What do the registration packages include? Can I sign up for additional hotel room nights outside of those included in the registration packages? 

• Air: All major legacy and discount carriers fly to the Washington metropolitan areas’ airports, which include Washington National (DCA), Washington Dulles (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International (BWI). Washington National is the most convenient and is linked to downtown Washington’s subway system, called the Metro. (See local transportation options below.) Washington Dulles and BWI airports are further afield and have several transportation options. Each airport has a website with information about air carriers and transportation options. (See http://www.metwashairports.com/reagan/reagan.htm for Washington National, http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/dulles.htm for Washington Dulles, and http://www.bwiairport.com for BWI Airport.
  

• Amtrak Rail Service: Amtrak provides regular service from around the country to and from Washington’s Union Station. Go to www.amtrak.com for more information. Washington’s Union Station is connected to the city’s subway system, the Metro. See local transportation options below for more information.
  

• Bus: In addition to traditional bus service on Greyhound (www.greyhound.com) and Peter Pan (www.peterpanbus.com), several discount bus services operate from major cities in the northeast to Washington, DC, for as little as $1. (See www.boltbus.com, www.megabus.com, www.washny.com, www.2000coach.com and www.vamoosebus.com for information on fares and routes.) Most of these buses operate from Metro stations and are easy to access from the hotel.
  

• Car: Washington, DC, is conveniently located along the I-95 corridor. For driving directions, go to http://maps.google.com, type the address for your origination point, and enter your destination as 2401 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037. Self and valet parking is available at the hotel for an additional fee. Street parking is not advised.

The Fairmont Hotel is located in the West End/Foggy Bottom neighborhood in Washington, DC, at 2401 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, near the corner of 24th and M Streets NW. The hotel is within walking distance of Georgetown, Dupont Circle and the National Mall. Washington’s subway system, called the Metro, has a stop on its blue and orange lines within five blocks of the Fairmont Hotel called Foggy Bottom-GWU. For information on Metro fares and travel times, please visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority’s website at www.wmata.com. Information on bus service from the hotel to other neighborhoods is also available on the www.wmata.com website. In addition, a special express bus dubbed the “Circulator” hits many of Washington’s most popular attractions and neighborhoods and also is easily accessible from the hotel. Visit www.dccirculator.com for more information. The Fairmont Hotel also has a taxi stand. Washington’s taxis operate on a metered fare system. Riders should be warned that many Washington taxicabs still do not accept credit cards, so it is a good idea to have cash on hand before you hail a taxi.

• From Amtrak’s Union Station/Greyhound Main Bus Terminal, take the red line in the direction of Shady Grove to Metro Center. At Metro Center, switch to the blue line in the direction of Fraconia-Springfield or the orange line in the direction of Vienna. You will then exit at the Foggy Bottom-GWU stop. (The fare is between $1.95 and $2.15 depending on the time of day.) There also is a taxi stand in front of Union Station. Driving to the hotel will take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes and cost approximately $10. (The bus terminal is two blocks north of Union Station on First Street NE. Walk south on First Street NE—a left out of the bus station parking lot—for two blocks and the Metro entrance will be on your left.)
  

• From Washington National Airport, take the blue line in the direction of Largo Town Center and get off at the Foggy Bottom-GWU station. (The fare is between $2.35 and $2.55.) There also is a taxi stand on the arrivals level at the airport. Travel time to the hotel is approximately 15 to 20 minutes and will cost about $15.
  

• From Washington Dulles Airport, Bus 5A transports passengers directly to the Rosslyn Metro stop on the blue and orange lines. From there, take the blue line in the direction of Largo Town Center or the orange line in the direction of New Carrollton and exit at the Foggy Bottom-GWU station. (The total, one-way trip cost is approximately $8.) There also is a taxi stand on the arrivals level at the airport. It will take approximately 45 minutes to get to the hotel from the airport and the fare will be about $60.
  

