General Information (in alphabetical order)

Please refer to "Accompanying Persons Programme".

For questions regarding hotel bookings, please contact the Hotel and Tours Desk  located next to the main entrance (Talstrasse) of the conference centre.

Contact before and after the conference:

Zurich Airport is the largest airport in Switzerland and connects with major European cities and destinations worldwide.

For participants of the FIDIC Conference, there will be Welcome Desks in Terminals 1 and 2. Please contact the Welcome Desk after arrival in order to receive your Congress Train Ticket to Davos as well as information on train schedules.

The Welcome Desk is operated from Friday, 30 September 2011 until Sunday, 2 October 2011 during the operation hours of Zurich Airport (06.00 – 23.00).

ATM machines are fairly well distributed throughout Switzerland, even in small villages, and accept foreign-issued debit and credit cards. For withdrawals at ATM machines you usually pay a 2 – 3 % fee, which is as good as or even better than at currency exchange counters.

Admission to the conference events, both business and social, is only possible by badge and/or voucher.

All participants are requested to wear their badges throughout the conference. Vouchers can be kept in the badge holder for convenience.

The badges are colour-coded as follows:

• Participants - Blue badge without bar
• Young Professionals - Blue badge with blue-coloured bar
• Accompanying Persons - Red badge without bar
• FIDIC Executive Committee - Blue badge with green-coloured bar
• Conference invitees and press - Blue badge with yellow-coloured bar
• Conference organisers - Blue badge with red-coloured bar

Onsite changes of name badges due to incorrect submission of names and / or address data will be charged with CHF 20.

Please see “Currency and Banking”.

Refund of registration fees, less 25 % administrative charges, could have been applied for in writing until 16 September 2011 to the Administrative Secretariat in Basel. After this date a refund is no longer possible.

The participant acknowledges that he / she has no right to lodge damage claims
against the organisers should the holding of the conference be hindered or prevented by political events (such as acts of terrorism, danger of hostility, war, etc.) or by unexpected economic events or generally by force majeure, or should the non-appearance of speakers or other reasons necessitate programme changes. With his / her registration, the participant accepts this proviso.

The conference is held in the middle of autumn with temperatures from 5 – 20 degrees. Participants should have warm clothing for events, and in general be prepared for rain and wind, and even snow.

Formal dress is not required for the conference business programme (smart casual recommended). For excursions and tours, warm casual wear and sturdy footwear is advised.

The following dress codes apply for the social events:

• Directors and Secretaries Dinner: smart casual with sensible footwear
• Welcome Reception: smart casual or national dress
• Opening Ceremony: business suit
• Local Colour Night: smart casual with sensible footwear
• Gala Dinner: business attire or national dress (black tie optional)

A cloakroom, free of charge for conference participants, is available at the main entrance of the conference centre (Talstrasse), located directly next to the Secretariat and Registration Desk.

A Congress Train Ticket for free use of the railway from Zurich Airport to Davos and back will be distributed at the FIDIC 2011 Welcome Desks located at Terminal 1 and 2.

Please note that there is only one ticket per registered participant and accompanying person. The ticket is only valid together with a proof of your registration. So please have your confirmation with you.

Please note that the ticket has to be validated at one of the orange boxes available
throughout the station. Otherwise, please ask the conductor to validate your ticket. Tickets cannot

All major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) are widely accepted.

The official currency of Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF).

Bank opening hours vary, but are generally between 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays.

Please see also “ATM Machines”.

Please see “Cancellation, Refund Policy and Responsibility”.

Switzerland‘s standard electricity supply is 220 volts, 10 amps maximum with a frequency of 50 hertz.
Sockets generally take standard two pin, non fused plugs. Newer buildings in Switzerland have a different plug: three round prongs in a triangular pattern. In most hotels adapters are available to convert the standard European safety plug or US plug to the Swiss socket.

Please visit the exhibition booths in the foyer of Room Davos.

Please see detailed information on "Social events". Please contact the Secretariat for seating order requests.

Visitors to Switzerland are advised to check travel insurance coverage prior to departure.
A full travel insurance is recommended for all travellers. For European visitors, free or reduced-cost treatment is available in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Please see “Accommodation”.

