Arrival
Arrival - When to arrive Technical University
Attendees of the Technical University should plan to arrive on either Monday, April 22nd during the day or on Tuesday, April 23rd early in the morning. Registration for the Technical University is open as of Monday afternoon 16h00. The conference starts on Tuesday, April 23rd at 10:00am with the keynote session. The sessions end on Friday, April 26th at 1pm followed by lunch until 2:30pm.
Arrival Transfers
Due to the easy access of Noordwijk by car and train, no arrival transfers will be organized.
Arrival by Air
Noordwijk is within easy reach with international airports Schiphol Airport (25 km, 20 minutes drive) and Rotterdam The Hague Airport (40 km, 35 minutes drive) close by.
To get further information on Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, go to www.schiphol.nl/ To get further information on Rotterdam The Hague Airport, go to www.rotterdamthehagueairport.nl
Arrival by Car
Noordwijk is situated in the centre of the Randstad and is easily accessible, with multiple roads to the nearby highway A44. There are numerous websites on the internet with which you can plan your route to Noordwijk.
More information can be found on the Travel Information section.
General Information
Currency
The EURO (€) is the only currency that is officially recognized as legal tender in the Netherlands. If you would like to know the exact exchange rate to your local currency, please go to: www.oanda.com/converter/classic
Electricity
In the Netherlands sockets operate with 230 V and comply with European standards. Plugs are 2 pin so some countries need an adaptor.
Emergency telephone numbers
Country code for The Netherlands: 31
Police, Ambulance and Fire: 112
Health
It is advised to get an E111 form, which will cover you for emergency health care. Travel insurance is always recommended. Pharmacies are open weekdays from 9am to 6pm. At night and weekends at least one local chemist will be open.
Language
Dutch is the spoken language throughout the Netherlands. English is also widely spoken and understood.
Passports
Non-EU passport holders are advised to contact the appropriate diplomatic or consular authorities for visa requirement details (see visas).
For all travelers from the EU, an identity card or passport is sufficient for travel to the Netherlands.
Information on how to obtain a Visa letter can be found in the Visa section.
Smoking
Smoking of tobacco is prohibited by law in all public buildings and in public transport.
Taxis
Noordwijk has numerous agencies standing by for comfortable and safe transport. You will find detailed information in the Travel Information page.
Time
Noordwijk lies in the Central European Time Zone, GMT +1 (same as Frankfurt, Paris and Brussels).
Timings
To ensure that the event runs smoothly, we would appreciate if you could respect the timings given.
Transfers
Please refer to Departure Transfers.
Visas
Countries whose cititizens do not require a visa for a stay of three months or less:
Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (or holders of a BNO, British National Overseas Passport), United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela.
If you are a national from any other country, you need a visa for a stay of less than 3 months in the Netherlands. You need to apply for a visa at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country before you come to the Netherlands.
If you need a specific invitation letter to obtain your visa, please send a request to stg_conferences@be.ibm.com and we will send you an official invitation letter.
Weather
The climate in Noordwijk has an average maximum temperatures in April of around 13°C. For exact weather forecast, please go to:
www.weatheronline.co.uk/Netherlands/Noordwijk.htm
Event Location
The 2013 IBM Systems Technical University is pleased to welcome you at the Hotels Van Oranje in Noordwijk/The Netherlands.
Uniquely located at the beautiful beach and the lovely boulevard of Noordwijk, the Hotels van Oranje offer the five-star Hotel Van Oranje and the four-star Beach Hotel. Noordwijk has been awarded with both the Blue Flag eco-label and the Quality Coast Award and is the most sustainable beach of the Netherlands. Just recently, the hotel has also been awarded the prestigious Green Hotel of the Year 2012 award.
Hotels Van Oranje
Koningin Wilhelmina Boulevard 20-31
2202 GV Noordwijk
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0) 71-3676869
Web: www.hotelsvanoranje.nl/en
Conference Information
Badge collection
You will be able to collect your badge at the conference registration desk located in the Hotel van Oranje upon your arrival on either Monday afternoon or as of Tuesday for the Technical University. Badges should be worn at all times for security reasons. Your access to the conference area and other events will be restricted in case you do not wear your badge.
Contact Person
For any questions related to the conference, please contact Dominique Tenaerts by email at dominique_tenaerts@be.ibm.com or Andrea Andernach at aandernach@be.ibm.com.
Conference desk opening hours:
Throughout the event, the conference desk opens 30min prior to the first session in the morning and closes 30min after the last session.
Conference Language:
All conference sessions will be presented in English.
Departure Transfers to Airport
Airport shuttles will be organized on Friday afternoon after the last sessions have ended. You can reserve your seat on the shuttle as part of your online registration. If you prefer not to reserve a seat during online registration, you will have the possibility to book a seat on site at the registration desk but upon availability only.
Dress Code
Business casual throughout the event.
Evaluation form
Session evaluations will need to be submitted via the conference portal. Please complete a session evaluation form after each session. The more session evaluations you complete, the greater the changes of winning a prize (minimum of 4 session evaluations required to qualify for the prize draw).
Overall conference evaluations will need to be submitted via the conference portal. In exchange for submitting your overall conference evaluation, you are invited to pick up your conference gift at the IBM welcome desk in exchange of the code received upon submitting the evaluation via the web portal.
Instructions on how to access the portal will be provided the week prior to the conference and during registration.
Meals
From Tuesday through Friday, lunch and coffee breaks are foreseen. Also included is a welcome drink on Tuesday evening and a drink in the Expo Area on Wednesday evening. There will also be a conference dinner on Wednesday evening.
Individual travel expenses, lodging, incidental expenses and additional meals are not included in the conference fee and will be paid by each attendee at the time the expense is incurred.
Mobile phones
Please switch off your mobile phones during the sessions.
On-Site Registration
For your convenience, we will have an IBM registration desk set up in the Conference Foyer (Tuesday through Friday). There, you will be able to receive further information on the event. You will also be able to leave messages directly at the IBM Information desk should you need further assistance during your stay and can not find an IBM contact person to help you immediately.
Substitutions and Cancellations
Substitutions can be made at any time.
Late cancellations (fourteen calendar days before the event) or no-shows will be charged the full tuition fee. For conference substitutions and/or cancellations, please use the online registration tool.
IBM employees should cancel using Learning@IBM.
Hotel cancellations and substitutions must be made directly to the hotel.