Venue
Hilton Istanbul
Cumhuriyet Caddesi
34367 Harbiye, Istanbul
Turkey
Language
The official language of the Conference is English.
Time Zone
The time zone in Istanbul in September is Eastern European Summer Time (EEST) (GMT +2 hours), and seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Name Badges
All participants will be kindly requested to wear their name badges throughout the Conference in order to be admitted to the lecture halls and other scheduled activities.
Registration & Accommodation
All participants must submit a completed registration form.
Hotel accommodation at special conference rates will be offered to participants. Detailed information, as well as access to the registration and accommodation form is available on this website.
Registration & Accommodation
The onsite registration desk at the Hilton Istanbul conference venue will be open as follows:
Friday, September 24, 2010: 16:00 - 19:00
Saturday, September 25, 2010: 07:45 - 18:30
Sunday, September 26, 2010: 08:00 - 16:30
Climate
September is an ideal month to visit Istanbul. Black Sea breezes refresh the city and relieve it from some of the summer heat. Average daily temperatures are high 26º C and lows of 16º C.
Visa Requirements
Visa regulations depend on your nationality and country of origin. We suggest you contact your local Turkish Embassy / Consulate for full and official instructions on the specific visa regulations and application procedures that apply to you as many countries require entry visas into Turkey (including passport holders from Canada and the US). It is the responsibility of the participant to obtain a visa if required. A valid passport for at least six months from date of arrival is required for entry into Turkey.
Official Letter of Invitation
Official letters of invitation designed to help overcome administrative difficulties in certain countries will be sent on request. It must be understood that such letters do not represent a commitment on the part of the Organizing Committee or Conference to provide any financial assistance. You may download an invitation letter from this website. If you require an original letter, it is recommended that you send your request 3 months in advance to account for administration time for processing the request and delivery by post.
CME Accreditation
The EASL Monothematic Conference: Delta Hepatitis is accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) to provide the following CME activity for medical specialists. The EACCME is an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), www.uems.net
The EASL Monothematic Conference: Delta Hepatitis is designated for a maximum of 12 hours of European external CME credits. Each medical specialist should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.
EACCME credits are recognized by the American Medical Association towards the Physician's Recognition Award (PRA). To convert EACCME credit to AMA PRA category 1 credit, contact the AMA.
Vice versa, all CME activities approved by the American Medical Association (AMA) are recognized by the EACCME. The American Medical Association is an 'Accredited Provider' of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) - USA.
Evaluation Forms
Evaluation forms will be distributed at the entrance to the session hall. You will be kindly requested to complete the forms for each session that you attend and to return them to the collection point of the hall entrances.
List of Participants
A list of participants will be displayed on the notice board, which will be located in the registration area.
Clothing
Informal for all occasions.
Smoking Policy
This will be a non-smoking event.
Banking and Exchange
The official currency in Turkey is the Turkish Lira (£).
Banking hours in Istanbul are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Most banks in Istanbul exchange traveller's cheque, Euro cheques and foreign currency. These services may be available at selected branches only. Banks offer similar exchange rates as the Bureaux de Change, and the commissions tend to be less.
Automated cash dispensers are located outside most banks and cash can be withdrawn 24 hours a day.
All major credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops.
Most businesses are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Airport Transportation
Airport Information
The international and domestic flights use two airports in Istanbul. The main airport is Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport located on the European part 23km from the city center.
Buses depart from Ataturk airport to Taksim Area (downtown) every 30 minutes, operating between 06:00–23:00 hours. Travel time is 45 minutes depending on traffic and cost is 10 Turkish Liras or approximately Euro 5 per person.
Taxis are available at Ataturk airport and the approximate cost is 40 Turkish Liras or approximately Euro 20 one way to Taksim area where most of the hotels are located.
The second airport is Sabiha Gokcen airport located on the Asian side of the city located 50 km from the city center.
Buses depart Sabiha Gokcen airport every hour. The cost is 15 Turkish liras or approximately 7 Euros. Taxis are available at Sabiha Gokcen airport and the approximate cost is 70 Turkish liras or 35 Euros one way to Taksim area where most of the hotels are located.
Important Note: It is strongly recommend that only licensed taxis are used. Licensed taxis are yellow and drivers are required by law to operate the taximeter in their vehicle.
Safety and Security
Please do not leave bags or suitcases unattended at any time, whether inside or outside the session halls. Hotels strongly recommend that you use their safety deposit boxes for your valuables.
Liability and Insurance
The organizer is not able to take any responsibility whatsoever for injury or damage involving persons and property during the conference. Participants are advised to take out their own personal travel and health insurance for their trip.