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GENERAL INFORMATION

​Accommodation

 

Please click on the button to make your booking:

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​Bank Services and Money Matters
 

Banks are generally open weekdays from 9 am until 5 pm and closed during weekends. See detailed information HERE.

There are multiple bank machines (ATMs) open 24 hours a day throughout the city which accept all major international bankcards.
The official currency of Belgium is the Euro (EUR). Major credit cards are widely accepted, but please always check beforehand. When paying by credit card for your shopping, you might be asked to show identification. Please have an ID with you all the time, otherwise they may refuse to accept your credit card as payment. Travel checks can be cashed in most of the banks and exchange offices.

  • Coins: 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, 1€ and 2€

  • Banknotes: 5 €, 10 €, 20 €, 50 €, 100 €, 200 € and 500 €

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Cancellations & 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:

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Written cancellation received:

  • before July 5, 2023 | 50% refund

  • after July 6, 2023 | no refund

The date of the email/fax ID is the basis for considering refunds. Refunds will be made after the congress.

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Car Parking
 

Please click HERE to view more information.

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Certificate of Attendance
 

Confirmations of attendance will be issued after the conference after completion of a post-conference online survey.

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Climate
 

Belgium has very mild weather to begin with where highs in the summer average 23°C (47°F). It mildly cools down to an average of 12°C-20°C (54°F-68°F) in September.

Please follow the LINK to view the current weather.

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Cloakroom & Luggage
 

A cloakroom and luggage storage will be available close to the registration area.

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Coffee Breaks & Lunch
 

Coffee breaks are included in the registration fee.

Lunch tickets can be purchased during online registration. Note that lunch tickets can NOT be purchased on site.

Exact times are listed in the programme overview. Coffee and lunch will be served in the exhibition area.

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Conference Venue

 

Flanders Meeting & Convention Center Antwerp
Koningin Astridplein 20-26 │ 2018 Antwerp │ Belgium

Website

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Currency
 

The official currency in Belgium is the Euro (EUR).
Please use the Currency Converter to view the current exchange rates.

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Drinking Water
 

Tap water is drinkable everywhere in Belgium. Only if there is a sign saying it is prohibited, then you cannot drink the water.

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Electricity Supply
 

For Belgium there are two associated plug types, types C and E. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type E is the plug which has two round pins and a hole for the socket's male earthing pin. Belgium operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.
See: https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/belgium/

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Emergency Services

In a medical emergency as a result of an accident, violence or a fire, call 100 (in Belgium) or 112 (valid throughout the European Union).

Both of these numbers are free 24 hours a day from a landline, a public telephone or a mobile phone (even when networks are not available or overloaded).

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Exhibition
 

Entrance to the exhibition is free for registered delegates but limited to healthcare professionals, press and exhibitors.

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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 Belgium offers the cheapest tariffs.

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Insurance
 

By registering to the EHMSG conference, 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. The conference fee does not include insurance. 
When travelling to Belgium, make sure you know what emergency healthcare you are entitled to, what medicines you can bring into the country, what to do in an emergency, and what travel insurance you will need. 

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Language
 

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

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​Passport & Visa
 

Please check passport and visa requirements in due time before your departure. Visas can take a while to be processed, so leave enough time before departure to apply.

It is the sole responsibility of the delegate to take care of his/her visa requirements. Delegates who require an entry visa must allow sufficient time for the application procedure. Delegates should contact the nearest Belgian embassy or consulate to determine the appropriate timing of their visa applications.
Note: Belgian embassies and consulates-general are independent decision-making agencies for visas, sometimes after specific checks have been made with other countries. You cannot appeal against the rejection of a visa application; neither can the EHMSG organizing office intervene on your behalf in case of a rejection or to speed up the procedure.
Delegate registration details will be shared with the Belgian immigration authorities on request to assist in the immigration process. However, the congress organizers and/or the EHMSG registration department will not directly contact embassies and consulates on behalf of visa applicants.
The registration fee minus a handling fee of EUR 100.- will be refunded after the congress if the visa was applied for in time and proof is shown that a visa could not be granted even though all requested documents were submitted. Refund requests must be made in writing and sent to the EHMSG registration department, by email, no later than July 15, 2023, after which requests for such refunds cannot be taken into consideration.

