GENERAL INFORMATION
Conference Location:
Stockholm City Conference Centre/Norra Latin
Barnhusgatan 7B
SE 111 23 Stockholm, Sweden
Currency
The Swedish currency is Swedish Kronor ( SEK ). 1 USD is approximately SEK 6.80 (as per March 4, 2005). For a currency converter please visit www.forex.se or contact your local bank office.
To get to the city of Stockholm
Train
The Arlanda Express is a train service that links the city of Stockholm with the airport. The journey takes 20 minutes and the regular price of a one-way ticket is SEK 190. A discount is offered for two persons travelling together on a Saturday or Sunday: SEK 200 for both tickets (March 2005). Please note that these tickets can only be purchased at the Arlanda Express counter, either at Arlanda Airport or at the City Terminal.
StoCon offers discounted tickets for travel during week days with the Arlanda Express train from Arlanda to Stockholm. These tickets can only be booked and paid for via the registration form, and the price is SEK 150 (March 2005). If tickets have been booked and paid for in advance, your confirmation letter will serve as a ticket when presented to the train conductor.
Bus
From Arlanda Airport there is a direct bus connection to the City Terminal (next to Stockholm Central Station) in Stockholm. The journey takes about 40 minutes and costs SEK 89. You can also buy a combined airport bus and taxi ticket, i.e. at the City Terminal you change transportation from bus to taxi, which takes you directly to your hotel. Ask the bus driver for more information. The bus leaves every 10 minutes from Arlanda Airport during peak hours (March 2005).
Taxi
If you intend to take a taxi from and to Arlanda Airport we recommend that you use a company with a set price. The trip into the city should cost no more than approximately SEK 450-500 (March 2005). We also recommend that you check the price with the taxi driver.
Badges
Your name badge will be provided at the registration desk. All participants are requested to wear their name badge throughout the conference. Only badge holders will be admitted to the lectures and SIAM functions.
Banking and Exchange Facilities
Opening hours for the banks in the city are Monday-Friday 09:30-15:00. All banks are closed during weekends and on public holidays. There are also a number of exchange offices in Stockholm, for instance at the Central Railway Station you will find FOREX, open from 08:00-21:00 on weekdays and 08.00-16:00 on Saturdays. Ask the concierge at your hotel for the location and opening hours of the exchange office closest to your hotel. At Arlanda International Airport you will find the exchange offices at terminals 2 and 5.
Checks
Personal or company checks WILL NOT be accepted at the registration desk nor in shops in Stockholm. Travellers checks are accepted by leading banks in Sweden.
Check-in/check-out Time
Hotel check-in time is 15:00 or later. If arriving after 18:00, please notify the hotel. Check-out time is 12:00.
Climate
The average temperature in May is 15°-20°C and it is generally sunny and dry. Warmer clothing is advisable for evening outdoor wear. A suit is recommended for evening engagements. For more details, please visit the website http://weather.cnn.com/weather/forecast.jsp?locCode=ESSA.
Conference Secretariat
Stockholm Convention Bureau (StoCon)
SIAM OP05 Tel: +46 8 5465 1500
Box 6911 Fax: +46 8 5465 1599
SE-102 39 STOCKHOLM, Sweden E-mail stocon@stocon.se
Conference Venue
The Conference will be held at Stockholm City Conference Centre, Norra Latin. The address is: Drottninggatan 71 B, SE-107 26 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 506 166 00, Fax: +46 8 21 69 71.
For further information please visit the conference venue website: www.stoccc.se
Credit Cards
Commonly accepted credit cards in hotels, restaurants, shops and for conference registration are American Express, Diners Club, Visa, Master Card and Eurocard. Restaurants and shops generally display signs indicating what cards they accept.
Currency
The Swedish currency is Swedish Kronor (SEK). 1 USD is approximately SEK 7.05 (as per November 1, 2004). For a currency converter please visit www.forex.se or contact your local bank office.
Electricity
The supply voltage in Sweden is 230 volts/50 Hz. Most hotels provide 110-volt outlets for shavers.
E-mail
There are two computers at Norra Latin’s “Internet corner” where delegates can surf the Internet, and read and send
e-mail.
