Host Venue

iPRES 2015 will be held at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education. One of the finest conference venues in the Southeast, the Friday Center is an elegant and comfortable building, with an excellent event staff. The Friday Center is conveniently located three miles east of the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.

In addition to serving as a conference venue, the Friday Center offers a wide range of continuing education programs, opening up the University of North Carolina’s educational resources to a broad population. The Center honors the work of William and Ida Friday, two North Carolina residents that advanced the causes of the arts and education in the state. William served as president of the UNC for years and Ida, a sculptor and painter, worked with a number of North Carolina arts organizations.

Note: Friday workshops and tutorials will not be held at the Friday Center. They will be held on the campus of the University of North Carolina in three different locations: Manning Hall, the Stone Center and Davis Library. Consult the program for the locations of the Friday workshops and tutorials.

See the Internet access page for information about internet options at the Friday Center (Monday-Thursday) and the workshop and tutorial venues on campus (Friday).

We’ve created a map of the area around the Friday Center, including the two closest hotels.

Location and Directions

The address for the Friday Center is 100 Friday Center Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517. Just off Highway 54 East (Raleigh Road), and close to Interstate 40 (from Raleigh/heading west, I-40 exit 273A; from Greensboro/heading east, I-40 exit 273), the Friday Center is easy to get to by car, and offers plenty of guest parking.

• From Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and west: Take I-40 East to Exit 273 (Hwy 54 West/Chapel Hill). Turn right at top of ramp. Proceed approximately 2 miles and turn left onto Friday Center Drive. Take the second right into the Friday Center parking area. Guest parking is on the left; the Friday Center is on the right.
• From Durham: Take I-85 South to 15-501. Take I-40 East to Exit 273 and follow the directions above.
• From Charlotte: Take I-85 North to Greensboro and follow the directions from Greensboro above.
• From Raleigh: Take I-40 West to Exit 273A (Hwy 54 West/Chapel Hill). Proceed approximately 2 miles and turn left onto Friday Center Drive. Take the second right into the Friday Center parking area. Guest parking is on the left; the Friday Center is on the right.
• From south of Chapel Hill, arriving on Hwy 15-501 North: Take the 15-501/54 East bypass as you approach Chapel Hill. Proceed approximately 2 miles and take the Hwy 54 East exit toward Raleigh. Proceed 1 mile and turn right onto Friday Center Drive. Take the second right into the Friday Center parking area. Guest parking is on the left; the Friday Center is on the right.

The Friday Center is serviced by several Chapel Hill Transit routes (FCX, V, S, HU), which run back and forth to the UNC campus throughout the day. Chapel Hill Transit is free and reliable. You can find real-time information using NextBus.

If you’re driving to the Friday Center, be sure to print out the parking permit that was sent to conference participants by email, and put it on the dashboard of your car.  Also be sure you park on the correct side of the building.  If you park in the wrong location or fail to display your parking pass on your car, you will receive a ticket. Here are the directions:

• Turn onto Friday Center Dr. from Rt. 54 (from either direction)
• Go past the Friday Center on you right. Do not turn right into the parking lot that sits between Rt. 54 and the Friday Center
• Turn right immediately after you pass the Friday Center building on your right. You will know if you are on the correct side of the building if you see a pedestrian bridge from the second level out to the center of the parking area. Park in any non-handicapped spots in the large circular lot to your left. Do not park in the staff lot that is immediately beyond the Friday Center building on your left.