• From BWI Airport, travelers have two options on public transportation. You can take bus B30 to the Greenbelt stop on Metro’s green line. From there, take the green line in the direction of Branch Avenue. Exit at L’Enfant Plaza and switch to the blue line in the direction of Fraconia-Springfield or the orange line in the direction of Vienna. You will then exit at the Foggy Bottom-GWU stop. (The total, one-way trip cost is approximately $8.) Alternatively, an express bus can take you to the BWI Airport Amtrak station. From there you can catch a train to Washington’s Union Station. You would then use the directions listed above. (The total, one-way trip cost is approximately $12.) As with the other airports, the arrivals level at BWI has a taxi stand; fares to the hotel will cost about $60.

• Once at Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro stop, exit the station and turn left to head north on 23rd Street NW for one block. In one block you will reach Washington Circe. Make a left along the perimeter of the circle, walking in a clockwise direction, until you hit Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Here, make another left and follow Pennsylvania one block to 24th Street NW. Make a right on 24th Street and head north for two blocks and you will see the hotel on your left hand side. A map of the local area can be found at: http://www.fairmont.com/washington/MapAndDirections.htm.

Highs average around 80 degrees Fahrenheit and lows about 60 degrees Fahrenheit in early June in Washington, DC, and the area receives about 3.6 inches of rain during the month of June. Typically, you can expect some late afternoon showers and thunderstorms in Washington in June.

Socially responsible investing is an investment discipline that considers environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria to generate long-term competitive financial returns and positive societal impact. Traditionally, responsible investors have focused on one or more of three strategies: ESG incorporation into investment analysis and portfolio construction, shareholder advocacy and community investing. SRI practitioners include asset managers, investment advisors and asset owners.

There is no single approach to or motivation for socially responsible investing. Some investors embrace SRI strategies to manage risk and fulfill fiduciary duties. Others are driven by their personal values, their institutional mission, or the demands of their clients, constituents or plan participants. Some are seeking hidden sources of alpha (financial outperformance); others are seeking long-term sustainable social and environmental impact. Many institutions and individuals mobilize SRI strategies for a complex combination of reasons.

Just as there is no single approach to SRI, there is no single term to describe it. Depending on their emphasis, investors use such labels as: “sustainable investing,” “responsible investing,” “impact investing,” “mission-related investing,” “ethical investing,” “values-based investing” and “green investing,” among others.

Far from being a static enterprise, SRI is an evolving form of finance, and the proliferation of approaches underscores this basic dynamism. As an investment discipline, SRI strategies can be mobilized across asset classes within portfolios, and increasingly investors are applying ESG investment techniques not only to public equity investments, but also to real estate and alternative investments, such as private equity and venture capital.

The Social Investment Forum (SIF) is the U.S. membership association for professionals, firms, institutions and organizations engaged in socially responsible and sustainable investing. SIF and its members advance investment practices that consider environmental, social and corporate governance criteria to generate long-term competitive financial returns and positive societal impact.

Our vision is a world in which investment capital helps build a sustainable and equitable economy.

SIF’s members include investment management and advisory firms, mutual fund companies, research firms, financial planners and advisors, broker-dealers, banks, credit unions, community development organizations, non-profit associations, and pension funds, foundations and other asset owners. SIF members practice SRI through methods such as portfolio selection analysis, shareholder advocacy and community investing.

The Fairmont also recently launched a new honey program to respond to the nation’s honey bee shortage by welcoming 105,000 Italian honey bees to its rooftop as part of the hotel’s environmental stewardship program. The three honey beehives enhance the culinary program of the property by providing 300 pounds of honey per year , which the property serves in soups, salad dressings, pastries, ice cream, and others dishes at its Juniper restaurant. The bee population has been decreasing in size due to habitat loss and pollution, which in turn effects the pollination of plants. Without pollination, insects, birds, and animals all find it difficult to thrive as deforestation and pollution progress. The Fairmont Washington, D.C. is the only hotel in the area currently raising honey bees.

For more information on the Fairmont’s sustainability initiatives, go to: http://www.fairmontmeetings.com/washington/property_04.html.

For its part, SIF is limiting print marketing materials for the event and closely evaluating giveaways and other materials associated with the event to ensure waste is minimized and the products, when used, are responsibly sourced.