Good morning everyone,
and welcome to the 2nd Annual Wullaballoo Conference on Mastering Computer Languages.
I hope you all had a good trip.
Before we get underway with today’s programme,
let me fill you in as to what’s on tap for tomorrow,
Sunday, February 19th
At 9:00 a.m. right here in the Main Hall,
we’ll be hearing a lecture from Dr John Smith about “Computer as Teacher”.
Professor Smith, from the University of Melbourne,
is a world-class expert in the field of computer-assisted education,
and his talk promises to be both stimulating and informative.
Immediately afterwards, at 10:30,
there’ll be a presentation of papers by various delegates.
That, however, will take place in the Garden Room on the ground floor.
If you don’t yet know,
the Garden Room is also called the Ballroom,
and we’ll be gathering at the west end,
the slightly raised area called Level 2.
Just look for the crowd.
If you get lost, there are signs in the foyer.
After all that thinking, talking, and listening,
I expect everyone will be a bit weary.
So at 11:15,
there will be a break for coffee, cookies, and other light refreshments.
These will be available at the aptly named Refreshment Stand,
placed by the door back here in the Main Hall.
Also, if you choose to skip the formal lunch,
you can buy a packed lunch at the stand for a reasonable price.
I strongly urge you, however, to join us at the formal lunch.
That won’t be till one o’clock sharp,
so you have time to stroll about town a bit.
We’ll be eating at the Sea View Restaurant.
The restaurant is located right here in the hotel, on the top floor.
It’s a good dozen flights of stairs,
so I suggest you take the lift on the ground floor, eh?
If you’re not fond of fish,
there’s an all-you-can-eat barbecue available as well.
They even offer wallaby meat!
After lunch, we’ll troop back downstairs to Level 2 in the Ballroom
for the presentation of further papers,
which will begin at 2:00 p.m.
Please try to be on time.
I know you’ll be a bit tired after lunch,
but the Ballroom echoes so with people coming in late.
Thank you in advance.
Once we’ve heard the papers,
we’ll break for afternoon tea at 3:10 p.m.
No need to walk.
The manager of the refreshment stand has graciously agreed to have tea served in the Ballroom.
He’s even promised us some special scones, baked from a recipe of his dear old Scottish grandmother.
Then, tea being drunk and scones munched,
we’ll retire here to the Main Hall for some closing remarks and questions.
So, by 5:00 o’clock we should have the conference wrapped up.
But the fun isn’t over!
This is Australia mates!
We’ll be flocking to the hotel’s own Palm Lounge on the east side of the foyer for an informal reception.
You can relax, mingle with the other delegates, and let your hair down a bit.
This will run from 5:10 to 6:10, though you’re free to stay as long as you like.
The lounge manager has informed me that, for the duration of the actual reception,
you can have all-you-can-drink beer for $20 with purchase of an advance ticket.
And, yes, tickets can be purchased from any conference organiser
or at the front desk anytime between now and the start of the reception.
I suggest you come by tomorrow evening to pick up the tickets
since the conference hall only holds 800 people.
That way, you can also get your journey planned ahead of time
and be sure not to miss this truly memorable conference.
If you want cocktails, however, I’m sorry.
You’ll have to pay for those at the regular price.
Oh my goodness! Speaking of paying,
I see I forgot to tell you a couple of things.
The first is about lunch.
The charge for the lunch will be $15 for all you delegates.
If you have guests with you,
the cost is $25 for the general public,
and $6.50 for children under the age of 10.
That’s $15 each, not total for everyone!
Another item is about the lunch menu.
I very much urge you to try the fish.
I mean, look at the restaurant’s name: Sea View.
As the name suggests, it is a famous seafood restaurant.
The chef is a Basque from Spain,
and he really gets quite put out when people ignore his fish specialties for burgers or barbecue.
If fish isn’t your thing though, try the steak,
he makes an exquisite Filet mignon topped with bleu cheese and mushrooms.
Finally, if you’d like to buy a ticket,
you can have both lunch and unlimited beer for $35.
I should have mentioned that earlier,
but I am a bit forgetful.
Maybe I should avoid the beer after the conference, eh?
Well, I’ve said my bit. Are there any questions?
