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If your question isn’t answered by this FAQ, please send us an email at: support@g4gfoundation.org

About the Conference

The Gathering for Gardner conference, also referred to as G4Gn, is an invitation-only biennial conference held in Martin Gardner’s name, to celebrate recreational mathematics, magic, puzzles, skepticism, science, art, literature, and the intersections of these subjects. At the Gathering, attendees share their delight through presentations, exhibits, exchange gifts, performances, and original papers.

If you wish to attend and haven’t received an invitation, read the section How can I attend?

Martin Gardner was responsible for introducing mathematics in such a way to make it engaging, inspiring, and approachable. His Scientific American column Mathematical Games, which was based on recreational mathematics, was for 25 years the most popular feature of the magazine. It captivated  the imagination of young people and the young at heart.

Read More About Martin Gardner

The Gathering takes place over the course of five days (Wednesday through Sunday). Many of the participants give short presentations. The talks are on a wide variety of topics that Martin Gardner and his readers would have enjoyed. There are also optional Special Events: dinner and entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings, and on Saturday the traditional event featuring mathemagical sculpture building and socializing.

The enthusiasm and diverse interests of participants make G4G a truly unique conference. Past attendees include professional and amateur mathematicians, magicians and skeptics, as well as performers, artists, educators, puzzlers, scientists, and anyone who is inspired by the same interdisciplinary curiosity that excited our namesake, Martin Gardner. Due to the high level of interest in the previous Gathering, we have expanded G4G15 to accommodate 400 attendees.

View some of the photos, papers, and presentations from the previous two events:

If you have not previously attended G4G, you will first need to nominate yourself for attendance by filling out the online form. If your nomination is accepted, you will receive an email linked to the registration website where you can purchase conference tickets and submit your proposal for a talk at the event. Keep in mind, most G4G presentations are 5 to 6 minutes in length.

For more information, see the section on Giving a Presentation below.

G4G attendees are encouraged to take part in the Gift Exchange (but is not required). You can participate in two ways: 1) by submitting a physical exchange item, i.e. a puzzle, game, sculpture; or 2) by submitting an exchange paper to be published on the G4G website.

For more information please read the Gift Exchange Details.

Timing & Schedule

G4G15 will be held Wednesday, February 21 through Sunday, February 25, 2024.

Registration for G4G15 is now officially open!

Invitation emails are automatically sent to all past attendees. If you have attended a past Gathering and do not receive an invitation, please check your SPAM folder and email support@g4gfoundation.org if you did not receive the invite.

Most attendees will arrive on Wednesday because presentations start first thing on Thursday morning. We also host an informal welcome event on Wednesday evening called Bar Bets & Cons, which is a fun way to kick off the conference.

  • Wednesday: Registration and informal Bar Bets & Cons entertainment
  • Thursday: Short presentations on a wide variety of topics that Martin Gardner and his readers would have enjoyed
  • Friday: Short presentations on a wide variety of topics that Martin Gardner and his readers would have enjoyed (dinner and evening entertainment is available for an additional charge)
  • Saturday:  Short presentations in the morning and a mathemagical sculpture-building event in the afternoon (dinner and evening entertainment is available for an additional charge)
  • Sunday: Short presentations in the morning, the Gift Exchange bag pick-up, and good byes

Giving a Presentation

To submit a talk, go to the registration website (find the link in your invitation email) and click on “Your Submissions”.

Attendees are encouraged to propose a talk, but it is not required; there are many other ways to contribute to the conference. There are generally more talk submissions than available slots, so some presentations may be placed on a wait list.

The deadline for talk submissions is December 15th, 2023. This gives us time to review submissions and plan the program. You can continue to submit revisions to your talk abstract up until the event, but your initial submission must be received by the deadline. 

Most attendees have 5 or 6 minutes for their presentation. A few speakers are given longer-slots for special circumstances.

The Gathering format features short talks, which allows many attendees to share their interests. The short-talk format allows attendees to get a quick introduction to many topics and then to follow up with speakers during the many social moments of the Gathering.

Because all talks are submissions by attendees, developing the schedule is an ongoing process right up until the event. We will email the schedule to all attendees a few weeks in advance of the conference and will provide an addendum of any last-minute changes at the event.

We rely on support from the friendly and helpful Ritz-Carlton AV Team and our volunteers. Presenters will alternate between two podium-mounted laptops on the stage. We also provide an Elmo Projector for close-up demonstrations. There are two projection screens, one on either side of the presentation stage. The AV staff will assist with loading your presentation from a thumb drive to the stage laptops or connecting to your personal laptop.

