General Information

Meeting Venue
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
1855 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401-3209
Tel.: +1 310 458 8551
Fax: +1 310 394 3411

The "Civic" is located in the heart of Santa Monica, an urban village by the sea, only eight miles from the Los Angeles International Airport. World-class beaches, the Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade and the Meeting Hotel are within walking distance.

Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
1700 Ocean Avenue,
Santa Monica, California, 90401
Tel.: +1 310 458 6700
Fax: +1 310 458 6761

The Santa Monica Loews hotel was opened in 1989 as one of the best luxury hotels in Santa Monica, California. The breezy yet elegant design features 45-foot palm trees inside the four-story atrium lobby with flowing fabric draped from the ceiling and open views to the sea. Beachfront seating areas and a new lounge are great places for a quick meeting or a sunset cocktail.

Dates
October 14 - 18, 2006

Language
The official language of the meeting is English. Translations will not be provided.

Climate
The climate in Santa Monica is temperate throughout the year with nearly continuous sunshine.
October is warm and very often very dry but evenings are considerably cooler.
Average high temperatures vary between 65°F/18°C to 72°F/22°C from winter to summer.

Clothing
Informal for all occasions.
Light jacket or sweater is recommended for evenings.

Badges
All participants, accompanying persons and exhibitors are kindly requested to wear their badges throughout the meeting in order to be admitted to the lecture halls and other scheduled activities.

Airport Information
The nearest airport serving major commercial airlines is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which is only 8 miles (13km) south of Santa Monica.
Several companies operate shuttle vans between LAX and Santa Monica. The charge is approximately $20 per person. Shuttles depart from the lower level at LAX. Upon exiting the terminal, cross to the curb nearest the main drive and look for green shuttle/van signs. Transportation coordinators are available to assist. Shuttles may make several stops before reaching your destination. It is recommended that participants confirm the cost and details of transportation prior to leaving the airport. Use licensed operators only.

Santa Monica ’s new Rapid 3 Big Blue Bus line offers a very fast ride from the airport to Santa Monica for 75 cents. For more information, visit http://www.bigbluebus.com
Big Blue Bus provides an efficient service from LAX to downtown Santa Monica for only 50 cents. From the transportation islands at the airport, participants need to take LAX Shuttle (no charge) to Parking Lot C (allow between 20-30 minutes). From the bus terminal at Lot C, the #3 Big Blue Bus departs to Santa Monica (approximately 30 minutes to downtown).

Taxis charge approximately $30 from LAX to Santa Monica (including a $2.50 surcharge for each taxi leaving the airport but not including tip – approximately 15% extra). Taxis depart from the lower level of the terminal at the curb nearest the airport. Be specific about your destination with the driver, giving a detailed address for your destination.

Transportation in the City
Santa Monica has an efficient and convenient public transportation system within the city.
The Big Blue Bus has 12 local bus lines serving Santa Monica, the west side of LA, LAX and 10 neighbouring communities. There is an Express Line #10 to downtown LA. Fares range between 75 cents and $1.75. (Express buses only stop at major intersections). The Big Blue Bus has Blue Bus Cards that offers a small discount on each ride. These cards come in denominations of $5 and $10 and can be bought at the Santa Monica Visitor Centers 1920 Main street or 3 rd Street Promenade between Arizona and Santa Monica Blvd) or the Santa Monica Library(between Santa Monica Blvd. and 6 th). Buses will only accept exact fare in cash and no change will be returned.

Taxi stands may be found on the north side of Santa Monica Place between 2 nd St. and 3 rd St. and on Arizona between 2 nd St. and 3 rd St.

The Metro Bus has links to downtown LA, Hollywood, and even as far as Long Beach. The fare is $1.25 for most rides. There is a weekly pass for the Metro Bus that can be purchased at Vons Market (corner of Lincoln and Broadway). There is also a one-day pass for only $3 and this can be purchased directly on the bus.

The Tide Shuttle runs every 15 minutes from noon to 10:20pm on Friday-Saturday and from noon to 8:20pm Sunday-Thursday. It leaves from the Third St. Promenade going south to the beach area, Main Street and Civic Center areas. The fare is 25 cents.

Banking & Exchange
Bankcard, bank-cash or Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are located throughout the city at banks, as well as in many other locations, including inside many stores, restaurants, clubs and other businesses.
Most local banks are open Monday to Saturday between 9am-5pm.

Electricity Supply
The electrical current in the United States is 110 volts AC.
Most hotels in Santa Monica provide converters at no additional charge. Participants bringing personal appliances should check with the hotel in advance.

Tourist Information
The Santa Monica Visitors Bureau website at: http://www.santamonica.com offers an excellent source of general information about Santa Monica.

Food & Beverages
Business lunches and coffee/tea during breaks (as indicated in the program), are included in the registration fee.

Registration Desk
The Registration desk will be open as follows

Exhibition
A technical exhibition will take place within the framework of the Meeting.
The exhibition will be open as follows:
Saturday October 14, 2006:  12:00 - 18:30
Sunday October 15, 2006:    10:00 - 17:30
Monday October 16, 2006:    10:00 - 17:30
Tuesday October 17, 2006:   10:00 - 17:30

Visitor Visa Requirements
It is the responsibility of the participant to obtain a visitor visa if required. Please review any existing U.S. visa you may have and apply early for any new visa required. The U.S. Department of State website: http://travel.state.gov contains comprehensive information and guidelines about visitor visas.

For the 27 countries in the Visa Waiver program, citizens meeting the visa waiver criteria will not need a visa, but they must have a machine-readable passport. Please refer to: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html for more information on these requirements.

Canadian citizens do not need a visa but should visit the following website: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without_1260.html for more information.

In order to facilitate the processing of the IGCS 11 participants’ visitor visa requests, the Secretariat has listed the IGCS 11 with the U.S. Department of State. Please note this on your visitor visa application which must be done by applying to the U.S. Embassy Consular Section in your country of residence.

Certificate of Attendance
Certificates of attendance will be available for all participants at the registration desk from Monday, October 16, 2006.

Insurance
The Meeting Secretariat and Organizers cannot accept liability for personal accidents or loss or damage to private property of participants and accompanying persons, either during or indirectly arising from the 11th Biennial Meeting International Gynecologic Cancer Society. Participants should make their own arrangements with respect to health and travel insurance.

Meeting Secretariat

Kenes International / IGCS-11
17 Rue du Cendrier, PO Box 1726
CH-1211, Geneva 1, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 908 0488
Fax: +41 22 732 2850
E-mail: igcs-11@kenes.com