Helpful Information

This page contains useful information covering all aspects of the Conference, and is printed in the 24 page Congress Programme, which all delegates should have received by post. Please e-mail info@isbc2008.org if yours has not arrived!

The following is covered on this page - click on topic to go to item:

Airport Links

Bus & Rail Services

Security Arrangements

Shuttle Bus Service

Smoking

Special Needs

Taxis & Private Hire Cars

Tourism Information

Venue Location & Contacts

Visas

Weather in Belfast

leaves every 10 minutes during the daytime and hourly through the night. The journey time is about 25 minutes to the Belfast Europa Bus Centre which is just behind the Congress Venue, the Europa Hotel. The bus fare will be £7.00 single or £10.00 return.

From Belfast City Airport (BHD) the Airport Express Bus Service 600 leaves every 20 minutes during the daytime between 06.00 and 22.00. The journey time is about 15 minutes to the Belfast Europa Bus Centre. The bus fare will be £1.50 single or £2.60 return.

From Dublin International Airport (DUB) the Goldline Express Bus Service 200 leaves at 20 minutes past each hour day and night. The scheduled journey time is 2 hours 15 minutes to the Belfast Europa Bus Centre. The bus fare is currently about £10.00 single or £15.00 return, but payable in euro.

For the latest information on all of the above Airport Bus Services telephone +44(0)28 9066 6630 or click on www.translink.co.uk

Aircoach, an independent Irish Company also operates a competing service between Dublin Airport and Belfast from 07.00 until 21.00. The scheduled journey time is 2 hours 25 minutes to the Jury’s Hotel, Belfast which is just 100 metres from the Europa Hotel. Their fares are currently £10 single or £15.00 return. Telephone +44(0)28 9033 0655 or click on www.aircoach.ie

Most local public bus and rail services operate from the Europa Bus Centre and the adjoining Great Victoria Street Rail Station. The Enterprise Express rail service to Dublin City Centre runs 8 times a day from Belfast Central Station near the Waterfront Hall – a short free ride on Ulsterbus service 500-599 or about 15 minutes walk. The rail fare to Dublin is currently £25 single, £27 day return, £36 monthly return or £65 First Class return.

There is a 500 space multi-storey NCP Car Park in Glengall Street adjacent to the Europa Hotel as marked P on the map in the Congress Programme. The parking charge is currently £2 per hour during the daytime 10.00-18.00 and £6.00 per overnight stay 18.00-10.00. Valet Parking is available on request from the Europa Concierge. There are also several ground level car parks nearby. There is limited on-street parking for unloading on the north side of the Hotel in Glengall Street.

The Secretariat can be found during normal hours either at the Congress Check-in Desk or in the Organisers Office near the Exhibition Centre on the Ground Floor.

Northern Ireland uses the British Pound Sterling £GBP divided into 100 pence. The Republic of Ireland uses the Euro divided into 100 cents. Travellers’ cheques and most other currency notes can be exchanged at the airports, banks, and exchange bureaux and in the Belfast Welcome Centre. Most major Credit Cards are acceptable in Belfast, whilst cash points (ATMs) are available outside the banks and in larger shopping centres.

The Europa Hotel offers good wheelchair access throughout. Toilets for disabled visitors are available.

The preferred dress code is informal for the Congress Sessions and the Welcome Reception, although most of our male speakers and hosts will be wearing lounge suits. The Gala Awards Dinner is business attire NOT black tie – due to the luggage limitations of our long distance delegates. An outer jacket or raincoat is advisable for walking between the Hotels and for the shuttle bus service to the Welcome Reception. We will provide folding umbrellas in case of rain.

All the residents in the UK and the Republic of Ireland drive on the left hand side of the road – so any delegates planning a self-drive car hire should do the same! All roads are well signposted and good road maps are available from most petrol (gas) stations, newsagents and bookshops. You own national Driving Licence should be acceptable for

Voltage 230 volts, Frequency 50 Hz. Electrical plug type G – with three flat prongs forming a triangle. Shaver sockets are two pin.

In a serious emergency dial 999 or 112 for police, fire or ambulance services. For any problem necessitating immediate contact with the Congress Organisers call either 07836 537512 (Brian Dunsby) or 07816 937441 (Maggie Hall).

There will be a display of relevant publications and service providers in the Exhibition Centre on the ground floor, where all refreshment breaks and lunches will be taken. The Exhibition will be open from 12.30 Tuesday until 11.00 Friday. In addition several sponsors, exhibitors and publishers have inserted relevant literature in all Delegate Packs. Please mention that you made contact with them through the ISBC Congress.

Belfast Welcome Centre is at 47 Donegal Place, Belfast BT1 5AD, located in between Boots and Top Shop. Tel: 028 9024 6609 Fax: 028 9024 9026, e-mail: welcomecentre@belfastvisitor.com Web site: www.gotobelfast.com

They will provide a Visitor Information table in the Congress Exhibition Centre. Specific information for Congress Delegates is at www.belfastconventionbureau.com

A FREE twelve-station Internet Cafe with high-speed broadband wireless connection is being provided by ISBC in the Exhibition Centre on the ground floor. They should be used only for short periods of up to 10 minutes at a time, with consideration shown for other Delegates needing the facility. Wi-fi connection to your own laptop should also operate in the Exhibition Centre free of charge, subject to total capacity limits.

