Registration and Welcome Desk :

The Registration and Welcome Desk, where participants may collect their conference material (badge, programme tickets, invoice and certificate of attendance and wallet containing the final programme and abstract book) and eventually register on-site, will be operating at the main entrance of the conference venue. Assistance and general information can also be obtained at this desk. Messages and daily notices will also be displayed on the notice board close to the Registration and Welcome Desk area.    

Opening hours:

    16^th     August, Sunday              12:00 a.m. – 19:00
    17^th     August, Monday              07:30 a.m. – 18:00
    18^th     August, Tuesday             08:00 a.m. – 18:00
    19^th     August, Wednesday        08:00 a.m. – 18:00
    20^th     August, Thursday            08:00 a.m. – 18:00
    21^th     August, Friday                08:00 a.m. – 18:00 

Badges :
Participants and registered accompanying guests will receive a name badge upon registration. Admission to the Meeting and Exhibition area is possible only with a valid badge. In addition, badges must be worn throughout the congress and at the social activities.  

Exhibitors badges will be ensured for the staff of the exhibition stands. 

Internet Room :
An internet room has been arranged for participants free of charge. It is situated on the 1st floor of the meeting venue. It is open from 17th August up to 21st August between 08:30 and 18:00. There are 20 PC's with the Windows XP operating system for using the internet and checking e-mails. In addition participants will also be able to plug in their laptops to the internet, provided they have an ethernet card. A hotspot will also be installed on the congress site for wireless internet use. 

Technical Equipment :
Speakers are requested to hand over their presentation on memory key or CD-Rom in the Slide Room. It will be immediately tested and installed on the network system from where it will be available in the lecture halls. Speakers are kindly requested to do this upon their arrival in Istanbul and at least 2 hours in advance of the start of their session.  

In every lecture hall a PC is at the disposal of the speakers. They are all equipped with "Microsoft PowerPoint and Open Office" for the presentations. It is not allowed to connect your own laptop to the projector. A technician will be available in every lecture hall to assist speakers and chairs with the presentations.    

Catering :
Coffee, tea and water is freely available for the registered participants during coffee breaks.  

Lunch during the lunch break is at the own account of the participants. Between 12:00 a.m. and 14:00 p.m., sandwiches and drinks will be sold for the participants of the congress in the Exhibitor Hall. Please note that supply of sandwiches is limited. As the congress venue is located in the centre of the city, a large number of restaurants and cafes are situated in, the immediate vicinity of Harbiye Military Museum and Cultural Centre.

Dress Code :
You are advised to dress "informally" for all official activities. 

Signposting and Finding Your Way :
The buildings where Congress sessions take place will be clearly indicated by signs between and around buildings.      

For easy finding of session rooms within each building, rooms will be named and printed in the final programme for easier identification. Please consult the 'Schedule by day' to find the name of the session room. Maps of the buildings and floors will be added in the back of this volume. Pedestrian routes will be indicated by a dotted line. For any kind of assistance do not hesitate to ask the staff at the information desk. 

Smoking :
Smoking is NOT allowed inside the congress venue or at other venues for the social functions. Smokers are required to smoke outdoors.  

Medical Matters :
If you need to consult a doctor during your stay, contact the Information desk to help you make an appointment. Most doctors speak English.  

Istanbul has reputable international hospitals, contact the Information desk for assistance if needed.  

During the weekend, special arrangements apply for pharmacies. The name and address of the nearest pharmacist on weekend standby duty is on display at any pharmacy.