VENUE
The official venue for the 2019 SPRFMO Meeting will be the NH Hotel The Hague, The Netherlands.
A document with General Information for Delegates has been produced by the local organisers (Updated 22 December 2018).
REGISTRATION
Participants should register for the meeting, in advance, using the Registration Form. Additionally, the
LANGUAGE
All meetings will be conducted in English. A two-way Spanish-English interpretation service will be provided by the host.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation options for The Hague will be made available in the General Information for Participants. Delegates are strongly encouraged to make accommodation arrangements as soon as possible.
Preferential rates for accommodation at the venue hotel have been negotiated EUR $135.90 per night, single use, including breakfast and VAT, but excluding city tax; these can only be accessed through this link provided by the hotel.
Delegates are expected to make bookings as soon as possible as the negotiated rooms have already started to be released and access to the preferential pre-booked rooms will decline sharply starting early November 2018.
If you have special requirements, please contact Ms Melanie Van Den Dungen (NH Hotel Event Organiser).
VISA REQUIREMENTS
It is a responsibility of each participant to check whether he/she needs to lodge a visa application to enter The Netherlands.
If you do require a visa, the Secretariat is happy to provide general invitation letters to support the application. The letter of invitation is issued by the SPRFMO Secretariat --please contact Ms. Susana Delgado on [email protected].
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS
Welcome function
Date: Wednesday 23 January
Time: 18.30 - 20.00 hrs.
Place: meeting venue.
Farewell dinner
Date: Friday 25 January.
Time: TBC
Place: TBC
(Transportation to and from the event location will be provided)
TECHNICAL VISIT AND TOUR
The EU fishing industry has organised a few activities on Tuesday 22 January (break day) for delegates attending the Annual Meeting. These activities are free of charge. Some of the activities below are preliminary and have a maximum participant limit, so delegates are requested to select one morning activity and one afternoon activity, and confirm participation via email to Mr Rob Banning at [email protected] before 1 December 2018.
Tuesday 22 - Morning
Alternative 1: Visit to Ouwehand, a herring processing plant in Katwijk (limited to a maximum of 30 people)
Alternative 2: Visit to the fishing port of IJmuiden
Tuesday 22 - Afternoon
After a noon bus trip, delegates arrive in Amsterdam and take one of the following alternatives:
Alternative 1: Visit the House of Anne Frank
Alternative 2: Visit the Vicent van Gogh Museum
Alternative 3: Visit the Rijksmuseum
Please note that only one alternative in the morning and one in the afternoon can be selected. The SPRFMO Secretariat is not involved in the preparation of these activities so please for confirmation and any other questions, email Mr. Rob Banning on [email protected].
MEALS
The European Union has announced that its fishing industry will be providing free-of-charge lunch during the CTC and Commission meetings for all meeting participants.
Morning and afternoon tea will be provided during meeting days.
ELECTRICITY AND POWER
The standard Dutch electricity voltage is 220V (50Hz). While this is standard voltage for Europe, it is significantly higher than many other countries so check which appliances are compatible.
The Netherlands uses the two-pin power plug adapters commonly used in much of Europe. If you have appliances with foreign plugs (such as the three-pin UK version) you should be able to buy a suitable Dutch power adapter in most electrical shops.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
In contrast to previous SPRFMO meetings, the COMM7 will take place during the Northern hemisphere winter. Temperatures are in average 0-3 degrees Celcius at the time of the meeting, and quite possibly it will be windy and wet. The sun sets at around 16.30 hrs.
The journey from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to The Hague is about 45 minutes. The venue is easily reachable from the main train station at The Hague Central train station. The city has a well developed network of local transport.