14^TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY

General Information

DATES

Saturday 7 to Wednesday 11 October 2000

VENUE

The Meeting will take place in the Congress Centre Messe Frankfurt, situated in downtown Frankfurt, within walking distance or short taxi ride from all meeting hotels, Frankfurt inner city and the Main Railway Station (Hauptbahnhof). Please refer to Transport Information on how to get there.

MEETING HOURS

Postgraduate Courses will be held all day on Saturday 7 October 2000 from 10:00 hrs to 16:30 hrs. The main scientific programme will open at 08:30 hrs on Monday 9 October and end at 14:00 hrs (Approximately) on Wednesday 11 October 2000.

The Registration Desks will be open on the concourse of the Congress Centre at the following times:

Please register and collect Meeting documentation on Friday 6 October 2000 if possible.

* Registration for the Postgraduate Courses will be open from 15:00 to 19:00 hrs on Friday 6 October 2000 and from 07:00 to 11:00 hrs on Saturday 7 October 2000.

** Registration for the Breakfast Sessions will be open from 12.00 to 18.00 on Sunday 8 October and from 06:30 hrs on Monday 9 October 2000 and Tuesday 10 October 2000.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

The official language of the Association and the Meeting is English.

TRADE EXHIBITION

The exhibition will take place at the Congress Centre, Messe, Frankfurt in Hall 5 on the first floor and will be open on Monday from 9.00 – 19:30 hrs and on Tuesday from 9:00 – 18:00 hrs and on Wednesday from 9:00 – 12:00 hrs. It will be open to pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers of medical and surgical equipment, software equipment and scientific publishers.

All enquiries and correspondence regarding the exhibition should be directed to the EACTS Executive Secretariat.

OFFICIAL LETTERS OF INVITATION

Letters of invitation required to meet the administrative and legal regulations of some countries are available to participants upon written request to the Executive Secretariat. Please write your name and address clearly, in order to ensure an efficient reply. Such letters should not, however, be construed as a financial commitment on the part of the Organisers.

LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS

Coffee and tea will be available in the exhibition area during the breaks and will be 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 area where delegates may purchase food and drinks.

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 10 – 18° can be expected.

HOW TO REACH THE CONGRESS CENTRE MESSE FRANKFURT

By Air
Frankfurt has the largest airport in continental Europe. Downtown Frankfurt and the Congress Centre, Messe Frankfurt are only 15 minutes away from the airport by taxi or the local train (S-Bahn). From the air terminal, follow signs for regional trains. S-Bahn 8 departs from platform 1 every 15 minutes. Tickets can be obtained from the Travel Centre. Get off at the Main Station (2 stops) and make your way to the Congress Centre, Messe Frankfurt either by taxi (5-10 minutes) or by tram line 16 (direction “Ginnheim”) or tram line 19 (direction Messe/Westbahnhof), the station to get off is “Festhalle/Messe” (3 stops away from the main railway station).

OFFICIAL CARRIER

Lufthansa has been appointed official carrier for the 14th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Lufthansa – the National Airline of Germany – offers a comprehensive global network of flights linking Frankfurt with most major cities throughout the world. Attendees of the 14th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, traveling on Lufthansa services, are being offered special airfares. To take advantage of this special offer, please contact the nearest Lufthansa office in your country.

Kindly have the official confirmation of your registration available and refer to code: GGAIRLHKONG.350
In the USA or Canada please call our agent “Conferences International” toll free at: 1-800-221-8747.
In Germany please call: 01 803 803 803

By Car
Frankfurt is situated right at the crossroads of the central European highway network. The ‘Autobahn’ A3 (Köln/Koblenz) leads to Frankfurt from the northwest, the A5 (Hamburg – Hannover – Kassel) and A45 (Giessen) from the north, the A66 (Wiesbaden) and A60 (Bingen) from the west, the A66 (Fulda) from the east, and the A3 (München/Würzburg), the A5 (Basel – Karlsruhe) and the A67 (Darmstadt) from the south. Please follow the signs reading “Messe”.

By Rail
The Frankfurt Main Railway Station, the biggest in Europe, offers more than 1.000 train connections daily. Please check with your travel agent the most convenient connection for you. Once you have arrived at Frankfurt Main Railway Station you can either take a taxi (5-10 minutes) or travel by tram line 16 (direction “Ginnheim”) or tram line 19 (direction “Messe/Westbahnhof”). The station to get off is “Festhalle/Messe” (3 stops away from the main railway station).

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TICKETS

Tickets for the public transport system in Frankfurt can be ordered in advance at a reduced price by completing the appropriate box in the registration form. Tickets can also be purchased on-site at the registration desk. Price per day ticket is EURO (€) 3.