Final Program
The final program will be distributed to all participants upon registration at the registration desk, along with all other conference documentation.
Insurance
Neither the organizers of the event nor the Stockholm Convention Bureau (StoCon), accept any liability for personal injuries sustained, or for loss or damage to property belonging to participants, either during or as a result of the meeting. Registration fees do not include insurance. You are strongly recommended to take out an insurance policy against such eventualities with the company of your choice, in your country of origin.
Language
The official language of the conference is English, which will be used for all presentations and printed material.
List of Participants
Only registrations received by the secretariat before April 14, 2005, will be included in the list of participants.
Map
Click here for a hotel map (pdf).
Meals
Morning and afternoon coffee will be served.
Lunch is not included in the registration fee. However, there are several restaurants and cafeterias in the vicinity of the conference venue.
Mobile Telephones
Please be aware that mobile telephones should be switched off during all sessions.
Shopping
The shops are open mainly 10:00 - 18:00 on weekdays, Saturdays 10:00 - 15:00. Shops in the city center have extended opening hours, some even on Sundays between 12:00 - 16:00. The main shopping streets in the centre of Stockholm are Hamngatan, Biblioteksgatan, Drottninggatan, and Västerlånggatan in the Old Town.
Smoking Policy
Smoking is banned in most public places in Stockholm, on public transport, in stores etc. In restaurants, etc., you will find designated areas for smokers. Hotels offer special rooms for non-smokers.
Time
Sweden is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Tipping
Tip and service charges are included in all prices at hotels and restaurants and for taxis.
If you want to show your appreciation for good service you can leave an additional tip (7-10%).
Tax-free Shopping
Visitors from countries outside the European Union are able to reclaim VAT on goods purchased in tax-free shops when leaving the country, either at the airport or at the border.
The items may not be used while in Sweden, and they must be exported within seven days of purchase. Look for the tax-free sign in shops and remember to ask for the VAT reclaim form at the time of purchase. The shop assistant will ask to see your passport.
Telephones
Pay phones are available at Norra Latin, both for local and long distance calls. Credit card phones, indicated by a ‘CCC’ sign, are available throughout the city and also at the conference venue.
Transportation
Airport and Transport
Scandinavian Airlines System, Sweden's flag carrier, operates a fleet of Airbus A330/A340s from the US to Stockholm with service from Newark (EWR), Chicago, Washington D.C. and Seattle.
SAS offers a 10% discount of published fares (excl. senior, youth, child and web specials) to the participants, accompanying persons and exhibitors. The discount is valid from any point worldwide that SK/BT/BU/JK/KF/WF is the operating and designated carrier to Stockholm. These tickets can be issued by SAS or any travel agent.
Conference code: CFSE0511
Passengers originating in the US can contact Lyon Travel for Special Conference fares.
Phone: 802-254-6033
Fax: 802-254-6123
Email: conferences@lyontravel.com
www.lyontravel.com
Tourist Information
For tourist information on Stockholm and Sweden, please visit www.stockholmtown.com, or contact the Tourist Center on the lower level of the Cultural Center/Kulturhuset, Sergels Torg 1. Open Monday-Friday 09:00-18:00 and Saturday-Sunday 10:00-16:00. Telephone: +46 8 789 24 90. Fax: +46 8 789 2491. E-mail: info@svb.stockholm.se
For more information about Sweden, please visit the following Internet sites:
www.stockholmtown.com (What is on in Stockholm)
www.stockholm.se (The City of Stockholm)
www.nobel.se (The Nobel Prize Archive)
Travel within Stockholm
Stockholm’s public transportation system is punctual and reliable. You can travel by T-banan, the underground, or commuter trains and buses.
Taxi
Please note that there is free pricing (no restrictions for what fees the different taxi companies use) for rides in Sweden. We therefore recommend that you use one of the following companies: “Taxi Stockholm”, “Taxi Kurir”, or “Taxi 020”.
Underground/Subway
The underground in Stockholm is called “tunnelbana” and the sign, a blue “T” on a white background, is the indicator for the underground. The underground covers a larger area than the local downtown buses.
Wheelchair Access
All booked hotels, except Rica Hotel Kungsgatan, have rooms specially designed for disabled persons.
