CLIVAR Open Science Conference-places limited!
POSTERS
Space for posters is limited and we need to configure the poster viewing areas, so we ask that you register and pay the registration fee prior to July 31 in order to reserve a poster board. If you have already registered and paid your registration fee, or have been told that your registration fee will be paid directly by one of the OSC sponsors, no need to take any action.
If for some reason you must register after this date, but before the deadline of 1 September, please let info@clivar2016.org know so that we can tentatively reserve a place for your poster.
The poster boards will be portrait format. The maximum size for a poster is 120cm high and 90cm wide. Tape, not tacks should be used to attach posters to the board material which is cloth.
If you have not registered and paid by 1 September we regret that you will not be able to present your poster and your abstract will not appear on the program in the Conference USB memory stick.
HOTEL:
Roms at the Hyatt Regency at the very attractive conference rate are running out, so, if you haven't already booked your hotel, we advise you to reserve at the HYATT as soon as possible. Instructions at clivar2016.org "Accommodations" tab.
Note that rooms at preferential rate on some dates beyond the main conference period have been fully booked. You have to reserve those dates at the normal rate without using the group code.
FLIGHTS to QINGDAO
September is still high season in Qingdao, so, if you haven’t already reserved your flights, we advise you to do so very soon. Apart from regular routes from Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong, Qingdao can also be reached directly from many other cities in China and Japan.
VISAS:
The 31 July is the last date to request an invitation letter for visa purposes in order to ensure that this letter arrives in time for your visa application.
If you have already requested an invitation letter for visa purposes, you should have received it by now, or it will be sent to you later this week. Please submit your visa application to the nearest China consulate as soon as possible and let Lina (lina.kang@clivar.org) know immediately if they require another official document from a Chinese government agency (often referred to as DAU or Confirmation Letter of Invitation.). The procedure for getting such a document is quite complicated and time consuming so we should start as early as possible.
The invitation letter for visa purposes will be sent only when the registration fee is paid.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME:
All plenary and parallel session orals are now posted. Check the website www.clivar2016.org for updates.
MONDAY AT QNLM:
The first day of the OSC, Monday, 19 September, will be held at the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (QNLM) which is located about 40 kilometers from the Hyatt. Bus transport will be organized from the Hyatt, the Home Inns and other hotels.
OSC BADGE COLLECTION AND CHECK IN:
In order to organize the Monday’s program efficiently and stay on schedule, we strongly recommend that you collect your OSC badge and registration material on Sunday at Hyatt. You will need to wear your badge at all times, to get on the bus to QNLM and to have access to the OSC meeting rooms. The registration desk will be open in the Hyatt lobby from 12 - 11 pm on Sunday September 18th. All ECSS participants will register at FIO on Sunday (September 18th) morning.
ON-SITE REGISTRATION:
Due to government regulations we cannot accept cash for registration fees. Hence, if you register on site, you must do so online and pay your registration fee by credit card in order for us to issue you a badge. Badges must be worn at all times at the conference venue.
MONDAY ARRIVALS:
If you plan to arrive in Qingdao during the day on Monday and still wish to attend the Conference at QNLM, we suggest you take a taxi directly from the airport to QNLM. The distance from the airport to QNLM is about 45 km; from the airport to the Hyatt about 30km, and from the Hyatt to QNLM is another 42 km. Addresses of the QNLM in English and Chinese will be posted on the Conference website, You can print these out to show to the taxi driver.
AIRPORT ARRIVALS:
There are two terminals at the Qingdao airport. Taxis are located in the basement, between the two terminals. Follow the Taxi signs and take the escalator or elevator to the basement. Do not take rides from taxis or cars located outside the airport terminal; these are not licensed. At peak arrival times we will have OSC volunteers at the airport to assist with taxi’s etc. Addresses of the hotels in English and Chinese will be posted on the Conference website. You can print these out to show to the taxi driver. A taxi to your hotel will cost very approximately 100 RMB. You will need Chinese RMB to pay the taxi driver.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE:
There are exchange bureaus in the airport terminals but their opening hours are limited. The most economical and easiest way to obtain RMB is via ATM machines, but in China, different bank ATMs accept different cards to withdraw cash. Hence it might be a process of trial and error. Safest would be to change at least a small amount of cash before coming to China. A taxi from the airport to the Hyatt should cost about 100RMB (about 15 USD). The Hyatt and most other big hotels in China accept international credit cards, but for those staying at the Home Inn on Haier Road, you will need to pay with cash. You will receive a separate message explaining how to manage this.
CANCELLATIONS:
If you have not yet paid your registration fee, we urge you to do so as soon as possible since there is a limit on the number of participants due to space limitation at the venue. If you have registered but cannot attend, please cancel your registration by sending a message to events.organisation@esa.int.
VPN
All Google applications (Gmail, Google Drive, etc…), social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and application like Dropbox, are not accessible in China without a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Short-term subscriptions for VPNs can be found online for little or no cost, but we advise you to download them before coming to China.
We look forward to seeing you in Qingdao in September!
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at info@clivar2016.org
Best regards,
The Conference Secretariat
CLIVAR Open Science Conference
