General Information

Timing
The congress will take place on 17-20 May 2018.

Location
12^th Alpha Biennial Congress congress will be hosted at:
Hilton Reykjavik Nordica
Sudurlandsbraut 2
108 Reykjavik, Iceland

Currency
In iceland, the Icelandic Krona is used. (ISK)
Around 1000 ISK for 9 euro.

Iceland
Capital city: Reykjavik
Population: 329,100
Official language: Icelandic

Airport
Kevlavik is the international airport.

Flybus
The Flybus is located right outside the Keflavík International Airport. The bus leaves 35-40 minutes after arrival of each flight. Passengers should keep an eye on the screen in the terminal to see when the bus leaves or ask for information at the Flybus information desk at the arrival hall. The trip to Reykjavík will take approximately 45 minutes and upon request, the bus will stop at Hotel Viking in Hafnarfjörður and at Aktu Taktu in Garðabær. When reaching Reykjavík our first stop will be the BSÍ Bus Terminal. Transfers are available to all major hotels, the Youth Hostel, Laugardalur camping area and the domestic airport. For these transfers the driver will ask you to board smaller busses.
Flybus transfer at departure:
In connection with all departing flights from Keflavík International Airport, there are Flybus departure from the BSÍ Bus Terminal.

The day before you intend on leaving Iceland, please ask your hotel lobby to book a Flybus transfer for your journey to the airport.

Flybus e-mail address: [email protected]

ExpresPublic transportation from Keflavik Airport - Straeto
Bus route nr. 55 at Strætó – Public transportation in Iceland takes you to and from the airport all the way to central Reykjavík (BSÍ – Bus terminal) nine times a day.
See more information and plan your trip at straeto.is

Why Reykjavik?
Come and be inspired. Reykjavík is a vibrant city with an excellent infrastructure, which means access to cutting-edge technology, inspiring meeting venues and warm hospitable people willing and able to render the best service.

Reykjavík is hip, it’s cool, it’s small but offers everything that large cities do. Good hotels, good food, good nightlife, good music and the nature is only a few steps away. And it’s finally affordable to go there - Lonely Planet's reader. The capital city Reykjavik is expanding its meetings infrastructure and evolving into a premiere location choice for congress and incentive planners, only 3 hours from mainland Europe and 5 hours from N-America. Unlike some major European cities whose size can be intimidating, Reykjavik has a small-scale urban center that attendees find easy to navigate. The hassle-free city center is safe, clean and packed with restaurants, shopping, culture and vibrant nightlife. Visiting delegates enjoy interacting with the friendly Icelanders who speak English as their second language, and often other Scandinavian and European languages.

Iceland is on several top 10 lists of places to visit in 2015 such as in ForbesLife, Lonely Planet and TimeOut. The country ranks no.1 on the Global Peace Index 2014 as well as being the friendliest nation according to the World Economic Forum.

...on subsequent visits, the beauty of those same landscapes can still reduce me to tears – but the locals are what affirm my love for Iceland. Their resourcefulness, quirkiness, interconnectedness and warmth is unparalleled. Carolyn Bain In August 2011, the City of Reykjavik was designated a UNESCO City of Literature as it boasts an outstanding literary history and has one of the highest per capita book publishing rates in the world. It is the only non-English speaking such city to be awarded this honour.

Reykjavík was named the World Festival and Event City by the International Festivals & Events Association. You can have a look at the digital brochures Reykjavík Festival City and the Reykjavík Event Calendar and see for yourself how festive our city is. CNN has also named Reykjavik as one of the worlds five most interesting Christmas destinations. Visit Reykjavík has taken the Christmas City´s holiday preperations a step further in collaboration with various companies.

Good to Know

Climate
Temperatures very rarely drop below −15 °C (5 °F) in the winter. This is because the Icelandic coastal weather in winter is moderated by the North Atlantic Current, itself an extension of the Gulf Stream. The climate is cold temperate subpolar oceanic, and the city is on the northern edge of the temperate zone. The city's coastal location does make it prone to wind, however, and gales are common in winter. Summers are cool, with temperatures fluctuating between 10 to 15 °C (50 to 59 °F), sometimes exceeding 20 °C (68 °F). Reykjavík averages 147 days with measurable precipitation every year. Droughts are uncommon although they occur in some summers. In the summer of 2007, no rain was measured for one month. Spring tends to be the sunniest season, May particularly. Annual sunshine hours in Reykjavík are around 1.300, which is comparable with other places in Northern and North-Eastern Europe. The highest ever recorded temperature in Reykjavík was 26.2 °C (79 °F), recorded on July 30, 2008, while the lowest ever recorded temperature was −24.5 °C (−12 °F), recorded on January 21, 1918. The temperature has not dropped to below −20 °C (−4 °F) since January 30, 1971

Time Zone
UTC (or GMT) zone

Official Language
The official language of the Conference is English.

Liability and Insurance
The organisers do not accept responsibility for individual medical, travel or personal insurance. All participants are strongly advised to take out their own personal insurance before travelling to the Conference.

Health Care
Vaccinations are not required to enter Iceland. An individual travel and health insurance is recommended.