VENUE
The Meeting will take place in the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre (SECC), situated in Glasgow, within a short taxi journey of the city centre and Glasgow Central Railway Station.
DATES
Sunday 5 to Wednesday 8 September 1999.
HOW TO REACH THE SECC
By Road
The SECC, which is situated right in the heart of Glasgow on the banks of the River Clyde, is a short taxi ride from Glasgow city centre and 11 miles from the city's international airport. The SECC complex is accessible from all over the UK and is situated just off junction 19 of the M8 motorway.By Rail
There are currently 8 direct trains a day from London Euston to Glasgow Central station. Journey time is about five and a half hours and the following fares apply: Single £79 and Return £153. There are additional trains from Kings Cross in London to Glasgow Central station.By Air
The SECC is served by Glasgow International Airport, located approximately 15 minutes drive from central Glasgow and is served by many of the major airlines from over 30 scheduled destinations including Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and New York. In addition, there are numerous flights from London and other UK cities.Edinburgh International Airport, located within one hour's drive of Glasgow has direct links to Chicago, New York and Toronto.
Prestwick Airport is located within one hour's drive of Glasgow and is served by UK flights from London, Dublin and Belfast.
From Glasgow International Airport:
By Taxi
A taxi rank is located outside the terminal building at Glasgow International Airport and the journey to the city centre will take about 15 minutes. The average cost of the journey is £15 and it is usual to tip the driver 10% of the fare.By Public Bus
Two bus companies, Scottish City Link and Fairline Coaches (Airport Express), operate buses to central Glasgow from outside the main terminal building with departures every 15-20 minutes. Journey time to Glasgow is approximately 25 minutes and the fare at the time of printing is £2.50 for a single journey. Some hotels also operate a courtesy bus service from Glasgow Airport. Please contact your hotel direct for details.From Edinburgh International Airport:
Delegates arriving at Edinburgh airport, may travel to Glasgow by taxi or by train (the latter from Edinburgh city centre).By Taxi
Edinburgh International Airport is located about 42 miles away from the Glasgow city centre. A taxi rank is located outside the terminal building. Journey time is approximately an hour and the fare (for up to 4 passengers) will be in the region of £60.By Rail
Delegates may travel to Edinburgh city centre by bus or taxi. The taxi journey time from Edinburgh airport to Edinburgh city centre is about 20 minutes and the average cost is £15. Buses are available from outside the terminal building at Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh's main train station (Waverley). Journey time is approximately 25 minutes and the fare is currently £3.50.Trains for Glasgow leave from Edinburgh Waverley or Haymarket stations to Glasgow Queen Street station. The journey takes just under an hour and operates at half hourly intervals on Monday through Saturday, and hourly on Sundays. The single fare is approximately £7.
Access from Glasgow City Centre to the SECC:
By far the best means of getting to the SECC is to take a taxi. Taxis are numerous and fares are reasonable (from within the city centre, less than £5) and all taxis are metered.Although there is access to the SECC via local trains and buses, this is time-consuming and not particularly cost-effective when more than one person travels. The SECC is located next to Exhibition Station. Trains run regularly from Glasgow Central Station with a journey time of approximately 10 minutes. Delegates wishing to get to Exhibition Station from Glasgow Queen Street station, should change trains at Partick Station; the journey time is approximately 20 minutes.
There is also a public bus service operated by Strathclyde Passenger Transport; bus 100 runs from the city centre every 30 minutes to the SECC.
OFFICIAL CARRIER
British Midland has been appointed official carrier for the 13th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.
As a major UK scheduled airline operating into London Heathrow Airport, with over 1,500 flights per week, British Midland have won many awards for their high standard of service and in-flight catering. They offer connections to Glasgow, 8 flights daily from London, from the following European cities, Amsterdam, Paris (Charles de Gaulle), Brussels, Prague, Warsaw, Cologne, Frankfurt, Dresden, Oslo. They also have 4 flights a day to Glasgow from East Midlands Airport, where connections are offered to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.
British Midland are offering 10% off published fares in their Euroservice seats and 15% off their Euroclass service seats. These special fares are valid from 1 to 14 September 1999.
If you would like to take advantage of these discounts, please ring +44 1332 854 854 for calls outside the UK and 0870 60 70 555 for calls within the UK. Please quote the reference R star Cardio.
MEETING HOURS/REGISTRATION
Postgraduate Courses will be held all day on Sunday 5 September 1999 from 09:00 hrs to 16:15 hrs. The main scientific programme will open at 08:30 hrs on Monday 6 September and end at 13:45 hrs on Wednesday 8 September.
The Registration Desks will be open on the concourse of the SECC at the following times:
Saturday 4 September 1999
15:00-19:00 hrs
Sunday 5 September 1999*
07:00-19:00 hrs
Monday 6 September 1999**
07:30-18:00 hrs
Tuesday 7 September 1999**
07:30-18:00 hrs
Wednesday 8 September 1999
07:30-13:45 hrs
* Registration for the Postgraduate Courses will be open from 15:00 to 19:00 hrs on Saturday 4 September and from 07:00 to 11:00 hrs on Sunday 5 September.