The City Conference Center, Norra Latin, has elevators (lifts) to all floors, which enables wheelchairs to access all levels and rooms.
Local Buses
The local buses, red and blue, are reliable and convenient. During peak hours the buses can be delayed due to heavy traffic.
VAT Refund
Swedish VAT may be repaid to foreign enterprises except banks, insurance companies and companies providing health care. Refunds are available for more or less all costs arising in business. Examples include travel and hotel costs in Sweden. Envelopes will be available at the registration desk at the conference venue. The relevant documentation should be sent after the conference. Please note that VAT may not be recovered with respect to hotel room charges paid to travel agents outside Sweden, that invoices and hotel bills must be made out in the enterprise's name, that there are certain cash limits applying in the case of entertainment, and that wines and spirits carry no entitlement to recovery of VAT.
Visa Requirements
Participants needing a visa for entry to Sweden are strongly advised to make their application in their home country at least three months before the intended date of travel. If in doubt, information can be obtained from your nearest Swedish Embassy or Consulate or from your travel agency. Those who do not fly directly to Sweden, please note that you may need a transit visa for some countries in order to continue your travel.
Facts about Sweden
Sweden has a population of 8.9 million, 85% of whom live in the southern half of the country. Swedish is a Germanic language and approximately 85% of the population belong to the protestant Church of Sweden. Average life expectation is high - about 76 years for men and 82 for women. Since World War II, over 40% of the population growth has been accounted for by a net immigration of approximately 700,000 - mainly from neighboring Scandinavian countries, but also from other parts of the world. The Sami people (the Lapps), an ethnic and linguistic minority with reindeer-herding traditions, have lived in northern Sweden for thousands of years.
Sweden is the fourth largest country in Europe with a surface area of 450,000 km2. Half of the country is covered with forest and less than 10% is farmland. Nearly 100,000 lakes dot the Swedish countryside, which is relatively flat apart from a long mountain chain in the north-west that reaches altitudes of up to 2,111 m (6,926 ft). There are thousands of islands off the jagged coast. The warm Gulf Stream in the Atlantic provides Sweden with a milder climate than other countries situated equally far north. Stockholm, the capital, is at almost the same latitude as southern Greenland but has an average temperature of approximately +10-15ºC in September.
City of Stockholm - Beauty on Water
A first glance at Stockholm suggests that the city is floating. It is surrounded by water, built on 14 islands with one third of the city area comprised of parks and woodland. Its location on the water and fascinating history provide a unique setting, the Stockholm archipelago, which, with its collection of 24,000 islands, is one of the largest archipelagos in the world.
Stockholm became the capital of Sweden 750 years ago. In the winding alleyways of the city’s medieval Gamla Stan (the Old Town), the original part of Stockholm, the very air is redolent with history. And yet, only a few minutes’ walking distance away lies the throbbing pulse of a modern city. Stockholm is an ancient city with a long and interesting history. There are many rune stones and other traces of the Vikings, though the city's official written history begins in the 13th century.
Since 1901 Stockholm has been the venue of the Nobel Prize Ceremony - the most prestigious of all events and indeed the city makes a fitting venue, with a high standard of facilities and service as well as an excellent infrastructure. The public transport system is very efficient and convenient, with a choice of buses, trains and an underground railway system.
In the city center, hotels, museums, shops and restaurants are generally within walking distance, which also makes Stockholm an ideal city for pedestrians.
Stockholm is also the communication hub and the economic and cultural center of the Nordic area. It is easy to reach - Arlanda Airport handles some 225 international flights daily to and from thirty countries and four continents. Direct buses as well as Arlanda Express Train connect Arlanda Airport with the City Terminal in central Stockholm.
Audio-Visual Policy
Standard A/V Set-Up in Meeting Rooms Every PLENARY SESSION ROOM will have TWO OVERHEAD PROJECTORS, TWO SCREENS, AND A DATA PROJECTOR.All other breakout rooms will have one overhead projector, one screen, and a data projector. Speakers may order additional audio-visual equipment, other than the standard A/V set-up listed above, by contacting lyons@siam.org.
All speakers please visit http://www.siam.org/meetings/resources/avnotice.htm prior to April 20, 2005 .
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