2024 ACTION Annual Review and Knowledge Expo

Join us in Santa Barbara, CA for the ACTION AI Institute's first annual review and knowledge expo.

The two-day event will take place between Henley Hall and the Mosher Alumni House on the UCSB campus.  Day 1 will provide a programmatic overview for the purposes of the review. Faculty and graduate students will provide updates on their research and activities. Day 2 will follow a session format, with opportunities to workshop on various program aspects. We encourage all attendees to participate in both days. 

Find pertinent information below and check back regularly. We will be updating this page as the agendas continue to formalize. In particular, the time and location of  the Birds of a Feather sessions on Day 2 may change according to popularity. Last schedule update was 4 March 2024. 

Register for the event by 18 May 2024. All registrants will receive updates via email as we near the event date. 

Please contact Tim Robinson by email <trobinson@ucsb.edu> or by phone <805-893-3510> for additional information. 

Lodging Information

There are a number of hotels near UCSB. If your university has a travel software platform, then you can run a search for available rooms. UCSB's zip code is 93106. Downtown Santa Barbara is 93101. Here are results from a search using a University of California account in Concur.

Below are some nearby hotels where we have set up group blocks. We are happy to call other hotels to set up additional blocks or request more rooms. 

Note that none of these hotels offer shuttles anymore. This has been the case since the COVID Pandemic began.

Restaurants

The conference provides a continental breakfast and lunch on June 20 and June 21. Santa Barbara offers a high number of nice restaurants per capita. Here are a few of our favorite places to consider for dinner. None of them have any affiliation with ACTION.

Something for Everyone

• Santa Barbara Public Market is the perfect location for a large group unable to decide on a single cuisine. The market has open seating between a variety of excellent restaurants.

Italian

• Pizzeria Da Michele offers wood-fired pizzas and classic pasta dishes. 
• Olio e Limone, also in downtown Santa Barbara, was the venue for the ACTION Institute's SIP retreat dinner. 
• Olio Pizzeria, another pizza joint, is adjacent to Olio e Limone.
• Ca Dario is a long-standing Italian restaurant with locations in downtown Santa Barbara and Goleta, near the Hilton Garden Inn. 
• Bettina is another one of the best, local Italian restaurants; but you'll need a reservation.

Mexican

• Los Arroyos is a Santa Barbara classic, with locations downtown and Goleta, near the Leta and the South Coast Inn.
• Los Agaves is another SB classic, and also with locations downtown and in Goleta.
• Carlitos is similar to Los Arroyos and Los Agaves, but is a little higher-end.
• Flor de Maiz is another popular Mexican restaurant. They have a great location near the beach.
• Freebirds Burritos, are world famous. This is the original location, still in operation. 
• Corazon Comedor specializes in Mexican breakfasts. Perhaps stop by on Saturday morning?

Californian/Mediterranean

• Barbareno is well-known Santa Barbara restaurant with a unique, memorable menu. 
• The Lark is always happening, located in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone. 
• Mesa Verde has an entirely vegan menu. 
• Milk and Honey is a popular place for tapas.

Cajun

• The Palace Grill offers memorable food in a fun environment. Make a reservation, and be sure to order the bread pudding for dessert. 

Seafood

• Lure Fish House, located in La Cumbre Shopping Center, is easy to find and has plenty of parking.
• Santa Barbara Fish House is a popular spot near East Beach and the Funk Zone.
• The Boathouse, overlooking Hendry's Beach, is great for brunch. 

Asian

• Arigato Sushi and Edomasa Sushi are two very popular sushi restaurants. But honestly, you can't go wrong with sushi in this town. Santa Barbara is famous for its uni.
• Meet Up has been regarded by many as one of the most authentic Chinese restaurants in town. 
• Sama Sama, serves South East Asian dishes family style, and delicious.

Burgers and Beer

• Topa Topa Brewery has a great tap room and some local bites.
• Mesa Burger offers hand crafted burgers with a flair for gourmet.
• The Habit is a national burger chain that started in Santa Barbara (and tastes better here, too).