General Information

Symporg SA, professional congress organizer, has been appointed the official Congress agency for registration, reservations, accommodation and excursions. Please contact Symporg for any information concerning the Congress.

Geneva Palexpo is exceptionally well located in a 25 acres park, accessible to the motorway in front of the building. It is directly connected to the Geneva International airport (Cointrin), and connected by train to the Geneva railway station (Cornavin). It is within easy reach of the hotels in the centre of town (10 minutes by bus No 5). Geneva Palexpo has been designed and equipped to hopefully be conductive to fruitfull discussions. Efficient in its conception, Palexpo lends prestige to the gatherings held in its walls and contributes to their success.

The Welcome desk, located in the main entrance of Geneva Palexpo Conference Center, will be open on Saturday May 24 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Sunday & Monday May 25 and 26 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday to Saturday May 27 to 31, from 7.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. In order to register, please bring along your letter of confirmation and payment, which entitles you to pick up your Congress documents.

To get to Palexpo, congress venue:

There will be an ongoing industry exhibition in the Hall 1 at Geneva Palexpo, where posters are displayed and coffee, tea, lunches are served during the breaks.

A shop selling newspapers, cigarettes and small gifts, and the Congress bar situated in the exhibition area will be open throughout the Congress. There is no bank, but a cash machine for Swiss francs + Euros, as well as a change machine in front of the Entrance Hall.

Geneva, which is situated in the heart of Europe, is the true crossroads of the major north-south and east-west communications routes.

Any person entering Switzerland must be able, at any time, to present a valid identity document allowing the bearer to cross the border. Participants attending SPINEWEEK 2008 and requiring an entry visa into Switzerland are requested to contact the Swiss Embassy or Consulate in their respective countries.
Attention: Excursions to Chamonix and Annecy: Make sure you don’t need a visa to enter France. And those who entered Switzerland with a visa have to make sure they have a multiple-entry visa for the return to Switzerland from France.

Official invitations may be obtained to facilitate participants’ requirements for supporting funds, Switzerland entry visa, or permission to attend the congress. However, the invitation does NOT include the payment of any expenses, such as registration fees, travel or hotel accommodation. Please write to the Congress Secretariat Symporg SA.

Geneva has a mild climate in May with minimum temperature around 17° Celsius (63 Fahrenheit) and maximum temperature around 28° Celsius. However, in addition to light clothing, don’t forget to pack woollens, raincoat for rainy day, good walking shoes as well as proper clothing for the excursions.

Your hotel in Geneva will give you a pass entitling you to free use of the Geneva public transport system (TPG) during the week of the congress: buses, trams, train between downtown and airport, and yellow boats (Mouettes) crossing the Geneva harbour.
To get to the city centre from the airport

Shops in Geneva are generally open non-stop from 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. during the week, (Thursdays until 9 p.m.). Most are closed on Sundays. Banks are generally open until 4.30 pm from Monday to Friday. The currency is Swiss Franc (CHF).

In order to help participants convert prices, the following conversion table is based on an approximate exchange rate as of January 2008: