main, it is a conference with numerous sessions for people who make a living out of Apple technology. The MacIT Conference is aimed at professional Macintosh users and support staff and the conference will include many technical sessions.

Outside the conference proper, you'll meet thousands of people from all over the world who know a lot about using, administering and creating on a Macintosh. They come from Universities, government departments, major corporations, start-ups, small business and home users. They are all there and there's plenty of time to meet and talk in the breaks. On at least some evenings, there will probably be extra sessions, demonstrations or hospitality events but check the MacWorld Expo web site as you usually require an invitation to attend the social events.

Can I register for any MacWorld Conference Stream?
The AUC has determined that the minimum conference stream staff must register for is the MacIT Conference stream. You are welcome to register for a higher-level of Conference Stream (i.e. Platinum Pass Super Pass or PowerTools) but registering for the Users Conference, a Workshop on its own or simply the Expo will NOT entitle you to an AUC Scholarship and funding.

Can I Smoke and Drink?
In California (and on Delta & United Airlines), you're not allowed to drink alcohol until the age of 21. They do check. "We Card" means you need some kind of photographic identification which shows that you are 21 or older.

Smoking tobacco products in public indoor spaces is forbidden just about every where in the USA, with most hotels now totally smoke free. Also all flights are non-smoking. At MacWorld all smoking is banned inside the Convention Centre, there are outside areas where smoking is permitted.

Should I Drive?
Not necessary for attending the conference, or even for spending a day looking around San Francisco. If you do want to get around the area a bit before or after the conference, a rental car can be very useful. An Australian drivers licence is fine, and you'll need a major credit card. Some car rental companies won't rent to drivers under 25 years of age.

You may want to make arrangements in advance; if you are considering driving then get a good map and study it before you go. "Insurance included" means different things in renting a car in different parts of the world. Read the fine print carefully and if you're still unsure, get the agent to explain. You need cover against damage or theft to the vehicle, and you need cover against damage to third-party property and third-party injury.

How much spending money will I need?
How long is a piece of string? It all depends. There's no getting away from the fact that the US is an expensive place these days, even with the current state of the Australian dollar. And San Francisco is one of the more expensive places in the US.

Your incidental costs depend on how you spend your time, especially your free time. For the conference itself, you may need something like $A6-$A10/day for public transport fares, depending on where you're staying. Lunch is provided as part of the conference (check your registration details) so you will only need to budget for breakfast and dinner most days.

As a very rough rule of thumb, expect the price in dollars for food, drinks and other incidentals to be about what it is in Sydney or Melbourne, but remember we're talking $US here. Upmarket, and especially where alcohol is concerned, expect the $US price there to be more than the $A price here. Also, remember that on top of that price there will be an 8.25% sales tax and that a tip of 10-15% is expected in most restaurants and bars. Tips aren't expected at fast-food outlets. If you're on a tight budget, you could make it on $US10-$US15 per day, eating at the cheap eateries and having pizza or burgers with soft drinks for dinner.

Take $US Traveler Cheques, they are almost as good as cash and your hotel will gladly exchange them for real cash if your are staying there. Most major stores will take Travelers Cheques with appropriate photo ID (usually a Passport).

Do I need a Credit Card?
It is a very good idea to have come sort of credit card (VISA, MasterCard or Amex) when travelling in the US. While all retail shops accept cash and travelers cheques, most hotels require a credit card when you check-in for surety purposes. If you do not have a credit card you will have some difficulty when checking out of your hotel.

If you want to pay by someone else's credit card who will not be attending you need to have a copy of their credit card (front and rear) with a letter of authority signed by the credit card holder (same signature as on the card) authorising the charges on the credit card up to a certain amount of money. It is also a very good idea to have their contact details on the letter of authorisation so that the hotel can check with the card holder if required.

What is the shopping like?
Books and magazines usually cost a bit less than in Australia, and computer stuff costs about the same. Keep your head on at computer shops and at the Convention Centre - remember to add 8.25% California state sales tax to the sticker price and to allow for the exchange rate. If you're thinking of making any big purchases, check out Australian prices before you go, and be wary of PAL/NTSC formats for videos and DVD's (Australia uses the PAL system and region 4 DVDs unless you have a region free player) and power supply issues for any electrical appliance (Australia requires a 240V AC power supply).

Some of the more popular stores to visit include Frys (geek and technology heaven), the Gap (trendy clothes store), the Apple retail stores or just visit the huge malls which have hundreds of shops and have almost everything you could ever want. Don't forget mail-order but make sure the company will deliver to your hotel before you leave!

Check with your bank, but most shops and restaurants accept Master card, Visa and Amex cards. ATMs will give you access to your Mastercard and Visa credit accounts, but usually not to cheque or savings accounts. They often charge a fee of about $US1.50 for withdrawing cash.

What if I get ill and can't attend?
The best idea is to transfer your MacWorld Conference registration, flights and accommodation to another delegate with prior approval from the AUC. After a certain date the MacWorld organisers will not refund any Conference Registrations and most airlines and hotels require at least 72 hours notice of any cancellation, and even then you may have to pay a penalty.

What can I do on a spare day?
There's plenty to see and do. Check with your hotel concierge but one suggestion is to see San Francisco for the day. Make sure you go to the Sony Metreon building in the downtown area. Fishermans Wharf is very touristy but worth a visit via the Cable Cars. If you want to visit Alactraz Island (the ex-maximum security prison) you will need to book ahead. You can also walk over the Golden Gate Bridge on a good day. There is plenty of shopping in the city so bring your credit cards.....