Social ProgramACSOS 2023

The organizing committee of ACSOS 2023 has the great pleasure of offering a series of social events to complement the conference’s technical program and help you relax, network, and enjoy your travel as much as possible. In addition, the OC is happy to recommend several ways to enjoy and explore Toronto during your stay in the city with sightseeing, pubs, and restaurants.

Tuesday, September 26: Reception at the Schulich Executive Learning Center

Located at the Schulich School of Business in the Keele Campus of York University, a 6-minute walk from the conference venue (see the map), the Executive Learning Center is a modern space tailored for cutting-edge learning and knowledge sharing. Our reception will take place in the courtyard of ELC and will feature a scrumptious Canadian BBQ and drinks for every taste! The warm September evenings in Toronto make the ELC courtyard the perfect venue to meet and greet colleagues and kick off the conference in the best possible way!

Wednesday, September 27: Cruise and Dinner on Lake Ontario

The main social event of the conference will be a cruise dinner on Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes and a true Canadian experience! The cruise will be on the Trillium Deck of the Odyssey, a three-level yacht. Attendees are welcome to go to the upper deck and enjoy the Toronto skyline by night, including the imposing CN Tower, and gaze at the Toronto Islands from afar. Magnificent dishes and plenty of drink comprise the dinner of the cruise, which also includes a DJ just for the entertainment of the ACSOS attendees!

Boarding begins at 6:30PM sharp from 207 Queen's Quay West, so make sure you navigate yourselves there right after the technical program ends for the day. The mooring of Odyssey is about 1 hour away from the conference venue by transit (see map) or a 14-minute walk from Union station (which is on the same subway line, the yellow Line 1, with York University). The Odyssey will depart at 7:30PM sharp.

Special event (on-demand): York University Computer Museum

Right in the heart of Computer Science research at York University, the Lassonde School of Engineering, the York University Computer Museum, formed in December 2002, is a unique experience that encompasses the history of Computer Science research and innovation in Canada through unique artifacts and exhibitions. Take a trip to history by taking a closer look at the first computing machines, the first commercial computers in Canada, ground-breaking technologies in telecommunication, software, gaming and entertainment.

If you are interested in a tour at one of the breaks of the conference, please contact the ACSOS’23 Social Event Co-Chairs, Danilo Pianini (danilo.pianini@gmail.com) or Aishwaryaprajna (aishwaryaprajna@ontariotechu.ca), and they will arrange a tour for small groups of attendees.

Recommended Dinner Venues

Do you want to remain in touch with the other ACSOS attendees, but there is no scheduled social event? Fear not, as we identified one place to recommend for every day of the conference! If you want to join, please contact Aishwaryaprajna in advance and let us know (so that we can reserve a table):

• Sunday September 24: Sin & Redemption, 136 McCaul St, website: https://www.sinandredemption.com/
• Monday September 25: Storm Crow Manor, 580 Church St, website: https://www.stormcrow.com/hours-and-location
• Tuesday September 26 (after the reception): The Queen and Beaver, 35 Elm St, website: https://www.queenandbeaverpub.ca/
• Thursday September 28: apres-dinner drinks in the awesome bars on Ossington, then Sprezzatura, 1166 Dundas St W, website: https://www.sprezzaturaspaghettidisco.com/
• Friday September 29: Hair of the Dog, 425 Church St, website: https://hairofthedogpub.ca/

Impromptu Excursion in Toronto

The ACSOS conference is a prime venue for innovation, knowledge sharing, paper writing and tool presentation, but most of all it is the best opportunity for peers, colleagues and friends to catch up, relax and enjoy being in a wonderful city together! The organizing committee are more than happy to share their expertise of the local entertainment scene and guide you through “what is hip” in Toronto! We encourage you to take some time after each day of the conference to take the night off, take a trip downtown and explore Toronto with friends and colleagues. After all, the best of ideas are conceived over dinner or over a nice pint of beer! We have compiled for you a comprehensive list of pubs, bars and restaurants that definitely worth a visit!