How to get to Cape Town
For more information about the Cape Town International Airport, we invite you to visit the website here.
For a taxi ride from Cape Town International Airport to Downtown Cape Town: R 250 (25€).
Meeting place
WFITN 2011 will take place at the CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, located in the downtown area.
CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE
Convention Square 1 Lower Long Street
Cape Town 8001 South Africa
http://www.capetownconvention.com/
Accommodation
In walking distance of the CTICC are the city’s major hotels, providing over 3000 rooms of three star quality and above, including the 483-room five star ArabellaSheraton Grand Hotel which forms part of the convention centre complex. There are more than 16 000 rooms in hotels and guesthouses in a 45-minute radius of the city centre, which has an efficient road network and good local transportation.
Congress official language
English
Dates to remember – Deadlines
- 2nd announcement: December – January, 2011
- Deadline to return your order form: 30th June, 2011
- Exhibition technical file: Available in June 2011
- Booth set up: 6th & 7th November, 2011
- Welcome cocktail & pre-registration: Monday, November 7th, 2011
- Congress: 8th to 11th November, 2011
- Official gala dinner: Thursday, November 10th, 2011
- Booth dismantling: 11th & 12th November 2011
- Abstract Submission deadline: 15th of May 2011
- Abstract notification of accpetance: 15th of June 2011
- Advanced registration until July 30th 2011
Visa
If you need a letter of invitation for visa purposes, please click on the link available below :
Travel rebates
The Star Alliance Members have been appointed as the Official Airline Network for the 11th congress WFITN. Details and conditions on Star AllianceTM Convention Plus discounts can be obtained by contacting your local participating airline.
Remember to indicate the WFITN 2011 Event Code: SA03s11
When making your travel plans, please present confirmation of your registration or proof of attendance and ensure that the Event Code is listed on your ticket.
WFITN 2011 Participating Airlines: ANA, Air Canada, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS International Air Lines, Scandinavian Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, TAP Portugal, United.
For further information, please visit: www.staralliance.com/conventionsplus
Visiting the exhibition area
Access to the exhibition area will only be granted to the registered participants to the congress.
Disclaimer
The Conference Organizers* cannot be held responsible for any losses incurred by participants in the event of labor disruptions or cancellation of the Conference. The program was correct at the time of printing, but organizers reserve the right to alter it if deemed necessary.
Insurance
It is strongly recommended that participants take out adequate travel and health insurance prior to commencement of travel. Further information can be obtained from your travel agent.
Liability
The Conference Organizers* shall not be held liable for personal accidents or losses or damage to private property of registered Conference participants. Participants should make their own arrangements with respect to personal insurance.
* Conference Organizers include the Organizing Committee and the Professional Conference Organizers.
Passport and visas (for US visitors and visitors from other countries).
If you are visiting South Africa, a valid passport is necessary. It is the responsibility of the visitor, before entering South Africa, to ensure that he or she has the necessary documents, including those for entry into another country or re-entry into his or her own country.
Meeting place
CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE
Physical Address: Convention Square 1 Lower Long Street Cape Town 8001 South Africa
Postal Address: P.O. Box 8120 Roggebaai Cape Town 8120 South Africa
Conveniently located in the business hub of the city, CTICC is your gateway to the Western Cape and affords you easy access to world renowned tourist attractions, business institutions, transport terminals and major road networks.
A full range of transport services is available to and from the CTICC, including:
- Taxis, buses or coaches – Metered taxis, luxury air-conditioned coaches and shuttle buses regularly run between the airport, hotels, the city centre and most major tourist destinations.
- Hire Car – the city boasts a plethora of care hire companies and services, with vehicles to suit every taste, preference or budget.
- Trains – Cape Town Central Station is situated in the heart of the city, while an extensive rail system connects the city centre with the rest of the region and the greater Western Cape.
- Water Taxis – The unique Roggebaai canal offers a relaxed, charming journey via water taxi to between the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and the CTICC.
- On foot – The centralised and compact nature of the city means that walking is often the transport mode of choice for visitors.
- On two wheels – given the temperate climate and abundance of safe routes around the city, bicycles are fast becoming a very popular form of transport for visitors. As part of its commitment to minimising its carbon footprint, the CTICC encourages the use of this mode of transport and the proposed expansion will even include a dedicated bicycle hiring facility.
Meeting Dates : 8th to 11th November 2011
Airport
For more information about the Cape Town International Airport, we invite you to visit the website here.
For a taxi ride from Cape Town International Airport to Downtown Cape Town: R 250 (25€)
Flights from Europe are generally overnight and just a sleep away – an aperitif, dinner, sound sleep, a good breakfast – and voila, you’re in South Africa! The direct flights between the USA and Johannesburg or Cape Town are about 15 hours. Flights between London and Cape Town take about 12 hours.
Car rental
Cars can be rented in Cape Town from local or international companies. Average cost per day for a medium-sized car is R 500. All cars are right-hand drive. Most hotels in Cape Town offer parking space for R 150 a day.
South African Currency
South African currency is the rand, which is divided into 100 cents. The rand has the symbol « R ».
Coin denominations are; 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5. Notes are R10,00, R20,00,R50,00, R100,00 and R200,00.
With a rand that exchanges favourably with all major international currencies, South Africa is a really affordable destination where five-star luxury, and many items such as food, wine and lager, can be purchased for far less than in other global cities.
It’s easy to exchange foreign currency in Cape Town. You can cash traveller’s cheques at banks and exchange offices which are common in the areas you’ll be visiting. Banking and credit cards are also welcome almost everywhere so you can withdraw with your bank card, use major credit cards, or even pay directly at stores, restaurants, etc…
Currency exchange rates are available at banks and published daily in the press or see South Africa Current Exchange Rates which are updated daily.
Opening hours
Most shops in the cities and suburbs are open between 08h00 and 17h00 to 17h30. Shops at major centres like the V&A Waterfront and Canal Walk open at 09h00 and close at 21h00 or later, even on Sundays and most public holidays. Informal traders and flea markets generally unpack before 09h00 and start packing up after 16h00, depending on foot traffic and weather conditions. Muslim-owned businesses close at noon on Fridays and re-open at 14h00.
Government agencies keep to limited weekday only hours, often closing at 15h00.
Most banks close at 15h30 weekdays, but are often on Saturday mornings.
Muslim-owned businesses close between noon and 13h00 in Fridays.
Health, Health Insurance & Hospitals
No international immunisation is needed when entering South Africa. The only inoculation requirement is a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travellers over one year of age entering South Africa within six days of leaving an infected country. Visitors who travel through or disembark in these areas are advised to be inoculated against the disease before visiting South Africa.
Medical services are of a very high standard in Cape Town and the surrounding areas. In the event of an emergency, use one of the major private clinics. You may contact the police on 10111 for directions to the nearest hospital. You may also contact the ambulance services on 10177. Many doctors do house calls and are listed under Medical in the telephone directory.
It is therefore important to obtain travel health insurance before leaving home, since your regular health insurance might not include coverage outside your country of residence.
Electricity
South Africa’s electricity supply is 220/230 volts AC 50 HZ, with the exception of Pretoria (230 V) and Port Elizabeth (200/250 V). Most plugs have 3-pin or 2-pin. Adaptors can be purchased, but may be in short supply. US-made appliances may need a transformer. Most hotel rooms have 110 volt outlets for electric shavers and appliances.
Passport and Visa Requirements for participants
Planning a visit to Cape Town and the Western Cape? Then be sure to read the basic information below on South Africa’s entry requirements.
For detailed visa info, visit the South African Department of Home Affairs and the South African Department of Foreign Affairs. Also visit South African Tourism for an easy breakdown.
What are the requirements for visiting South Africa?
- A valid passport for the duration of your stay and six months thereafter.
- Your passport must have at least two blank pages.
- A valid visa, if required.
- A return or onward ticket
- Sufficient funds
- Yellow fever certificates if the journey starts or entails passing through the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America.
Do I need a visa to visit South Africa?
Depending on your nationality, and the purpose and duration of your visit, you may not need a visa to visit South Africa at all.
Countries exempt from South African visas
Countries subject to South African visa fees
How do I apply for a visa?
If you are subject to visa requirements, you will need to apply for your visa at least 4 (four) weeks before you depart. You will have to await the outcome of your visa application before you depart. You can apply for your visa at your nearest South African Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.
For more general visa information, online forms and to confirm which categories do not need visa’s, please visit the Department of Home Affairs.
Weather
Cape Town and the Western Cape with its walm balmy summer days and mild winters is a year round business and leisure destination which draws visitors back to its breathtaking shores time and time again. Add in friendly and welcoming locals, diverse cultures and scenery to die for and you’re guaranteed a visit to remember.
