General Information

Meeting Venue
Hilton Istanbul
Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Harbiye-Istanbul, TR 80200, Turkey
Tel: +90 212 315 6000; Fax +90 212 240 4165
Hilton Istanbul is in the heart of the city and situated on 13 acres of beautiful gardens overlooking the Bosphorus. The hotel is within walking distance of the business, shopping and entertainment districts and 24 kilometres from Ataturk International Airport.

Dates
Sunday, September 25 - Thursday, September 29, 2005

Language
The official language of the meeting is English. All abstracts submissions and presentations should be in English.

Climate
September is autumn in Istanbul and is one of the most pleasant seasons. Average temperatures vary between 16°C - 24°C (61 F - 76 F).

Clothing
Informal for all occasions.

Badges
All participants, accompanying persons and exhibitors are kindly requested to wear their badges throughout the meeting in order to be admitted to the lecture halls and other scheduled activities.

Airport Information
All international and domestic flights arrive at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport. Buses depart from Istanbul airport to Taksim Area (downtown) every 30 minutes, operating between 06:00 - 23:00 hours. Travel time is 45 minutes and the cost is approximately Euro 5 per person.
Private taxis are available, and the approximate cost is Euro 15-20 per taxi.

Airport Shuttle Service
A shuttle service from Ataturk Airport to the official Meeting hotels will be available for registered ESGO participants. The service will be available on Sunday, September 25, 2005 for arrivals and on Thursday, September 29, 2005 for departures. In order to make use of this service, participants will be required to provide their flight details and to pay their shuttle fee (Euro 14) no later than 1 month prior to the meeting.
Participants should register for the shuttle service via the following website address: www.omars.com.tr/esgo/transfer
Timetable for the shuttle service and further details will be published on this website at a later stage.

Banking & Exchange
Turkish monetary system is Turkish Lira. Foreign currency may be changed at banks during normal banking hours from 09:00 - 16:00 during weekdays at hotels, airports and exchange offices. Exchange rates are set daily by the Central Bank. All major credit cards are acceptable in most hotels, restaurants and shops.

Food & Beverages
Business lunches and coffee/tea during breaks (as indicated in the program), are included in the registration fee.

Registration Desk
The Registration desk will be open as follows:

Visas
All visitors are required to have a valid passport, and for some countries, a visa is required. For more information please contact your nearest Turkish Embassy, Consulate or local travel agency well in advance. It is the responsibility of the participant to obtain a visa if required

Letter of Invitation
For official letter of invitation please click here
Alternatively, upon request, the Meeting Secretariat will send a personal invitation to participate. This invitation is meant only to help visitors raise travel funds or to obtain a visa, and is not a commitment on the part of the organizers to provide any financial support. Applications for invitation letters must be received at least 30 days prior to the Meeting.

Certificate of Attendance
Certificates of attendance will be available for all participants at the registration desk.

Meeting Secretariat

17, rue du Cendrier
PO Box 1726
CH-1211 Geneva 1
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 908 0488
Fax: +41 22 732 2850
E-mail: esgo14@kenes.com