Spring 2024 SMRI Conference

The Conference Announcement is now available and contains the conference details, including schedule, hotel registration and travel information. The optional Technical Class subject will be "Hydrogen Storage Considerations" and is a repeat of the Fall 2023 San Antonio, Texas Conference.

Field Trips

Trips will take place on Wednesday 24 April, both will be available in English. More information will be available shortly.

Field Trip 1
Wieliczka Salt Mine and Wawel Royal Castle Tour
From Neolithic times, sodium chloride was produced there from the upwelling brine. The Wieliczka salt mine, excavated from the 13th century, produced table salt continuously until 1996, as one of the world's oldest operating salt mines. The Wieliczka Salt Mine is now an official Polish Historic Monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its attractions include the shafts and labyrinth passageways, displays of historic salt-mining technology, an underground lake, four chapels and numerous statues carved by miners out of the rock salt, and more recent sculptures by contemporary artists. The group will see the mine within a guided tour; the route covers mine workings on different levels and connects with the Tourist Route, Mining Route, and Museum of Krakow Salt Works. The route passes through narrow passages, ladder compartments, staircases, chamber workings, and corridors, completing the route requires good physical condition. Due to the low and narrow passages, ladder ascents, and steep stairs, the route is not recommended for individuals with claustrophobia or mobility issues.

After lunch the group will travel back to Krakow to see the Wawel Royal Castle. The Wawel Royal Castle and the Wawel Hill on which it sits constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland. The complex consists of numerous buildings of great historical and national importance, including the Wawel Cathedral where Polish monarchs were crowned and buried. Wawel Castle is now one of the Poland's premier art museums. Established in 1930, the museum encompasses ten curatorial departments responsible for collections of paintings, including an important collection of Italian Renaissance paintings, prints, sculpture, and textiles. There is a maximum of 50 spots available, so be sure to register early for this trip.

Field Trip 2
Bochnia Mine Tour
The Bochnia Salt Mine in Bochnia, Poland, is one of the oldest salt mines in the world and is the oldest commercial company in Poland. In 2013, the mine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as an extension of the Wieliczka Salt Mine inscription of 1978. The group will see the mine on different guided tour routes including the old mining areas and the ferry crossing. The Old Mountains Expedition allows to discover the oldest Bochnia mine workings, which have rarely before been made available to visitors, where rock salt was mined from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. Further, the world’s only ferry crossing of an underground chamber flooded with brine is without a doubt the biggest attraction of the Bochnia mine. Visitors cross the distance of 120 m in chamber flooded with brine, accompanied by two raftsmen, who spin colorful tales of the mysterious recesses of the Bochnia mine.

Completing the route requires good physical condition. Due to the low and narrow passages, ladder ascents, and steep stairs, the route is not recommended for individuals with claustrophobia or mobility issues. The temperature in the mine is about 14-16°C (57-61°F), appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes are recommended. There is a maximum of 45 spots available, so be sure to register early for this trip.

Conference Registration

On-line registration for members will begin on 14 February 2024. Non-membership registration will open on 13 March and all registration will close on 5 April. Any late registrations after 5 April will be charged a $250 late fee in addition to the conference fee, if space is available. Please contact Jennifer ([email protected]) or Dawn ([email protected]) regarding any questions about registration.

Important Dates and Deadlines for Authors

8 December 2023         Spring 2024 Call for Paper to be Distributed
19 January 2024        Abstracts of papers due; e-mail directly to the Program Chair
2 February 2024         Notification of paper acceptance – Speaker/author guidelines
15 March 2024      Final copy of the paper due; e-mail to the Program Chair

For further technical paper program or author questions, please contact Program Chair 2024 – Dirk Zapf, Phone +49 511 762 2590, or email at [email protected].

Travel Information

The Conference will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Krakow Hotel & Convention Center located at Dąbska 5, 31-572, Kraków. Each SMRI participant is responsible to book their own hotel reservations. More information will be provided in the near future.

Krakow is serviced by the John Paul II Kraków-Balice International Airport (KRK) located 12.5 miles from the DoubleTree.