The beautiful and historic City of Bath awaits delegates to OR48. The Roman Baths, medieval abbey, elegant Georgian terraces and riverside walks help to make Bath a favourite venue for OR Society conferences.

Bath has been an important spa since Roman times. Though Roman Bath was a sizeable walled town, it fell into decay after the collapse of the Roman Empire, but gained new importance in Saxon times with the founding of a monastery in which Edgar, the first king of England, was crowned in 973. After the Norman Conquest, Bath Abbey became a cathedral and was rebuilt on a grand scale. The present abbey, with its beautiful fan-vaulted roof, dates from 1499.

By the seventeenth century the spa waters had assumed a new importance which led to the building of the elegant Georgian squares and crescents for which the city is famous. Throughout the eighteenth century Bath was the favourite resort of English society. Apart from the aristocracy and royalty, well-known people such as Lord Nelson, William Pitt, Jane Austen, Richard Sheridan, Henry Fielding and Thomas Gainsborough were all regular visitors to the City.

Georgian Bath remains substantially unspoilt to this day and delegates will have the opportunity to see the most interesting sights in the course of a walking and open top bus tour which will form part of the conference programme, occupying the later part of the Wednesday afternoon. The American Museum in Britain will also feature in the social programme together with a guided countryside walk. The conference banquet will be held in the magnificent setting of the elegant Georgian Pump Rooms, which adjoin the ancient Roman baths. Delegates will be able to see the bath and the associated exhibition before dinner. In addition, the first evening will feature the ever-popular bar quiz.

There will also be the full social programme that is customary at ORS conferences, including a bar quiz, conference banquet at the elegant Georgian Pump Rooms, and a choice of excursions including an open-top bus sightseeing tour, city walking tour, a visit to the American Museum and a countryside walk.

The OR Society's fees really are all-inclusive - and what's more, accommodation is much cheaper than at most overseas conferences.

The standard delegate fee includes attendance at all conference sessions, conference handbook and keynote papers CD, together with lunches and mid-session teas and coffees. Whole-conference registration fees start at £400 + VAT, whilst student registration (for student members of ORS) costs just £90 + VAT.

The accommodation fee includes a room with full ensuite facilities, full English breakfast, evening meal or banquet (pre-banquet reception and banquet drinks inclusive!) and all social events, including bar quiz, excursions and transport where appropriate. Accommodation fees for the whole conference begin at just £112 + VAT.