While every care is taken to ensure a comfortable and pleasant conference, kindly note that the organisers are not responsible for any mishaps during the conference, and that the registration fees do not include provision for the insurance of participants against personal accidents, sickness, theft or property damages. Participants and accompanying persons are advised to organise their own personal insurance. Please also see “Health Insurance” above.

An Internet Corner will be available for participants in the foyer of Room Davos during the opening hours of the Secretariat / Registration Desk from Monday, 3 October 2011 until Wednesday, 5 October 2011.
Most hotels offer well equipped business centres with Internet, phone and fax devices.
Please also refer to “WiFi’’.

The official conference language is English. No simultaneous translation will be provided.

Switzerland has four official languages (German, French, Italian and Romansch). Davos is in the German speaking part; English is widely understood and spoken.

Please see “Visa” below.

The Local Information Desk is located next to the main entrance (Talstrasse) of the conference centre and manned during the opening hours of the Secretariat / Registration Desk.

The staff will provide participants with any kind of local information like recommendations of restaurants, opening hours of museums and sights, tour options (apart from those offered by the conference organisers) and schedules of the Davos transportation systems.

USIC volunteers in Swiss costume will also be available during the conference.

During the conference, FIDIC offers coffee breaks and lunches for conference participants.

Accompanying persons are welcome to attend the coffee break taking place directly after the Opening Ceremony.

GAMA and ASPAC will have their own lunches at specially assigned dates and areas.

Please note that mobile phones must be switched off during all sessions

The Secretariat and Registration Desk will be open during the following hours:

Please see “Visa, Passports and Letters of Invitation”.

A photographer will be present at the main conference sessions and social events.
Selected photos will be made available for download on the conference website www.fidic2011.org

All texts and presentations that were supplied by speakers will be available on the conference website www.fidic2011.org after their conference.

All presenters are asked to hand in their presentations at the Speakers Service Centre at least one hour before the start of the respective session.
The Speakers Service Centre is located next to the Secretariat / Registration Desk.
In the Speakers Service Centre presenters can check their presentations which can be handed in on CD-ROMs, USB sticks or via their own laptop.

Please see “Transportation within Davos”.

Please see “Cancellation, Refund Policy and Responsibility”.

Onsite Registration Fees

* Proof (copy of passport) required.

The fees for conference participants include:

• Congress bag
• Conference Handbook
• Admission to the full business programme
• Welcome Reception
• Opening Ceremony
• Gala Dinner
• Coffee breaks
• Lunches
• Congress Train Ticket (Zurich Airport – Davos – Zurich Airport)

The fees for day cards include:

• Congress bag
• Conference Handbook
• Admission to the business programme of the day
• Coffee breaks
• Lunch

The fees for accompanying persons include:

• Congress bag
• Welcome Reception
• Opening Ceremony
• Gala Dinner
• Congress Train Ticket (Zurich Airport – Davos – Zurich Airport)

Onsite Registration
Participants registering onsite cannot be guaranteed to receive all congress documents. Therefore, please arrive early if you wish to register onsite. Please also note that the availability of hotel accommodation at that time may be limited.

Confirmation
Upon receipt of the correct registration fee, each participant will receive a confirmation of registration. Please bring this confirmation to the Registration Desk at the conference centre as proof of your registration.

Cancellation / Refund Policy
Refund of registration fees, less 25 % administrative charges, could have been applied for in writing at the Administrative Secretariat in Basel until 16 September 2011. After this date a refund is no longer possible.

Name Changes
For any change of names, a fee of CHF 30 will be charged. Onsite changes of name badges due to incorrect submission of names and/or address data will be charged at CHF 20.

General Remark / Responsibility
The participant acknowledges that he / she has no right to lodge damage claims against the organisers should the holding of the conference be hindered or prevented by political events (such as acts of terrorism, danger of hostility, war, etc.) or by unexpected economic events or generally by force majeure, or should the non-appearance of speakers or other reasons necessitate programme changes. With his / her registration, the participant accepts this proviso.

Responsibility
Please see “Cancellation, Refund Policy and Responsibility”.

Secretariat during the Conference (Sunday – Wednesday)
FIDIC 2011
c/o Congress Centre Davos
Talstrasse 49A
7270 Davos Platz, Switzerland
Tel: +41 81 414 62 00

Secretariat before and after the Conference
FIDIC 2011
c/o Congrex Switzerland Ltd.
Peter Merian-Strasse 80, PO Box
4002 Basel, Switzerland
Tel: +41 61 686 77 11
Fax: +41 61 686 77 88
fidic2011@congrex.com

Shopping hours in Switzerland are governed by cantonal law and vary accordingly.
Shops in Davos are usually open from 08.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 18.30 on weekdays and until 16.00 on Saturdays. On Sunday shops are generally closed.

