General Information 

VENUE
Firenze Fiera Meeting & Exhibition Center
"Fortezza da Basso", entrance from "Porta Faenza"
Piazza Adua 1, 50123 Florence, Italy
Tel: + 39 055 49721
E-mail: info@firenzefiera.it
website: http://www.firenzefiera.it/

LANGUAGE
The official language of ESID 2012 is English.

CLOTHING
During the entire ESID 2012 Meeting, attire will be informal.

CLIMATE
The weather in Florence in October is generally chilly to mild. The average temperature is 10º-21ºC.

CURRENCY
The Euro (€) is the official national currency of Italy. All major credit cards are accepted.

TRAVEL INFORMATION
Florence is served by two airports, Galileo Galilei Airport (Pisa International Airport), which handles international flights, and the smaller Florence Airport (Peretola Airport, called as well Amerigo Vespucci), dealing with mainly domestic flights. In general, flying into Italy tends to be a relatively hassle-free experience.

Peretola Airport (Florence Airport or Amerigo Vespucci) By Taxi to Florence
If you arrive to Florence by airplane, you are going to land at Amerigo Vespucci Airport which is not in the city center. There are several services (public and private) that connect the Florence city center with the Airport but the fastest, most efficient and relatively cheap way is to take a taxi (approximately EUR 20.00).

Galileo Galilei Airport (Pisa Airport) By Taxi to Florence
The taxi service at the airport is run by CO.TA.PI (Pisa taxi cooperative) and there are usually plenty of authorized taxis lined up by the main arrivals gateway of each terminal. The fares are quite reasonable and the taxis tend to operate around the clock! To book a taxi simply dial 0039 050 541600.

Galileo Galilei Airport (Pisa Airport) By Terravision transfer service to Florence
Terravision Group offers the chance to reach Florence easily and comfortably thanks to the Terravision shuttle service between Pisa airport (G.Galilei) and Florence city centre (S. Maria Novella Station in Piazza della Stazione). Terravision’s transfer service guarantees full flight coverage with 18 return journeys every day from morning until night, offering fast routes (journey time: 1 hour) and competitive fares. 

Where to get tickets for the Terravision Transfer service:
- Online at www.terravision.eu for just €4,99 (one way) SPECIAL PRICE;
- At the Terravision sales points located in the departures area of the following airports: Alghero, Bari, Brindisi, Cagliari, Palermo, Trapani, Stansted, Luton, Liverpool, Glasgow Prestwick, Skavsta, Dusseldorf, Charleroi, Lubecca, Gerona, Santander, Seville Madrid, Porto. Tickets cost just €5 one way;
- At the Terravision desk in the Arrivals Hall at Pisa airport (for information please contact our team on +39 5026080). Tickets cost €6 one way;
- At the Terracafé (Bar Deanna) in Piazza della Stazione 52/55R, Florence. Tickets cost €6 one way.

Galileo Galilei Airport (Pisa Airport) By Train to Florence
Pisa Airport is directly connected to the Italian railway network. Of all European regional airports Pisa’s Galileo Galilei is the one that is closest to a railway terminal (less than 40 metres of covered walkway). Direct railway lines connect every day Pisa Airport to Florence.
At the Airport, you can buy your railway ticket at the information office in the arrivals hall. The railway terminal is located just outside the Check in hall. One way ticket to Florence would cost approximately EUR 7.00 and would take you approximately one hour.

REGISTRATION DESK HOURS

NAME BADGES
All participants and exhibitors are kindly requested to wear their name badges throughout the whole meeting and present vouchers for social events in order to be admitted to the lecture halls and scheduled activities.

TRAVEL GRANTS
The 15Th Biennial Meeting of the European Society of Immunodeficiencies has offered 10 travel grants for ESID Junior members. Each travel grant aims to help covering awardees’ travel expenses and registration fees. Using established criteria, the grant recipient were chosen after a careful review by the scientific committee of each completed application and personal statement of impact that this Meeting will have on the individual’s career and the practice of immunology
in their country. The Scientific Committee of ESID 2012 congratulates each travel award recipient, and gratefully acknowledges all who applied for financial assistance.

