Key Information

Venue

Palacio Municipal Campo de las Naciones
Av. De la Capital de España Madrid, s/n
28042 Madrid, Spain
Tel : + 34 91 722 0400
Fax : + 34 91 721 0607

Registration Hours

The registration desk in the Palacio Municipal de Congresos will be open at the following hours:

Friday, June 22	16.00 – 18.00 hours
Saturday, June 23	08.00 – 18.00 hours
Sunday, June 24	07.30 – 18.00 hours
Monday, June 25	08.00 – 18.00 hours
Tuesday, June 26	08.00 – 18.00 hours
Wednesday, June 27	08.00 – 14.00 hours

Exhibition hours

Badges

All participants and accompanying persons will receive a personal badge upon registration. You are kindly requested to wear your name badge when attending any meeting or social gathering. Only participants who are wearing their name badge will be admitted to the lecture halls.

Please note: accompanying persons and exhibitors will not be admitted to the scientific sessions. Accompanying persons do have free access to the exhibition.

Name badges have been color-coded a follows:

ISBT (Board) Member	Red
Organising Committee	Green
Delegates	Transparent
Accompanying Persons	Yellow
Exhibitors	Blue
Press	Orange

Certificates of Attendance

Certificates of Attendance will be available at the Registration Desk as of Tuesday, June 26, 12.00 hours.
 

Coffee and tea breaks

During session-breaks coffee and tea will be served free of charge to delegates wearing name badges.
 

Cloakroom and Luggage

A cloakroom including a luggage storage area is located close to Auditorium A.
It will only be available on the last two days of the congress for luggage storage.
 

Currency

The official coin is the Euro, which is in use since January 2002, as in the rest of the countries of the European Union.

Facilities for cashing traveler’s cheques are available at banks, operating hours week days 09.00 - 15.30 hours and Saturdays 08.30 - 11.00 hours and at most hotels. Banks are closed on Sundays. Foreign exchange agencies are open during the week and on Saturdays. Automatic teller machines (ATM) are open 24 hours and are located at most banks as well as at the Congress Venue. International credit cards (Visa, Diners Club, Mastercard and American Express) are accepted at the majority of hotels, restaurants and shops.
 

Eating out in Madrid

In Madrid, as in the rest of Spain, people generally eat later than in other countries around the world. People usually have a light breakfast early in the morning (around 8 or 9am), although it is quite normal to supplement this with something more substantial (such as a portion of Spanish omelette) half way through the morning.
Lunch is the heaviest meal of the day, and is usually taken between 2 and 3pm. Dinner isn’t until 9 or 10pm, although in some restaurants it is possible to dine well into the early hours. This late dinner means that nightlife is also later than in the rest of Europe. The atmosphere in the bars does not usually get lively until midnight.
 

Electricity Supply

Voltage in Spain is, 220 volts and 50 hertz alternating current. Sockets are in line with  European directives. In most hotels there are adaptors for special plugs. You should make sure that electric appliances (shavers, computers, mobile phone chargers) work with this voltage. It is important to take special care with appliances from the United States, since domestic use of electricity there is only 125 V and some devices do not come with a voltage adapter.
 

First Aid

The First Aid/Medical room close is situated on the first floor near Mexico Room. The opening hours are 08.00 – 17.00 hours, during build up and congress days.
 

Internet (Sponsored by Grifols)

There will be internet corners in the Exhibition Area and on the ground floor, where participants will be able to get access to their mail.
 

Liability and Insurance

The XVIIth Regional Congress of the ISBT, Europe accepts no liability for any personal injury, loss or damage of property belonging or additional expenses incurred to congress participants either during the congress or as result of delays, strikes or any other circumstances. Participants are requested to make their own arrangements with respect to health and travel insurance.
 

Language

The official Congress language will be English. Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish will be provided. Simultaneous interpretation is SPONSORED BY GRIFOLS.
 

Lunch

Lunch will be included in the registration fee. Lunch will be provided in the Exhibition Area and at the entrance of the meeting rooms where the Satellite Symposia will take place.

Participants who have registered for the Spanish Educational Day on Saturday, June 23, and the ISBT Educational Day Sunday, June 24, will get lunch tickets.
 