For information on Visa requirements please visit Belgium Visa Application Requirements

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​Poster Printing Service

 

The EHMSG recommends to use the local poster printing service at The Printing Shop to enable you to have your poster professionally printed and delivered directly to the congress venue in Antwerp.  

Your poster will be waiting for you onsite – no need to worry about carrying it on the plane.

 

Orders can be made via the website www.tpshop.be which is also available in English.

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Sample prices :

  • Posters in size A0
    - 80gr = € 24,-
    - 180gr matt coated = € 37,-

  • Posters in size A1
    - 80gr = € 13,-
    - 180gr matt coated = € 20,-

Custom sizes are also possible with a maximum width of 90cm and length of 3m20.

All printwork will need to be ordered and prepaid directly with the printshop.
 

  • Orders placed until September 5, 2023 before noon will be delivered to the conference venue for a pickup at the registration desk as of September 7, 2023 in the afternoon.

  • Orders placed after September 5, 2023 will have the following deadlines but need to be collected directly at the printshop on your own:-- Posters in format A1 or A0 ordered before noon are ready on the same day
    - Posters ordered in the afternoon will be ready for pick up on the next day

 

Please mention EHMSG 2023 when placing your order so that the printshop will know it should be delivered to the conference venue.


In case of questions about this service, please send an email to our partner.

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Please review the notification mail we have sent to you and make sure to be present at the time of your poster session.

Note that EHMSG staff will neither mount, nor remove or store your poster after the conference.

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NOTE: by submitting an abstract, you are not automatically registered for the conference. If you have not done so yet, we would like to remind you to register now! Remember that registration for the EHMSG 2023 workshop is mandatory to present your poster. 

Click HERE to access online registration.

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Safety - Crime
 

Use of common sense is (always) required, as in any larger city. 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 or purse. 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 and the metro at rush hour, be aware of attempts of scam and pickpocketing.

  • Do not respond to anybody unknown to you who comes up to you on the street engaging you in a conversation, no matter how safe they appear to be


 

Shops

 

Shops in Antwerp normally open Monday to Saturday 09.00/10.00 hrs to 18.00/18.30 hrs. The main exceptions are Kloosterstraat and Hoogstraat , where many shops open on Sunday. For more info on shopping click here.

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Smoking Policy
 

The EHMSG Conference is officially a “No-smoking-Conference”.
Smoking is banned in all public places including all enclosed or partially enclosed public areas.

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Social Media Guidelines
 

EHMSG supports the use of social media around the EHMSG conference to network with your colleagues and friends attending the meeting. Please do however respect the EHMSG social media guidelines, including the following:

Dos:

  • 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 tweets are not necessarily 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 EHMSG conference 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 EHMSG conference 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.

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Staff
 

If you should have any questions, the congress staff will be pleased to help you.

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Taxis, Public Transportation, Bike Rental

 

Please see https://visit.antwerpen.be/en/info/taxi_en

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Telephone Calls

 

The Belgian country code is 32, while Antwerp landlines start with a 3 area code, usually followed by a 7 digit number. To call abroad, dial 00 before the area code.

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Time Zone

 

At the time of the conference: Central European Summer Time (CEST) is 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

See https://www.timeanddate.com/time/zone/belgium/antwerp

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Tourist Information Centre 

 

The Antwerp Convention Bureau:

Monday – Friday: 09:00 – 16:00

Steenplein 1
2000 Antwerp
T: +32 3 338.95.83
E: info@antwerpconventionbureau.be
Web: https://antwerpconventionbureau.be/

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Travel-Health Insurance
 

As part of visa application, individuals must have travel-health insurance for the duration of their stay in Belgium. This insurance can be obtained from any approved insurer. Individuals need to check with the responsible embassy/consulate for a list of approved insurers available in their country.

Individuals must have insurance for their entire stay and therefore are encouraged to ensure and pay for the correct number of days. The visa will only be given for the dates that are covered by the insurance policy, which need to relate to the travel dates.

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V.A.T.
 

The VAT rate in Belgium is 21%.

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​WiFi
 

Wifi is available throughout the conference venue.

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