*** UPDATES *** Better Air Quality (BAQ) 2006 13-15 September 2006 Shetaron Mustika Hotel Yogyakarta, Indonesia http://www.baq2006.org The Better Air Quality (BAQ) 2006 workshop  will be held on 13-15 September 2006 in  Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Over 1,000 people are expected to participate, making this event the largest workshop in 2006 on air quality management in Asia. BAQ 2006 is hosted by the Ministry of Environment, the Province and City of Yogyakarta, and the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia). BAQ 2006 is supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA), Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN), GTZ, Hans Seidel Foundation, Health Effects Institute (HEI), Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). ------------------------ 1. REGISTRATION NOW OPEN ------------------------ If you would like to attend BAQ 2006, either as a self-funded or sponsored participant, register now and avail of special early-bird registration fees (US$ 350 on or before June 1, 2006). All participants are required to register, and no requests for sponsorship or hotel booking will be entertained from people who have not registered. To access the online registration form, and know more about associated registration fee rates, go to http://www.baq2006.org/registration --------------------------------------------- 2. HOTEL BOOKING FOR SELF-FUNDED PARTICIPANTS --------------------------------------------- The main workshop hotel for BAQ 2006 is the Sheraton Mustika Hotel. It is 5-10 minutes away from the Yogyakarta airport. Only 100 rooms have been allocated for BAQ 2006 self-funded and sponsored participants. However, the BAQ 2006 organizing committee has blocked off almost 700 rooms in other hotels, which at normal traffic conditions, are a mere 15 to 20 minute ride to Sheraton Mustika. All hotel reservations will be handled by the Yogyakarta Hotel Association (YHA). Please note that rooms for self funded participants will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Only self-funded participants who have registered can use the online hotel booking form: http://www.baq2006.org/hotels Sponsored participants will have hotel accommodations arranged on their behalf by the BAQ 2006 Organizing Committee or one of the supporting organizations. --------------------------------------------- 3. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 30 --------------------------------------------- Due to public demand, we have extended the deadline for abstract submission to March 30. Abstracts can be technical or policy related, but should have an Asian focus. Abstracts with a focus on Europe, USA, or others parts of the world should clearly state the relevance of the proposed paper for air quality management in Asia. For more information, go to http://www.baq2006.org/abstracts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 4. ART FOR AIR COMPETITIONS: DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS ON MARCH 30 ---------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST PRIZE IS US$500 ... PLUS FREE TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATIONS TO YOGYAKARTA The Art for Air (A4A) competition invites all residents of any Asian country to submit paintings, drawings, and even digital or film photography related to the theme of "Efforts to Clean Up Our Air." No registration fee is required, all you need to do is submit a digital image of the artwork to allow our judges to assess the entry on the basis of originality, artistic merit, and relevance to clean air. Shortlisted contestants will be asked to send original copies for the final round. Aside from the cash prizes, one overall winner will be invited to attend BAQ 2006, with airfare and accommodations provided courtesy of the BAQ organizing committee. For more information, go to http://www.baq2006.org/a4a or contact Michael Co (mrco@adb.org). ------------------------- 5. BEST PRACTICES EXHIBIT ------------------------- The "Best Practices in Air Quality Management Exhibition" (or Best Practices Exhibit, for short) will help cities, non profit organizations as well as private sector  highlight efforts to control or prevent urban air pollution. An afternoon session on the first day of BAQ 2006 will be devoted to poster and exhibit presenters and their respective displays. This will allow enough time for question and answer, as well as networking opportunities. Exhibits and Posters will remain on display for the duration of BAQ 2006. The Best Practices Exhibit will be located in the inside special air conditioned tents at the Sheraton Mustika hotel. If your organization would like to be part of the Best Practices Exhibit, go to http://www.cleanairnet.org/baq2006/1757/article-70000.html -------------------- 6. BAQ 2006 SPONSORS -------------------- The BAQ 2006 Organizing Committee would like to thank the following for their support to this event: ---------------- Platinum sponsor ---------------- JOHNSON MATTHEY http://www.matthey.com Johnson Matthey is a specialty chemicals company focused on its core skills in precious metals, catalysts, and specialty chemicals. Johnson Matthey is the world leader in the manufacture of catalysts and catalysed components for fuel cells. ------------- Gold sponsors ------------- SGS - global leader and innovator in verification, testing and certification services (http://www.sgs.com) AVL - world's largest privately owned and independent company for the development of powertrain systems with internal combustion engines as well as instrumentation and test systems (http://www.avl.com) If your organization would like to sponsor BAQ 2006, contact Cornie Huizenga, chuizenga@adb.org For sponsorship packages, go to http://www.cleanairnet.org/baq2006/1757/propertyvalue-26712.html