word from Toledo (ECP, ICAPS etc.)

[Subbarao Kambhampati <rao@parichaalak.eas.asu.edu>]

dear planning folks
 
 ecp just got over (an hour back). the conference went very
 well--despite the many schedule changes caused by the sad
 happenenings in usa (two of the invited speakers could not make it as
 did a couple of others). There were about 60 people in attendance
 (may be more) and the setting was awesome (those of you who may have
 gone to Assissi in 95 know how amazing having a conference on a
 hilltown can be). Both amedeo and daniel (borrajo) did an outstanding 
job. Daniel got the old city lit up just for us on the first day
night. 

 Another very important piece of news to report is that
representatives of ecp and aips got together ina tiny ledge
overlooking river tajo on the first day evening and hammered out an
agreementt to merge together and become a new annual conference
starting 2003.

 on the second day (yesterday) night, the current  head-honchos of
aips and ecp--steve chien and amedeo cesta--made a public announcement 
during the banquet that the new conference --ICAPS--to stand for
international conference on automated planning and scheduling--will eb 
held annually starting 2003 (in lieu of aips and ecp). check your mail 
for call for proposals in a few weeks. 

 of course, most of the outside conversations during the conference
were about the haoppenings in usa.

signining off
rao
`(your man in castille-la mancha)