General Information
All events will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre unless otherwise noted
On this page:
- Airport Transfers
- Business Centre
- Cyber C@fé
- Electronic Capturing
- Entry into Cape Town
- Exhibition Hours
- Getting Around S.A.
- Itinerary Planner
- Local Information
- Member Services
- No Smoking Policy
- Obtaining a Visa
- Parking
- Public Transportation
- Registering with Your Embassy
- Registration Hours
- Temporary Health Insurance
Registration Hours
Located in Registration Foyer
| Friday, 24 October | 12:00-17:00 |
| Saturday, 25 October | 08:00-17:00 |
| Sunday, 26 October | 08:00-20:00 |
| Monday, 27 October | 07:00-18:00 |
| Tuesday, 28 October | 07:00-18:00 |
| Wednesday, 28 October | 07:00-18:00 |
Exhibition Hours
Exhibition Hall
| Sunday, 26 October | 18:15-20:30 |
| Monday, 27 October | 09:00-18:30 |
| Tuesday, 28 October | 09:00-18:30 |
| Wednesday, 29 October | 09:00-16:30 |
Note: Children under the age of 16 will not be allowed in the exhibition hall during setup or teardown. Children 13 and older will be allowed to attend the exhibition during regular exhibit hours if they are properly registered and wearing their badges. During exhibit hours, children under the age of 13 will not be allowed into any activities within the exhibition hall, including the Icebreaker Reception, unless they are young enough or small enough to be confined in a stroller, backpack or frontpack.
AAPG Member Services
Located in Registration Foyer
| Friday, 24 October | 12:00-17:00 |
| Saturday, 25 October | 08:00-17:00 |
| Sunday, 26 October | 08:00-20:00 |
| Monday, 27 October | 07:00-18:00 |
| Tuesday, 28 October | 07:00-18:00 |
| Wednesday, 29 October | 07:00-18:00 |
AAPG Member Services will be located in the conference registration area of the Cape Town International Convention Centre. An AAPG staff member will be available to assist with:
- AAPG conference information
- Determining if a colleague is registered for the conference
- AAPG membership information
- Information on other AAPG services and products
Airport
The international airport in Cape Town is the second largest in the country and provides both domestic and international flights. The airport is undergoing a number of upgrades in preparation for the FIFA World Cup being held in South Africa in 2010.
Airport Transfers
It is suggested to pre-book your airport transportation. Attendees will be met in Cape Town International Airport by an Into Africa representative and escorted to the luxury, air-conditioned coaches standing by, ready to take you to your destination hotel. Into Africa will also be offering return transfers to Cape Town International Airport on departure.
Please note that we will offer this transfer service to only those attendees who have registered their flight details and purchased their transfer tickets, therefore making pre-booking essential. The cost is ZAR 270 per person per one way transfer. Download Airport Transfer Request
Business Centre
The African Connection located in the Cape Town International Convention Centre offers full business services including internet, photocopying, faxing, etc.
Cyber C@fé
- Date: Monday, 27 October — Wednesday, 29 October
- Time: During exhibition hours
Visit the Cyber C@fé to surf the web, follow links to exhibitors’ websites, retrieve and send email and keep in touch with colleagues and family while you are attending the conference.
Electronic Capturing
Capturing or photographing contents of oral or poster presentations or exhibition booths via any electronic media is strictly prohibited at all AAPG conventions and conferences.
Getting Around South Africa
Driving in South Africa
If you intend to drive while in South Africa, you are required by law to obtain an international driver’s permit. You will not be able to rent a car without a valid driver’s permit and anyone found driving without a permit will be fined and not permitted to continue driving. Wearing seatbelts is compulsory and strictly enforced. Driving in South Africa is on the left.
Driving directions from Cape Town Airport to Convention Centre
- Approximately 21 km (20 minutes)
- Exit the Airport and continue for approximately 3 km
- Merge onto the N2 HIGHWAY
- Follow N2 STAD / CITY signs
- After approximately 18 km move into the lane with M6 / SEA POINT / WATERFRONT sign
- Turn left at traffic light into COEN STEYTLER
- Drive on — the entrance to CTICC will be on your left
No Smoking
Policy Smoking is prohibited in the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Obtaining a Visa
It is your responsibility to apply for a passport, visa or any other required documents and to demonstrate to consular officials that you are properly classifiable as a visitor under South African law.
You may also obtain a visa letter from AAPG if you are registered and fully paid for the conference. You may request a letter by selecting the box either online when you register or on the printed registration form.
In some cases an “Invitation Letter” is required from a local South African company. Into Africa, AAPG’s official ground operator for the conference, can provide visa assistance in the form of “Invitation Letters.” The letters will be prepared on official Into Africa letterhead and include detailed passport information as well hotel booking information. Some foreign affairs offices accept a signed and scanned version of the letters, while others request the original couriered copy (courier costs at the expense of the individual attendee). Invitation letters from Into Africa may be requested when you register. There is a non-refundable $5 fee for this letter plus applicable courier fees.
AAPG and Into Africa cannot assist you with the interview process, nor can anyone representing the sponsoring organizations call an embassy or consulate on your behalf to provide support for granting a visa. AAPG and Into Africa provide this letter for visa purposes only. Should your application be denied, AAPG and Into Africa can neither intervene in the process nor change the decision of the governmental agency. All expenses connected with obtaining proper documentation and attending the conference are your responsibility.
If your visa application is denied and AAPG receives a copy of the denial by fax (+1 918 560 2684) before 29 October, 2008, your registration fee only will be refunded, less a cancellation charge.