Message Desk (Sponsored by Chiron)

At the Message Desk participants can leave or collect messages.
The desk will be located on the ground floor in the Palacio de Congressos.

Services provided at desks in the Registration Area include:

E-mail Service:	Internet access in the Exhibition Hall
Exhibition Information:	Exhibition Desk in the Registration Area
Hotel Accommodation:	Last-minute availability at the Hotel Desk in the Registration Area
Lost and Found:	Information Desk in the Registration Area
Tours:	Tickets for sale at the Social Desk in the Registration Area

Shopping in Madrid

Shop opening times in Madrid vary depending on the type of establishment. However, they usually open from Monday to Saturday at 10.00 hours and close at 20.30 hours. Smaller shops tend to close in the middle of the day (between 14.00 hours and 17.00 hours); while large department stores are open all day. Nearly all shops are closed on Sundays.
 

Smoking

Smoking is NOT allowed in the congress centre.
 

Staff

If you have any questions, the members of the congress staff, who can be recognised by their ISBT shirts, will be very pleased to assist you. Please do not hesitate to contact them if you have any questions.
 

Tipping

In Madrid leaving a tip in bars and restaurants is a widespread practice, though it is not obligatory to do so since service is included in the cost. It is normal to leave between five and ten percent for the restaurant waiter, depending on the service. When paying for a coffee or a drink at a bar, it is normal to leave a few loose coins. It is also quite normal to give a small tip to cinema and theatre usher(ette)s.
What is considered more or less obligatory is to tip the bellboys who carry luggage at hotels, restaurant car parking valets and station and airport porters. It is also the norm to round up the cost of a taxi journey.
 

Transport (Sponsored by Roche)

All participants will receive a public transport card upon arrival in Madrid. This card will be valid for the period, June 23 – 27, 2007.
 

Travel by Road

Dual carriageways, motorways and arterial roads to reach the capital.

Madrid is the centre of Spain´s road links. Kilometre O is found at the traditional Puerta del Sol, next to the Real Casa de Correos. All the roads start at this point and connect Madrid with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. The capital city is home to a closely- oven
road network, in which the six national road links are the most noteworthy ones that run through the capital.

A-1. Madrid-Irún. Dual Carriageway of the North.
A-2. Madrid-Barcelona. Dual Carriageway of Aragón North East
A-3. Madrid-Valencia. The Valencia Road South East
A-4. Madrid-Sevilla. Dual Carriageway of de Andalucía
A-5. Madrid-Badajoz. Dual Carriageway of Extremadura South West
A-6. Madrid-A Coruña. The A Coruña Road North West
Arterial roads and ring roads
 

By Air

How to reach the airport
Metro: Line 8 links Barajas with Nuevos Ministerios (where there are also several check-in desks for the flights of Spanair, Air Europa and Alitalia companies). A single ticket costs 1 euro and a ten-journey ticket costs 6,15 euros. The Metro station is located in Terminal 2.

Bus:
Line 101 from Canillejas (T1, T2, T3).
Line 200 from Avda. de América (T1, T2, T3).
Line 204 rom Avda. de América (T4).
Urban line 822 Coslada-Airport (T1, T2, T3).
Airport shuttle: special free connexion service between the three terminals.
Every 3 minutes.

Taxi: To take a taxi, you need to go to the appropriate taxi rank. No attention should be paid to the unofficial taxi drivers offering their services from within the terminals. The taxi driver should set the taxi meter running at the start of the journey. The normal rate from the airport to the centre of Madrid is around 20 euros.
For more information: www.aena.es
 

By Rail

All long-haul trains arrive at Chamartin and Atocha Railway Stations Madrid has an extensive railway network that enables access to the capital from all parts of Spain, offering the possibility to move around with ease and comfort within the national territory. Atocha and Chamartin are the main railway stations as they receive all long-haul trains, suburban trains and the AVE high-speed trains. Furthermore, Chamartin also receives international arrivals from France and Portugal. chemists, post

• Regional trains
• Other long-haul trains
• High-speed trains

For more information: www.renfe.es
 

Useful telephone and fax numbers

Weather

The weather forecast for the days of the Congress is warm.
The temperatures range between 20 and 30ºC.