IMPORTANT NOTICE :
Please note that taking pictures or filming during the sessions is forbidden (no matter if done with a camera or a mobile phone). Persons who will not observe this rule will be excluded from the session by the chairpersons.

Conference Venue
SECC - Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
Exhibition Way, Glasgow G3 8YW, Scotland, United Kingdom
www.secc.co.uk 

Badges
Participants should collect name badges from the conference registration desk. As only registered participants will be permitted to attend the scientific sessions, the exhibition and poster areas, you are required to wear your badge when entering and while remaining in the congress venue.
Accompanying persons and exhibitors will also receive badges to allow access to the appropriate areas.
Lost badges can be replaced at the registration desk. However, a handling fee of EURO 25.- will be charged.

Bank services - Money matters
Banks are generally open weekdays and Saturdays between 8.00/9.00 to 17.00/18.00 hrs and are closed on Sundays. There are multiple bank machines (ATMs) open 24 hours a day throughout the city (as well as in the conference venue) which accept all major international bankcards.
The official currency of the United Kingdom is the British Pound (GBP). Note that Scottish banks print their own versions. Major credit cards are widely accepted, but please always check beforehand.

Cancellations and Refunds
Notice of cancellation had to be made in writing by email or fax to the Congress Office.
The policy for refunding registration fees is as follows:
Written cancellation received:
- before April 1, 2015: 75% refund
- between April 1 and May 11, 2015: 25% refund
- after May 11, 2015: no refund
The date of the email/fax ID is the basis for considering refunds. Refunds will be made after the congress.

Car Parking
The multi-storey car park (MSCP) at the SECC, operated by City Parking (Glasgow) LLP, is the main parking area used for events at the venue. This facility is located at 10 Stobcross Road, Glasgow, G3 8YW.
On-site pay machines are located on level 2 (walkway level) and ground floor main foyer of the car park. Payment can be made by cash or credit/debit card. Tariff Rates in the MSCP Monday to Sunday are: 1 hour: £3.50; 2-12 hours: £7.00; 13 hours: £10.50; 14-24 Hours: £14.00. Visitors can either pre-pay after arrival or pay before exiting.

Certificate of Attendance
Certificates of attendance will be issued at the registration desk.

Climate
The average temperatures in June in Glasgow are 17°C (high) and 9°C (low). The average number of rainy days is 20 with an average rainfall of 70 mm in June.

Cloakroom and Luggage
A cloakroom and luggage storage are available close to the registration area.

CME credits
The European Society of Human Genetics is accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) to provide CME activities for medical specialists. The EACCME is an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), www.uems.net
The European Human Genetics Conference has been granted 21 European CME credits (ECMEC).
EACCME credits are recognized by the American Medical Association towards the Physician’s Recognition Award (PRA). To convert EACCME credit to AMA PRA category 1 credit, contact the AMA.
The EACCME credit system is based on 1 ECMEC per hour with a maximum of 3 ECMECs for half a day and 6 ECMECs for a full-day event.

Coffee Breaks
During the session breaks, refreshments (coffee, tea and water) will be served free of charge to participants wearing name badges. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday coffee and lunch bags will be served in the exhibition area (Hall 4), and on Tuesday in Hall 5 (the exhibition is closed on Tuesday).

Currency
The official currency in the United Kingdom is the Pound Sterling (GBP).
1 GBP = 1,35 GBP = 1,38 USD = 1,83 CAD = 181 JPY = 1,41 CHF = 1,92 AUD as per May 4, 2015.

Drinking water
The tap water in Glasgow can be used without concern.

Eating Out in Glasgow
Glasgow has a number of great places to have lunch or dinner. Check the following websites for more infomation
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurants-g186534-Glasgow_Scotland.html
http://www.timeout.com/glasgow/restaurants/the-best-restaurants-in-glasgow
Please note that these websites should serve as indication only. The ESHG is not endorsing any of the stated opinions or listed restaurants.

Electricity Supply
230 V - 50Hz AC, using Type G (BS 1363) three-pin (rectangular) plugs and sockets. 

Emergency Services
European Emergency Number: 112, alternatively 999.

