Congress Venue
The 26th ESPEN Congress will be held at the Lisbon Congress Centre (CCL), recently refurbished and modernly equipped, which is located in Junqueira, a prestigious area of the Belem historical quarter, close to Jeronimos.
Address
Praça das Industrias
PT - 1300-307 Lisbon, Portugal
Phone (+351) 21 360 14 00
Fax (+351) 21 363 94 50

The Lisbon Congress Centre, a popular international Congress Centre where large international meetings take place, is approximately 45 minutes away from the International airport and 30-45 minutes from the main hotels in downtown Lisboa. There is a fast tram which directly connects downtown (“Praça da Figueira”) to the Congress Centre.
The large entrance hall is the heart of the Congress venue. A restaurant and coffee/sandwich bars are available on site, many more in the surrounding area.
The ESPEN Congress Opening Ceremony, on Saturday 11 September 2004 at 13.30, will be followed by an exciting educational and scientific afternoon. The Welcome Party will thus be held in the evening of Saturday at the Congress Centre.

Organising Secretariat
For any further information, please contact the official Organising Secretariat.

Prior to the Congress 26th ESPEN 2004
c/o MCI Suisse SA
75, rue de Lyon
CH - 1211 Geneva 13, Switzerland
Phone (+41) 22 33 99 580
Fax (+41) 22 33 99 621
E-mail: espen@mci-group.com
Website: www.espen.org

On-site
The Organising Secretariat will be located at the Lisbon Congress Centre, on:

Local Organiser
Hotel accommodation, excursions and accompanying persons’ programme registrations should be made using the enclosed form and returned to:
AIMS Portugal Lta.
Rua Garrett 61, 3°
PT- 1200-203 Lisbon, Portugal
Phone (+351) 21 324 50 40
Fax (+351) 21 324 50 50

E-mail: espen2004@aims.pt
Website: www.aims-international.com

Registration
Please go here for on-line registration.
The other option is to print this .pdf file of the registration form and send it to the Organising Secretariat either by fax or by mail once completed.
All participants, including speakers and chairmen, must submit a completed registration form.
Congress Documents and Badges Congress documents should be collected onsite at the registration desk at the Lisbon Congress Centre. Name badges must be visible and used at all times, anywhere at the Congress Centre.

Certificate of attendance
A certificate of attendance will be included in the Congress bag.

Passports
An Identity Card or a Passport (depending on nationalities) is required for entry into Portugal.

Visa
Participants needing a visa for entry to Portugal are strongly advised to make their application in their home country at least three months before the intended date of travel. If in doubt, information can be obtained from your nearest Portuguese Embassy or Consulate or from your travel agency.
Should you need a letter of invitation to obtain an Entry Visa for Portugal, please contact the local organiser, AIMS Portugal.

Insurance
It is recommended that participants take out adequate cover for travel, health and accident insurance before they depart from their country. The organisers cannot accept responsibility for personal injuries, or loss, or damage to private property belonging to the congress participants and accompanying persons.

Italian Pharmaceutical Companies
ESPEN 2004 has chosen FINADDA S.r.l. to collect, on our behalf, all applications from Italian Pharmaceuticals Companies and file them with the appropriate Italian Health Ministry officials. For further information, please contact:
FINADDA S.r.l.
Via G. Fara, 13
IT-20124 Milano, Italy
Phone (+39) 02 669 3007
Fax (+39) 02 669 4167
E-mail: finadda@pandaniviaggi.it
Website: www.pandaniviaggi.it

Transportation
Carris - the company responsible for Lisbon’s buses, trams and funiculars (“elevadores”) can transport you anywhere in the city on one of its 800 buses, 55 trams and funiculars.
Lisbon’s metro – the Metropolitano – operates from 06.30 to 01.00. It has four lines, all of which are within the city limits.

Lisbon airport
The airport is situated 5km away from the city centre. In the airport arrival hall you will find two tourist offices, open from 06.00 to midnight, which can help you with maps, and advise on taxis and other transport; pick one of the excellent free publications, e.g. Follow me Lisboa.

Taxis are available at the airport.The fare to Lisbon’s city centre is approximately EUR 10 and the journey takes about 20 minutes. There is also a regular bus service – the Aerobus – connecting the airport to the city centre and to “Cais do Sodré” train station that runs every 20 minutes from 07.00 to 21.00.

Official Carrier

TAP AIR PORTUGAL is the official airline for ESPEN 2004.

Registered participants are offered special rates in all international flights to and from Portugal:

• All Economy class fares have a reduction of 10%
• All Business class fares (Top Executive) have a reduction of 20%

This discount is also valid for one accompanying person per registered delegate. Please contact your nearest TAP Air Portugal office where you can obtain details on flight schedules, tariffs and booking. Identify yourself by presenting your confirmation of registration and referring the code IT4TPC09002.
Further information and services are available on the sites www.tap-airportugal.com or www.tap.pt.

Language
The official language of the Congress is English. No simultaneous translation will be provided for the Scientific and Education & Clinical Practice programmes.

Food and beverage
Coffee/tea and cookies during official breaks are included in the registration fee and will be served in the exhibition area. Lunches are not included in the registration fee.
A restaurant and sandwich bars are available at the Lisbon Congress Centre.

Industry exhibition
In conjunction with ESPEN, an exhibition of medical equipment, pharmaceutical companies and scientific publishers will be held in the Pavillion 1.
A special booth is available for Nutrition Societies.

Smoking Policy
The ESPEN 2004 Congress wishes to be a non-smoking event. Participants are kindly requested to refrain from smoking in the Congress venue, including the exhibition area.

Mobile Phones
Delegates are kindly requested to keep their mobile phones in the off position in the rooms where scientific and educational sessions are being held, as well as during poster sessions’ rounds.

Banks
Open from 08.30 to 15.00; Monday to Friday, closed on weekends and public holidays.

Currency
The Portuguese currency is the EURO divided into cents.

Credit Cards
Major Credit Cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops (Visa, American Express, Eurocard, Diners Club and MasterCard).

Shopping
The commercial centre in Lisbon is called “Baixa” and here shops are open from 09.00 to 13.00 and from 15.00 to 19.00 (working days), some shops do not close for lunch; on Saturdays, most of the shops close at 13.00. In the shopping centres, shops are open every day from 10.00 to 23.00 including Saturday and Sunday.

Tax-Free Shopping
Non EU-visitors are able to reclaim the VAT on goods purchased in tax-free shops when leaving the country, either at the airport or at the border.
Look for the tax-free sign in shops and please remember to ask for the VAT reclaim form at the time of the purchase. In Portugal the VAT ranges from 5% for transportation services and hotel accommodation to 12% for food services, up to 19% for all other services and goods.

Climate
Lisbon falls within both Atlantic and Mediterranean climatic zones. Due to these characteristics, there is little variation in temperature, with lots of sunny days even during winter. In September you can count on sunny weather and an average temperature of 23ºC.

Time
Portugal follows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Electricity
The standard voltage in Portugal is 220 volts. Most hotels provide 110-volt outlets for shavers.

Tourist Information
For further information, please connect to www.atl-turismolisboa.pt or e-mail atl@mail.atl-turismolisboa.pt.