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE
Certificates of Attendance for the meeting will be available at the pre-paid registration area from 13:00 hours on 5^th, October, 2012.
Participants will be requested to scan the barcode on their name badge at the station and the certificate will automatically be printed with the participant’s name.
Please note that the Certificate of Attendance is not a CME Certificate!

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT DISCLOSURE
Sponsors of the industry are not involved and have no influence in the development of the scientific program of the meeting which is under the control of the ESID 2012 Meeting Scientific Committee.

ONLINE CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY JOURNAL AND ABSTRACT BOOK
The abstracts of the 15th Biennial Meeting of the European Society of Immunodeficiencies are being published in an online supplement of the Clinical Immunology Journal, published by Springer. A printed copy of the Abstract Book will be included with your delegate bag materials. If the Abstract Book is too heavy for you to carry or if you are not interested in it, please leave it at the ESID booth for recycling purposes.

FACULTY DISCLOSURE
The ESID 2012 Meeting Scientific Committee is committed to ensuring balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its continuing medical education activities. Accordingly, those in control of the educational content must disclose all relevant affiliations and relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. Disclosure of this information is made to participants verbally at the beginning of each educational session.

TO CLAIM CREDITS AND RECEIVE YOUR CME CERTIFICATE
CME certificates will be delivered electronically only after completing the evaluation and credit claiming procedure. This process will take 5-10 minutes to complete and all responses will be collected anonymously. Participants will receive a link to the online evaluation and credit claiming system after the Congress by e-mail. Here are three simple steps to claim your CME certificate:
1. Complete the evaluation with your important feedback.
2. Indicate the number of hours you actually attended.
3. Receive your CME certificate by email and retain for your personal records.

CME ACCREDITATION
The 15^Th Biennial Meeting of the European Society of Immunodeficiencies is designated for a maximum of 20 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.

DISCLAIMER
The information provided during this CME activity is for continuing medical education purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for the independent medical judgment of a health care provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options for a specific patient’s medical condition.

PAPERLESS SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
The Scientific Program of the 15^Th Biennial Meeting of the European Society of Immunodeficiencies is available via paperless application designed for cross platform access via laptop, mobile devices such as Smartphones, iPhones, Androids etc.
Participants will have full access to the scientific program and the posters including the abstracts. The application has smart search possibilities within the scientific program by session type, hall or the faculty. The paperless application gives the participant the power to choose and plan and, therefore, make the most out of the congress.
To view the ESID 2012 Scientific Program on your personal device, please visit: http://esid.ekonnect.co

EXHIBITION HOURS

INTERNET SERVICES
Wi-Fi internet connection is available free of charge in the exhibition area, registration area and in all the sesion halls for the duration of the Meeting.

VISAS
Most Europeans do not require an entry visa for Italy. Please consult the Italian Embassy or Consulate nearest to you for specific details relating to visas.

LETTER OF INVITATION
Participants to ESID 2012, requiring a formal letter of invitation, to enable them to make their arrangements, should contact the ESID Secretariat.
It is understood that such an invitation is intended to help delegates to raise funds or to obtain a Visa and does not imply a commitment from the meeting organizers to provide any financial support or scheduling of presentations.

LIABILITY AND INSURANCE
The Meeting Secretariat and Organizers cannot accept liability for personal injury or damage involving persons and property during the meeting. Participants are advised to take out their own personal travel and health insurance.

SAFETY AND SECURITY
Please do not leave bags or suitcases unattended at any time, whether inside or outside session halls. Hotels strongly recommend that you use their safety deposit boxes for your valuables.

ESID 2012 MEETING ORGANIZERS AND SECRETARIAT
Please do not hesitate to contact the organizers if you require any additional information or assistance regarding the ESID 2012 Immunodeficiencies Congress.
Email: esid@kenes.com
KENES INTERNATIONAL
1-3 Rue de Chantepoulet
P.O. Box 1726
CH-1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 908 0488
Fax: +41 22 732 2850
Website: www.kenes.com/esid