** Registration for the Breakfast Sessions will be open from 06:15 hrs on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 September.Please register and collect Meeting documentation on Saturday 4 September if at all possible. Meeting staff will be available to help you with all queries regarding registration, hotel bookings, social arrangements and excursions.
TRADE EXHIBITION
The trade exhibition of instruments, equipment, services and literature will take place in Halls 4 and 5 on the ground floor of the SECC and will be open from 15:00 hrs on Sunday 5 September to 12:30 hrs on Wednesday 8 September. All participants, accompanying persons and exhibition visitors are welcome to visit the exhibition. Entry to the exhibition will be by exhibition pass or name badge only.
DELEGATE BRIEFCASES
Delegate briefcases have a business card holder under the front flap which all delegates are asked to use in order to ensure that they are properly labelled.
CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE
Certificates of attendance are available from the Registration Desk from 14:00 hrs onwards on Monday 6 September.
MESSAGES
The Messages & Enquiries Desk is located close to the main registration area on the concourse of the SECC and will be open at the same times as the Registration Desks, as stated on the previous page. Messages for delegates should be written on the forms available at the Desk and notification will be placed on the Messages Board adjacent to the Desk. Delegates are asked to check the Messages Board on a regular basis for any messages.
NAME BADGES
Delegates will be issued with name badges when they register. Please note that badges will be colour-coded as follows:
EACTS Member
White
Non-Member & Trainee
Yellow
Student/Technician/Nurse
Grey
Registered Exhibitor (session badge)
Green
Exhibitors
Orange
Accompanying Person
Pink
EACTS Council
Red
Organising Committee
Blue
Postgraduate Course attendees
Light Mauve
Staff
Gold
For security and regulation reasons, badges must be worn at all times throughout the Meeting and evening functions. Only those delegates wearing badges will be admitted to scientific sessions and the exhibition. Admittance to scientific sessions will not be permitted to holders of badges marked Exhibitor.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
The official language of the Association and the Meeting is English.
REFRESHMENTS AND LUNCH
Coffee and tea will be available in the exhibition halls during the official breaks and is included in the registration fee. Lunch is not included in the registration fee. However, there will be a number of catering points in the exhibition halls where delegates may purchase sandwiches, light snacks and refreshments. There are also three cafes/restaurants within the SECC complex, where light meals and refreshments may be purchased - Fingal's, which is located within Halls 4 and 5, the Molendinar Restaurant, which is located on Level 1 of the SECC, and the Upper Crust, which is on the concourse, close to the Registration area.
CLOAKROOMS
A cloakroom is situated on the concourse and is available for use at a cost of 50p per item.FIRST AID FACILITIES
In the event of an emergency, delegates are asked to report to the First Aid Room, which is located on the concourse along from the SECC Information Desk which is manned by qualified first aid staff. Alternatively, anyone requiring medical assistance should report to a member of staff who will summon the relevant emergency services.
LOST AND FOUND
Delegates should contact the Messages & Enquiries Desk in the main registration area regarding any objects lost or found. To minimise any losses, please ensure that your briefcase is properly labelled.
BANKING
A sub-branch of Clydesdale Bank plc is situated on the SECC concourse and is open for business from 12:00 hrs to 16:00 hrs Saturday to Wednesday during the Meeting.
PUBLIC TELEPHONES
Public telephones are located throughout the SECC both on the concourse and in the exhibition halls.
FACILITIES FOR THE DISABLED
The SECC is fully equipped with disabled facilities. If you require assistance or have any special needs, please contact the Executive Secretariat, whose details can be found on page
INSURANCE
The organisers do not accept responsibility for individual medical, travel or personal insurance. Participants are strongly advised to take out their own personal insurance.
CLIMATE
The weather at the time of the Meeting can be unpredictable, so delegates are advised to bring a light coat or raincoat. Temperatures of approximately 16°C can be expected.
DRESS
Dress will be informal for the Annual Meeting and all other events, with the exception of the Presidential Dinner, which will be black tie or national dress.
Disclaimer
Neither the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), nor Conference Associates & Services International Ltd. (CASIL) can accept any liability for death, injury, or any loss, cost or expense suffered or incurred by any person if such loss is caused or results from the act, default or omission of any person other than an employee or agent of EACTS or CASIL. In particular, neither EACTS nor CASIL can accept any liability for losses arising from the provision or non-provision of services provided by hotel companies or transport operators. Nor can EACTS or CASIL accept liability for losses suffered by reason of war including threat of war, riot and civil strife, terrorist activity, natural disaster, weather, flood, drought, technical, mechanical or electrical breakdown within any premises visited by delegates and/or partners in connection with the Annual Meeting, industrial disputes, governmental action, regulations or technical problems which may affect the services provided in connection with the Annual Meeting. Neither EACTS nor CASIL is able to give any warranty that a particular person will appear as a speaker or panellist.