Exhibition Opening Hours
Saturday, June 6 09.30 - 18.30 hrs
Sunday, June 7 09.00 - 17.30 hrs
Monday, June 8 09.00 - 17.30 hrs
Tuesday, June 9 Closed!

GSM Cell Phone Roaming
GSM cell/mobile phone roaming is available without any problems for all major international providers. It is advisable to inquire beforehand or online at your provider which roaming company in the UK offers the cheapest tariffs.

Insurance
By registering to the ESHG 2015 participants agree that neither the organising committee nor the congress office assume any liability whatsoever. Participants are requested to make their own arrangements for health and travel insurance.

Internet and Printing Facilities
WiFi access and terminals with printing facilities are available at the venue. Network ID: eshg2015, password: eshg2015

Language
The official language of the congress will be English (no simultaneous translation).

Lunch and Refreshments
Lunch tickets for lunch boxes had to be pre-ordered - they cannot be purchased on site. Please note that lunch tickets are not refundable.
Lunch boxes can be picked up from 11.30 - 13.30 at the coffee points in the exhibition (from 12.30-13.30 in Hall 5 on Tuesday). A cash bar is also available in the exhibition area.

Message Board
They hid message boards somewhere in the registration area. Please let us know if you were able to find them...

Pharmacies
Most pharmacies are generally open weekdays from 9.00-18.00 hrs, Saturdays from 9.00-13.00, some until 17.00 hrs and closed on Sundays.

Poster Removal
The organisers cannot assume any liability for loss or damage of posters displayed in the poster area. Posters that will not be removed by Monday, June 8, 2015, 17.30 hrs, will be removed by the staff and will not be kept or mailed to the author after the meeting, but will be discarded.

Speakers’ Preview
Equipment for a final check of the sequence of your presentation is available in the Speakers’ preview on the first Floor of the SECC. All presenters should bring their electronic presentation to the Speakers’ preview not later than 2 hours before the start of the session (30 minutes for the first morning sessions).

Registration Desk opening hours
Saturday, June 6 08.00 - 20.00 hrs
Sunday, June 7 08.00 - 19.00 hrs
Monday, June 8 08.00 - 19.00 hrs
Tuesday, June 9 08.30 - 14.30 hrs

Safety - Crime
Glasgow can be considered just as safe as other comparable cities in the UK or Europe. Use of common sense is however (always) required. Unfortunately, experience has shown that some basic precautionary measures should always be kept in mind in any city:
- Do not carry important items like flight tickets, passports etc. with you when visiting the conference or strolling through the city, leave them in the hotel safe during your stay. Rather carry a Xerox copy of your passport or an identity card with you.
- Try not to carry all documents, money, credit cards and other essential items and valuables in one bag. If it is lost or stolen, everything will be gone and might be difficult to replace on short notice, especially passports and visa to return to your country of residence.
- Take off your name badge when leaving the conference centre.
- In heavily frequented tourist zones, be aware of attemps of scam and pickpocketing.

Shops
Shops in Glasgow city centre are normally open from 9.00 to 17.30 hrs (Monday to Saturday), some retail stores are now open until 18.00 hrs. Many stores will remain open until 20.00 hrs on Thursdays. More and more shops in the city centre are opening on Sundays, generally from 12.00 to 17.00 hrs. All major credit cards are generally accepted, but it is not possible to pay with foreign banknotes.

Smoking Policy
The ESHG 2015 is officially a “No-smoking-Conference”. Note that smoking is banned in all public places, including restaurants and bars.

Social Media Guidelines
The ESHG supports the use of social media around the European Human Genetics Conference to network with your colleagues and friends attending the meeting. Please do however respect the ESHG social media guidelines, including the following:
Dos: 

• Follow ESHG on Twitter (@eshgsociety) and use the #ESHG15 meeting hashtag to follow the latest updates and join in the conversation about the ESHG 2015.
• Follow ESHG on Facebook at facebook.com/eshg.org.
• You may blog or tweet about content of the talks, unless the speaker explicitly asks you not to share either the entire talk or specific details or slides.
• Communicate in a respectful and considerate way, and show your criticism in a fair,  constructive and professional manner.
• Do remember that people who will read your postings or tweets are not necessarily genetic professionals, but also patients, policymakers, members of the media, and the general public.