VAT is levied on goods and services at a rate of 8 %, except on hotel bills (3.8 %). Nonresidents can claim the tax back on purchases over CHF 400 (excluding VAT on services or hotel/restaurant bills). Before making a purchase, please ensure that the shop provides the required paperwork to make a claim. Refunds are given at main border crossings as well as at Geneva and Zürich airports. Alternatively, refunds can be claimed after the journey by postal mail.

Please note that smoking is not allowed on the conference grounds.

In Switzerland, smoking is generally not allowed in public spaces, including bars and restaurants, schools, hospitals and shopping malls. Some restaurants may offer separate smoking rooms.

Please refer to ‘’Presenters’’.

Conference lunches and coffee break items will contain no pork or lard; vegetarian food will always also be offered. Please contact the Secretariat for special requests.

Please see “Shopping, VAT and Tax-Free Shopping”.

Taxis are rather expensive in comparison with other European countries. Taxis can be ordered via the Secretariat or via the reception desk at your hotel.

Tipping in restaurants in Switzerland is not necessary. The tip was in fact abolished 35 years ago and replaced by an all-inclusive bill.

However, the golden rule in restaurants seems to be to round up the bill. For something like a coffee, round up to the nearest Swiss Franc. For something below CHF 100, round up to the nearest 5 or 10, and for bills over CHF 100 between 5–10 % are adequate depending on the quality of service.

Please refer to Tours". The tour programme can be booked online or onsite.
For additional tours and special requests, please contact the Local Information Desk at the conference centre.

Please see “Language and Translation“.

Please note that there is no shuttle service provided between the hotels and the conference centre. Please use the Davos Klosters Inclusive Card to get a free ride on the bus. Alternatively, the congress centre can be reached on foot from all major hotels.

Shuttle buses will be provided for the Welcome Reception, Local Colour Night and Gala Dinner. Buses leave from and return to the conference centre.

The congress centre is located in the middle of Davos, between Davos Dorf and Davos Platz. The main entrance and the parking lots can be reached from Talstrasse.

With its local bus system, Davos‘ public transportation service VBD (www.vbd.ch) offers you the ideal transportation network to get you from A to B, traversing from one end of the Promenade to the other. Davos is only around 4 km long and about 1 km wide, so it is easy to get anywhere by bus or a short walk. Cabs are also available, but cost about CHF 12 - 15 during the day and twice as much at night.

Reservation in a Davos hotel includes the Davos Klosters Inclusive Card which allows you to use the public transportation system as well as mountain rail and cableways free of charge. The ticket will be handed out to you upon arrival at the hotel and is valid for the duration of your stay. Please request it at check-in if necessary.

The picturesque train ride from Zurich through the Swiss Alps to Davos takes nearly 3 hours. There are train connections from Zürich Airport and Zürich Hauptbahnhof (main station) to Davos every hour between 06.00 and 21.00. Please change at Landquart.
For further information, please see the official website of the Swiss Railway SBB (www.sbb.ch/en) or contact the FIDIC Welcome Desk at Zurich Airport for assistance.

Please also see “Airport, Welcome Desk and Congress Train Ticket”.

Congress Centre Davos
Talstrasse 49A
7270 Davos Platz, Switzerland
Tel. +41 81 414 62 00
www.davoscongress.ch

Switzerland belongs to the Schengen area. Visas are not necessary for citizens of EU countries, the USA, Canada and many other countries. Passports must be valid for three months after the intended period of stay – this applies to all nationalities except:

• nationals of the EU, holding a valid national identity card, providing not taking up employment, for stays of up to three months
• nationals of Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain with normal passports, expired for up to five years, providing not taking up employment, for stays of up to three months
• nationals of Germany with passports expired for up to one year

Water quality is constantly monitored by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). The drinking water that comes out of Swiss taps is as pure as bottled mineral water.

Please see “Climate and Clothing”.

Free WiFi is available in the foyers of the conference centre.

User Name: FIDIC
Password: 2011

Please also see “Internet”.