Entry into Cape Town
Visit www.home-affairs.gov.za/visas.asp for complete entry requirements.
Registering with Your Embassy
Travel advice to tourists suggests that you register with your country’s consulate or embassy when traveling abroad.
Online Conference Itinerary Planner
The Online Itinerary Planner allows attendees to view abstracts, sessions and other events. The items of interest may then be selected to create a personalized itinerary for the convention. The itinerary planner will display the users’ selected itineraries online or the itinerary may be saved for later reference. The online itinerary planner is currently available. Individuals who create itineraries will receive email updates if items in their itinerary are revised.
Parking
The Cape Town International Convention Centre offers its visitors and delegates parking bays under and adjacent to the centre with good transport links to major centres in and around Cape Town. There are also a variety of off-site parking bays available in the roads around the centre. In the case of major consumer events, the Cape Town International Convention Centre recruits additional parking facilities in close vicinity to the centre and overflow parking facilities are provided with a shuttle service to and from the centre.
Public Transportation
Convention Shuttle
The AAPG Shuttle bus system provides convenient transportation between selected conference hotels and the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Please note that some hotels are within walking distance of the convention centre and will not be serviced by the shuttle buses.
Look for the “AAPG Shuttle” signs and/or check the bus schedule in the registration area. Hotels serviced by shuttle buses include:
- The Breakwater Lodge Portswood
- Protea Hotel Fire and Ice
- Protea Victoria Junction Hotel
Shared Taxis
These are also known as minibus taxis. This is an efficient mode of transport, especially in and around the Cape Town city centre. Drivers stop frequently to drop-off or pick-up commuters. If you are claustrophobic, try to sit towards the front of the minibus. The shared taxis run mainly along the commuter routes around the cities and towns.
Taxis
Car taxis are generally the quickest and safest way to travel around Cape Town. Taxis charge per kilometre so it is also the most expensive way to travel. You will find taxis parked outside most hotels and attraction places. The general way to get a taxi is by telephone.
Buses
Distances in South Africa can be quite large and those not comfortable with driving long distances may feel more comfortable taking a bus, rather than renting a car. Companies such as Translux, Greyhound and Intercape all offer a variety of routes, which cover much of the country.
In Cape Town, you can travel by bus on the Golden Arrow Bus Service. The service only runs within the greater Cape Town area. The main Golden Arrow bus terminal is on the Grand Parade in Cape Town where there is a helpful bus information kiosk. The bus service stops in the early evening.
Trains
The national rail network of South Africa is known as Spoornet. While not particularly fast or luxurious, it is relatively clean, safe and comfortable and is quite a relaxed way of travelling. However, South Africa does not have a massively developed rail system and as such it is usually only useful for travel between major cities.
Airplanes
If you are planning on covering big distances in a short amount of time, you may wish to book a domestic flight. There are a number of airlines flying between the major cities in South Africa, with some of its smaller ones also on certain routes. The fares range from first-class to heavily discounted economy and tickets can be booked online from anywhere in the world. There are seven major domestic airlines operating in the country, as well as a number of smaller charter airline companies.
Local Information
Penguins at Boulders, Simon’s TownThere is nowhere like Cape Town. Perched between the ocean and the mountain, with a national park as its heart, it’s a place to renew and reconnect. Cape Town, the “Mother City,” is the oldest city in South Africa and has a cultural heritage spanning more than 300 years. It also has the top five national attractions in South Africa that should appear on every visitor’s itinerary.
Don’t miss a visit up Table Mountain; the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a unique shopping and holiday experience on a scenic working harbor; Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for more than 15 years; the Cape Town Wine Routes, where some of the world’s best wines are produced; and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, internationally acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world.
Robben IslandThe unique topography of the region makes it easy to orientate yourself as long as you remember that with Table Mountain behind you and Robben Island before you, you are facing north, looking across Table Bay and up the west coast of Africa.
To help you find your way around the Cape Town region, the area is divided into four tourism areas – Cape Town Central, Cape Town North, Cape Town South and Cape Town East. These areas are defined by their geographical location and within each area there are a number of suburbs.
Between beautiful Cape Dutch homesteads, traditional dancers with painted faces performing in the streets, the smell of spicy Malay cooking and the taste of well-made wine, this city will fill your senses.
You will never be bored in Cape Town. Table Mountain offers some of the best climbing in the world and it is right here in the city. The surfing is fantastic; the diving is cold but good. You could go mountain biking or sea kayaking — you may see whales or penguins. If the wind is right, you could fly off Lion’s Head with a qualified tandem paraglider pilot and land on the beach in time for sundowners.
If all this sounds too gung ho for you, don’t worry. You can shop ’till you drop at Cavendish, Canal Walk or the Waterfront. Enjoy live music, art exhibitions, museums, plays and opera, ballet or symphony concerts all year round.
Temporary Health Insurance
AAPG’s Committee on Group Insurance has arranged for insurance plans designed to cover the special situations international travelers might encounter that may not be covered by their domestic insurance.
- HealthCare Abroad—
- for residents of the United States under age 85 traveling outside the United States—provides medical, accidental death and dismemberment and worldwide assistance coverage.
- HealthCare Global—
- for citizens and residents of the United States under age of 71 and for foreign nationals traveling to destinations outside of the United States—provides accident and sickness coverage plus worldwide assistance coverage.
Complete details, including the information on cost and the applications for coverage, may be found at www.wallach.com. You may reach Wallach and Co. by phone at +1 800 237 6615 or +1 540 687 3166 or by email at info@wallach.com. The AAPG Insurance Program’s Broker’s office may be reached at +1 800 254 4788 or +1 703 367 8970.