Warm languid summers and mild, moist winters – conditions that perfectly sum up the mediterranean climate of Cape Town and the Western Cape. Pop down to the coast in summertime and you’re looking at pleasant lows of 15ºC (59ºF) to highs of 27ºC (80.6ºF). Go inland and you’ll be shedding layers as temperatures are between 3-5 degrees higher.
Summer starts in November.
South African Weather Service: www.weathersa.co.za
Tipping
Tipping is customary in South Africa. A guideline for visitors is the following: Porters R5 per item, taxis 10%, waiters and waitresses in restaurants 10-15%.
Safety
When visiting any major City, visitors should take certain safety precautions. It is the same in Cape Town. To make your visit as enjoyable as possible, here are some basic safety tips:
- avoid carrying large sums of cash, cameras or video cameras in plain sight and leaving belongings unattended. Heed the advice of your hosts, Cape Town Tourism Visitor Centre staff or locals on where to go after dark. Try to not walk alone, and take special precautions at lonely lookout points, especially at dusk or after dark.
- Do not allow strangers to assist you in any way at ATM’s.
- Street children and beggars may approach you for a handout. Many social workers counsel against giving money to the children as it usually gets handed over to an older person or is used to purchase drugs. If you wish to do good, rather give food, donate your change to a registered charity, or ask Cape Town Tourism for advice.
- At night, park in a secure, well-lit area.
- Keep photocopies of all valuable documents in a safe place.
More information about the venue
Business centre
The African Connection is a business centre, bureau de change and travel desk situated on the ground floor of the CTICC between the Illy Café and the Afrique Convenience Store.
Other services include:
- Business and secretarial services, i.e. printing, photocopying, faxing, binding, laminating, typing, email service etc.
- A self-service internet and email service, as well as a laptop zone for those who require a connection.
- An international telephone service as well as web conferencing.
- An international courier service.
- A short-term cell phone rental service and the sale of leading business accessories.
- A bureau de change service.
- A fully integrated travel desk including, but not limited to, airline bookings and amendments, car rental, chauffeur drive services, point-to-point transfers and specialised or customised tours.
- Multi-media advertising facility on a large plasma screen.
Coffee shop
The Illy Café is situated on the ground floor in the main foyer of the CTICC and provides visitors with light refreshments including cakes, coffees, beverages and light meals. The Café has extended opening hours as and when required.
Restaurants
The Marimba Restaurant is located at Entrance 5 of the CTICC and provides an à la carte dining experience with live music and entertainment. The restaurant serves a combination of African and cosmopolitan cuisine and includes a cigar bar. The outside Marimba Terrace has magnificent views of the city and Table Mountain. Marimba is open 7 days a week from 07 h 00 till late.
Information technology
The CTICC is capable of satisfying the Networking needs of the client through the most modern technology. The centre is equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet Fibre-Optic Backbone feeding into CAT 5e cabling. All major public spaces are linked onto the network by means of a Wireless Local Area Network.
Network management software allows for the creation of Virtual Private Networks (VPN), which enables a single user to use different spaces in the CTICC while linking to the same VPN. This means that delegates are not limited geographically and access is limited to authorised persons. This allows for the setting up of client specific networks, and can also be used to provide internet access to clients as and when required. The CTICC is capable of providing up to a 2MB link to the Internet should this be required. All servers run on a Windows2000 platform. UPS power is available in all venues to ensure that data loss is minimised in case of power failure.
Interior design
An internationally experienced professional team has designed the CTICC to the highest contemporary standards. The guiding principles behind the design incorporate clearly articulated volumes and spatially dramatic public walkways. The colour palette of the CTICC is generally of a light and “blonde” character comprising a combination of:
- Light to medium brown natural stone colours (externally a combination of coursed smooth and scabbled sandstone, internally travertine floor and wall tiling).
- Light timber colours for wall panelling, flooring and stair treads (maple/light beech).
- Light to medium grey metals (brushed aluminium and stainless steel elements such as balustrading, signage, ironmongery and window frames).
- Clear glass to entire glazed portions of elevation, with translucent glazing for privacy screening where required.
- Canopy sunscreening generally lightweight powder- coated aluminium angled louvers, sometimes perforated, all of a light grey to white. Curtain wall sunscreening combinations of translucent glass/perforated aluminium horizontal panels.
- Clear glass balustrades.
- Light to medium grey carpeting.
- Colour has been introduced generally through signage, loose fittings, furniture and artwork.