The Organisers, Perlex Associates, the Host University and the Institute accept no liability howsoever arising from the Congress booking or attendance. They also accept no responsibility for loss, damage or injury to persons or property during the Congress. Please take good care of all personal belongings, particularly laptops. Do not leave these unattended in any Congress Rooms. The Congress Organisers reserve the right to make any necessary changes to the Programme and the arrangements for the Congress.

There will be one large table where registered delegates may display a single pile of relevant technical literature for other delegates to pick up if interested. This facility must not be overloaded with multiple piles of similar leaflets from any one organisation. Such piles of duplicates and any other literature left lying around the Congress venues will be removed and scrapped.

A multiple choice hot and cold two course Buffet Lunch will be served in three Restaurants on the ground floor and first floor on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. There will be two sittings each day at about 12.30 and 13.00. Please do not all go for the first sitting – take time to look around the Exhibition or adjourn to the bars. Delegates will be issued with numbered colour-coded lunch tickets for each day which must be handed in to get a meal.

Messages for delegates will be posted on the ISBC Congress Message Board near the Check-in Desk. Postcards for writing messages are available from the Congress Secretariat.

Delegates may use the Piano Bar on the first floor for informal networking discussions where a full range of drinks and snacks will be available to order all day and evening. Lounge facilities will also be available in the Library Bar on the mezzanine level between the Grand Ballroom and the Exhibition Centre.

Photocopying services are available from the Euro Business Centre on the first floor at a cost of 25p per A4 black and white page. They can also assist with faxes, telephone messages and other office services chargeable to delegates as used.

All Speakers should bring their PowerPoint file on a CD or a USB stick to the Testing Station in the Exhibition Centre at least 2 hours before their scheduled presentation session so that our Technicians can check that it will open correctly on our laptops. Each Seminar Room is equipped with a data projector and a laptop computer so that Speakers can insert their own USB sticks or CDs – but not 3.5 inch floppy discs.

Personal laptops must not be connected to these data projectors as this may disturb the settings needed by other speakers. (Note: Overhead projectors will NOT be available at this Congress.)

A choice of coffee, tea or iced water plus biscuits will be provided for the midmorning and mid-afternoon breaks each day. All breaks will be in the Exhibition Centre on the ground floor with several serving stations.

There are many Restaurants, Bars and Night Clubs in the centre of Belfast, within a few minutes walking distance of the Europa Hotel. A pocket guide with an illustrated sketch map of the town centre will be available from the Visitor Information Table in the Exhibition Centre.

We aim to ensure maximum security and to exclude potential gatecrashers. Therefore all delegates and all accompanying persons must wear their ISBC Congress Name Badges at all times within the Congress venue. In addition specific numbered tickets are needed for each lunch, for the evening social events and for the visits. If not prebooked, then it may be possible to buy extra tickets at the Congress Check-in Desk, subject to availability and to the appropriate fees being paid in cash.

Shuttle buses will be provided to take pre-booked delegates and accompanying persons from the Europa Hotel to W5 at the Odyssey on Tuesday evening for the Welcome Reception & Buffet and back again afterwards. The buses will run every 15 minutes during specified times.

It is against the law to smoke in a public place throughout Ireland, including pubs, clubs and restaurants and on public transport. Smoking is not permitted in any of the public areas in the Europa Hotel. Smoking is only allowed outside the building at ground level or in some clearly designated bedrooms.

Would delegates with special access, dietary or other needs please ensure that the Congress Secretariat have full details well in advance so that every effort can be made to meet those needs during the event as far as practicable.

Taxis can usually be found waiting at both Belfast Airports. The current fare from the International Airport to the Europa Hotel during the daytime is about £25.00, depending on traffic conditions. From Belfast City Airport it is about £7.00

There are two different types of taxis operating within Belfast. Traditional Black Cabs can be found on a rank or they can be hailed on the street. They are metered for in town journeys but care is needed to check the price before undertaking a long trip to the Airport or out of town locations. A popular alternative is a private hire cab which has to be called by telephone to pick up a named passenger. Within Belfast there are two main private hire operators who can be contacted as follows:

For those able to come early or stay on after the Congress, the island of Ireland

and the nearby mainland of England, Scotland and Wales all offer a wealth of countryside, culture, history and sport to satisfy all tastes.

For delegates wishing to locate the Europa Hotel by post, telephone, fax, e-mail, website or satellite navigation, the full details are as follows: Europa Hotel, Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7AP.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so delegates from outside Europe should check whether they need to apply for a UK Entry Visa on www.ukvisas.gov.uk Anyone entering Ireland via Dublin should also check with the Republic of Ireland authorities on www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=8777 An Irish Entry visa is not legally sufficient to travel to Belfast, although there are no border controls at present. The Congress Secretariat will issue official letters of invitation on request to delegates who have registered on line

Northern Ireland’s climate is reasonably mild and temperate, although rain is relatively commonplace. Typical daytime temperature in November will be in the range 5-10 degrees Centigrade.