Don’ts:

• The use of photography, video, or other type of recording devices in oral sessions (plenary, educational, concurrent sessions and symposia) and poster sessions at the ESHG 2015 is strictly prohibited. Hence posting pictures or videos of these sessions on any social media platform, blogs, or websites, etc., is also strictly prohibited.
• Do not capture or re-distribute data presented at the ESHG 2015 as this may jeopardize the subsequent publication of the data in a scientific journal. Powerpoint presentations must not be photographed under any circumstances. Do respect journal embargo policies and the work of your colleagues!
• Refrain from engaging in personal attacks or showing rude behaviour.
• Offensive and disrespectful behaviour, sales-oriented, self-promoting, or otherwise inappropriate comments will not be tolerated.
• Participants should not post copyrighted or trademarked material or material protected by other intellectual property rights.

 
The views and opinions posted on ESHG’s social media do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the ESHG, its Board or membership. The ESHG reserves the right to remove comments it deems to be inappropriate.

Staff
If you should have any questions, the congress staff (recognizable by a yellow badge and a black polo shirt) will be pleased to help you.

Taxis
There are two types of taxis in Glasgow. Taxis and Private Hire Cars. Only Taxis should be hired on a there and then basis (waived at and stopped on the street). There are also numerous taxi ranks in the city.
Private Hire Cars must be pre-booked. Taxi and Private Hire Car both have identification marks (Licence Plate Number and Registration Number).
People do normally tip taxi drivers unless there has been an issue – if it’s a low fare than normally rounding it up to the nearest pound is fine, and if you’ve traveled a bit further a couple of pounds is all you need to tip. 

Telephone calls
The country code of the United Kingdom is 44 and the area code for Glasgow is 141, followed by a 7 digit number. To call abroad, dial 00 before the country code.

Time Zone
Glasgow’s time zone is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or one hour ahead of GMT, known as British Summer Time (BST), during the summer months.

Tipping
There are no hard and fast rules for tipping in Glasgow. If you are happy with the service, a 10-15% tip is customary, particularly in restaurants or cafés. Tipping in bars is not expected. For taxi fares, it’s usual to round up to the nearest pound.

Tourist Information Centres (VisitScotland Information Centre)
Visit Scotland’s Information Centre in Glasgow is situated at 170 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 2LW.  For more info visit their website: http://www.visitscotland.com/info/services/glasgow-information-centre-p332751.

Travelling - Accessibility - Public Transportation

Directions from Glasgow City Centre to the SECC (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre)
By train – journey time 4 minutes
Direct train services are available from Glasgow Central train station to Exhibition Centre train station.
Trains leave Glasgow Central from the lower-level platform 17. Information screens at the platform indicate the incoming train and destinations.
Exiting Exhibition Centre train station, turn right and take the covered walkway, which ends at the SECC (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre).
Timetable and fare information is available on the ScotRail website: http://www.scotrail.co.uk   
Special delegate offer – once you have collected your delegate badge, show this at the train station to purchase a Conference Rover Ticket. This costs £5 and will allow you to travel by train within the Conference Zone for up to 5 days (covering train travel between the SECC and the city centre).
This ticket also gives you a 50% discount on train fares in Scotland outside the Conference Zone, should you wish to explore further after the conference.

Directions from the SECC to Glasgow City Centre
By train – journey time 4 minutes walk + 4 minutes on train 
Exit the SECC and turn left. Take the covered walkway which leads to the Exhibition Centre train station. Trains to the city centre (Glasgow Central) leave from platform 1.
Information screens at the platform indicate the incoming train and destinations.
Timetable and fare information is available on the ScotRail website: www.scotrail.co.uk

By taxi – journey time 5 minutes
Exit the SECC and turn right. A taxi rank is available outside the Clyde Auditorium building.
Should you wish to book a taxi in advance, call +44 (0) 141 429 7070.

V.A.T.
The VAT rate is 20%.

WIFI
Wifi is available throughout the conference venue. Network ID: eshg2015, password: eshg2015