Location & Travel

The G4G15 conference will be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta, Georgia:
181 Peachtree Street N.E, Atlanta, GA 30303

If you don’t live near Atlanta, the easiest way to get to G4G15 is to fly to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). From there you can rent a car and drive to the Ritz, take the Atlanta subway (MARTA), or take a taxi, Lyft, or Uber to the Ritz-Carlton. 

Be aware that the Ritz only offers valet parking. There is limited street and paid parking around the Ritz, so please plan accordingly if you intend to rent a car. 

The subway (MARTA) regular fare is $2.50 for a one-way trip. Fare must be added to a reloadable Breeze Card ($2) or a $1 disposable paper ticket. You can purchase the fare card or ticket, along with fare, at all MARTA rail stations or online. To get from the airport to the Ritz on MARTA, take the red/yellow line to Peachtree Center. This is the only train from the airport and it only goes in one direction from here, so it’s pretty easy to find your way. The MARTA exit at Peachtree Center is about two blocks from the hotel.

Registration

Registration for G4G15 is now open!

Invitation emails are sent to all past attendees. If you have attended a past Gathering and do not receive an invitation, please check your Spam folder and email support@g4gfoundation.org if you did not receive the invite.

Early registration is $495 with add-ons available for dinners and performances. The registration fee covers four days of presentations in the Ritz-Carlton’s grand ballroom and the traditional social and sculpture-building event. Registration does not cover food or lodging.

Early registration ends Nov. 21st, regular registration will be $595.

The conference fee helps us cover the costs of:

  • Venue Costs, including coffee break refreshments
  • Technical & Administrative Staff
  • IT & AV Support for the Presentations
  • Featured Presenters (open to the general public & attendees)

No, the conference registration fee is for attendance only. Meals, lodging, travel, and other expenses are not included.

No, we only sell tickets to the full conference.

Funding for scholarships to G4G15 is limited. To add your name to the scholarship wait list, please contact support@g4gfoundation.org.

Invitees can bring one guest, in one of two categories: 

  1. An unpaid guest will receive a badge, can view the Sales and Exhibit Rooms, can attend the Special Events (dinner / entertainment) with a paid ticket, but cannot attend the presentations in the main ballroom. This is a good option for a significant other or friend who wants to spend time with you in the evenings but isn’t as interested in the conference content.
  2. A paid guest receives all the same access as an unpaid guest, plus they can attend the conference presentations. Registration for a paid guest is the same as for the conference attendee with add-ons available for dinners and entertainment. The registration fee covers four days of presentations in the Ritz-Carlton’s grand ballroom but does not cover food or lodging.

G4Gn is an invitation-only conference; however, you can nominate yourself or others for attendance. If you are interested, please fill out the nomination form and be sure to mention the nominee’s background, passion for Martin Gardner’s legacy, and desire to engage with the community. We will be reviewing nominations periodically and will let you know if your nomination is accepted.

Go To Nomination Form

Accommodations

Most attendees stay at the conference hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, in Atlanta, Georgia where we have a discounted group rate:

  • The Ritz-Carlton
    181 Peachtree Street NE
    Atlanta, GA 30303 USA

The Ritz-Carlton provides rooms for G4G attendees at a discounted rate. Information about booking a discount room through the Ritz-Carlton website can be found in your invitation email.

Or you can call the Atlanta Ritz-Carlton and book your room over the phone 1-800-241-3333. Tell them you are with the “Gathering 4 Gardner” conference.

There are alternative accommodations close by. Here are a few options:

You can also stay in another part of Atlanta, and easily get to the Ritz (conference hotel) via metro (Marta – public transportation).

Special Events

This event is an afternoon of mathematical sculpture-building, activities,  and socializing. Past events included street magic, juggling, a math walk, mathematical crafts and games, and more. The Sculpture-Building & Activities is included with your registration and will be held in the Ritz-Carlton ballroom.

The social dinners are a great opportunity to enjoy and share time with the many diverse attendees of this meeting, they are followed by unique shows of some of the best performance artists from all over the world.

No, Sales Rooms are only available to attendees.

Puzzles, physics demonstrations, games, mathematical sculptures, science toys, and more!

Yes, as a G4G attendee, you can purchase a ticket for the show only, which includes dessert (but not dinner). These tickets are limited and available on a first-come-first-served basis.