General Information

About the IDOF 2010

Date and place
21-23 October 2010, Hilton, Athens, Greece

Entry formalities
It is advisable to contact your local Greek Embassy or Consulate for information regarding visas and entry formalities. A valid passport is generally required for entry into Greece. Citizens of the EU countries or holders of Schengen Visa do not need visa to enter Greece (airlines or other carriers require identity card issued by a public authority). For more detailed information regarding visa requirements to enter Greece, please visit the website of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs by following the link: http://www.mfa.gr/www.mfa.gr/en-US/Services/Visas/Visas+for+Foreigners+t...

Language
English is the official language of the IDOF 2010. Interpretation will not be provided.

Badges
It is compulsory for all participants and accompanying persons to wear the delegate identification badge in a visible place should they want to enter the meeting halls and the exhibition and poster area.

Certificate of attendance
All registered delegates are entitled to a certificate of attendance.

Liability and Insurance
The organisers and the secretariat cannot be held responsible for accidents, or loss or damage to private property of delegates or accompanying persons, or cancellation expenses. Participants are kindly advised to carry out their own insurance arrangements during their stay in Greece.

Smoking policy
Smoking is not allowed in the meeting area.

 

About Greece

ATMs
ATMs are widely available in Greece for Master or Visa cardholders.

Banks
Banks are open from Monday to Thursday, 8:00-14:00 hrs and on Friday, 8:00-13:00 hrs; on Saturdays and Sundays they are closed. Central branches of some banks may be found open until 20:00 daily and from 10:00 to 16:30 on Saturdays. For further details please consult your hotel concierge.

Climate
The climate in Greece is mostly dry and temperate. In Athens, Southern Greece and the islands, the climate is typical Mediterranean with warm and dry summers and mild winters. In late October the temperature varies from 15 oC to 25 oC.

Credit cards
All major credit cards are accepted in almost all hotels, shops and restaurants. Stickers in the front windows will advise you as to which cards are accepted.

Currency
Euro is the official currency (1 Euro = 100 cents).

Electricity
Electricity is 220 V/50 Hz. Plugs are the standard continental (DIN) type with two round pins.

Geography
Greece, officially known as The Hellenic Republic, is the southernmost country on the European mainland. With an area of 131.940 square kilometres, Greece is about the same size as England or New York State. Greece's longest border is with the sea. Over 3,000 Greek islands are scattered about the eastern Mediterranean, roughly 200 of them inhabited. The Greek mainland shares land borders with Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Bulgaria and Turkey.

Healthcare
Emergency treatment is free to all in public hospitals. Public and private hospitals can be found in big cities. Small and large islands usually have hospitals and health centres.

Language
Greek is the official language. Most Greeks speak English as a foreign language.

Population
Greece has 10,964,020 inhabitants (2001 - census). Greece's capital city, Athens, (Population: 3,072,922) is also its largest, and is served by Piraeus, which is the country's main port. Although more than half the population is classified as urban, rural life retains a powerful influence. A strong sense of community and family ties prevail even in the busiest of metropolitan centres.

Religion
Most Greeks (95%) belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, which is governed by a synod of metropolitan bishops, presided over by the Archbishop of Athens. The largest religious minority is the concentration of Greek Muslims in northeastern Thrace. Some islands in the Ionian and Aegean have a significant number of Catholics. Greece's once vibrant Jewish community was nearly vanished in World War II.

Restaurants
Restaurants and tavernas are normally open for lunch from 12:30 to 16:00, for dinner from 19:00 to midnight. Fast food and souvlaki shops usually serve food all day long, and some of them stay open till late at night. Cafes and bars are open all day from about 8:00 in the morning until late in the night.

Telecommunications
The international access code for Greece is +30. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 001 for the USA or Canada, 0044 for the United Kingdom). Public payphones are available all over Greece and use phone cards, which can be purchased from kiosks. Telephone transmissions are based on GSM technology. For information concerning mobile phone use in Greece, please ask your provider.

Time
Greece is GMT+2, Greece 12:00 - London 10:00 - New York 05:00 - Sydney 20:00.

Tipping
Tipping is not compulsory but is quite usual in Greece.

 

Useful links

Hilton Athens
http://www.hiltonathens.gr

The city of Athens official visitors' website
http://www.breathtakingathens.com

Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos
http://www.aia.gr

Greek National Tourism Organisation
http://www.visitgreece.gr

Attiko Metro
http://www.ametro.gr

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Visas information)
http://www.mfa.gr/www.mfa.gr/en-US/Services/Visas/Visas+for+Foreigners+t...