General Information

Venue
The venue - the Aotea Centre - is in the heart of the central business district and has been host to many international congresses and their associated exhibitions. It features a superb auditorium, rooms for breakout sessions and wide foyers for exhibition booths and poster boards.

The Aotea Centre is within walking distance of the city's many attractions, including the Sky Tower, Casino, the shops of Queen Street and Auckland's finest cafes and restaurants..

Transport
The airport is only 40 minutes from the CBD. Taxis are available at all times of the day from the front of the airport terminal. An average fare to the inner city hotels is NZ$60

Car Rental
Avis Rent a Car is offering its corporate rates to conference delegates. Just call the local Avis office in your country and quote the booking reference number: AWD Z994400.

Dress
Dress for all sessions is smart casual. Dress for the Congress Dinner is business/lounge suit or cocktail wear.

Power
New Zealand system uses a flat, angled two or three-point power plug to connect to the power supply which is 240 volts 50 Hz.  You will require an adaptor for other systems.

Time
New Zealand is 13 hours ahead of GMT in March. 

Climate
March is late summer in New Zealand and the average daytime temperature in Auckland is 25°C (79°F) dropping to 15°C (60°F) overnight.  As Auckland has a maritime climate, it is recommended that you bring an umbrella and a light jacket or sweater.

If you are travelling further south before or after the Congress temperatures are cooler, so please pack accordingly.  For weather information visit http://www.metservice.co.nz/.

Telephone
In public telephone booths coins and credit cards can be used. 

All telephone numbers in New Zealand are composed of seven digits.  To call from abroad to New Zealand, it is necessary to dial your international access code and the country code 64.

To call abroad from New Zealand, dial the NZ international access code, the country code, the area code and then the number wanted.  The dialing codes of the various countries are affixed in public telephone booths or your hotel directory.

Mobile Phones
New Zealand has both analogue and GSM digital networks.  Check with your phone company before leaving home about international mobile roam facilities available in New Zealand.  There are two networks providing this service - Telecom and Vodafone with a good national coverage, although there may be some network failures in mountain or beach areas.

Laptops
You will need an RJ45 type plug to be able to connect your laptop into a computer socket in New Zealand, and an adaptor with a flat, angled two or three-point power plug to connect to the power supply.

Currency
The New Zealand dollar is the official currency. For a currency conversion guideline, click here.

Banking
Banks offering currency exchange facilities are located close to the conference venue.  Banking hours are 0900-1630hrs, Monday to Friday.  The bank at Auckland International Airport is open extended hours for all arriving and departing flights.

All major credit cards are accepted and Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are readily available.

Taxes
Goods and services sold in New Zealand are subject to a 12.5% Goods and Services Tax (GST).  Retail suppliers are required to show the GST inclusive price on goods and services, and must clearly state if the tax is not included in the advertised price.

GST cannot be claimed back on purchases when leaving New Zealand.  However, depending on the retailer, some goods can be purchased on a GST exclusive basis at the point of purchase, where it can be demonstrated that the items are leaving the country.  The retailer is required to courier the items to the airport for you to collect on departure

Insurance
It is strongly recommended that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance to cover the duration of your visit to New Zealand and to protect you against cancellation charges, loss or damage to your luggage and personal effects, loss of cash and medical expenses. 

Tipping
Tipping is appreciated for good service.

Travel
Auckland is well served by a number of airlines, with a smaller number arriving into Christchurch, the principal city in the South Island.

If you are travelling from Europe, you may wish to consider a Star Alliance Round the World fare. The benefits of this are:
• the ability to combine a set number of stopovers for the cost of your ticket
• the use of any one or combination of the Star Alliance partners
• you can build an itinerary that suits, combining places of interest, or business on the way.

You may find this link useful in your search:
Star Alliance

Further travel information is available on:
New Zealand Travel

Visa Information
Please click here to visit our Visa Information page.

Special Requirements
Every effort will be made to ensure delegates with special needs are catered for. Should you require any specific assistance, or catering please give details required on your registration form.