ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 38 N 1297

Transcription

1 ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 38 N 1297 ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 38 Cloud Computing and Distributed Platforms Secretariat: ANSI (United States) Document type: Title: Status: Logistical Information for Meeting Revised logistics for the 4-8 April 2016 SC 38 meetings in London for information Date of document: Source: Expected action: of secretary: Committee URL: Host INFO lrajchel@ansi.org

2 SC38 Plenary Meeting April Co-Hosted by CSA and IBM Event Location IBM UK Ltd, 76/78 Upper Ground South Bank London SE1 9PZ Tel Event Hosts CSA and IBM Contact person: Mike Edwards

3 Mobile: Event Sponsors Amazon and Microsoft More about the Location IBM South Bank is close to the centre of London, right on the south side of the River Thames, as the name implies! The red pin on the map below shows its location: London is a very large city. There are good transport links and it is easy to get around using Bus, Train or the Metro usually called The Tube or The

4 Underground by Londoners! However, for convenience you may prefer to stay somewhere relatively close to IBM South Bank. The nearest Tube station to IBM South Bank is Waterloo, although Embankment station on the north bank of the Thames is only a little further, with a pleasant walk across a bridge to the south bank. Catering During the Meeting Drinks, including tea, coffee, water and sodas will be available at the start of the morning and afternoon sessions each day, and also at the mid-session breaks. Breakfast is not provided. Lunch is not provided. For lunch, there are many and varied places to eat in the streets near IBM South Bank. Gabriel s Wharf is 150m east along the riverbank walk and has an array of cafes, bars and restaurants: There are also cafes and restaurants in the area to the west of IBM South Bank, surrounding and also inside the Festival Hall, and along the riverside walk. There are local pubs the nearest being the Mulberry Bush, a short walk east from the street entrance to IBM South Bank. Travel to London London has a number of airports: London Heathrow (LHR) The main intercontinental airport, situated 24km west of London. Heathrow also has many flights to cities in Europe. London Gatwick (LGW) London s second airport, located 43km south of London. Has both European and Intercontinental flights. Stanstead (STN) Situated 48km north of London, mainly has flights to European cities. London City (LCY)

5 A small airport, but close to the city center in the Docklands area serves destinations mostly in western Europe. Each of the airports except London City has a dedicated train service to and from central London, which is usually the best way to get to central London. London City is on the automated Docklands Light Railway (DLR) which connects with the Tube network. The airport trains arrive and depart from the following London stations: Heathow: London Paddington ( Heathrow Express ) Gatwick: London Victoria ( Gatwick Express ) Stansted: London Liverpool Street ( Stansted Express ) From each of these stations, you can reach your hotel and other destinations in central London either using the Tube or via a taxi. For travellers from Europe, there is the potential to travel by train to London from Paris or Brussels using the Eurostar train service through the Channel Tunnel: The Eurostar service uses the magnificent St Pancras station. Travel within London London has extensive public transport in the form of the Tube (i.e. underground Metro trains), buses and ferries along the Thames. Full information about public transport in London can be found on the Transport for London (TfL) website: The classic Tube map can be found here: There are numerous different lines, colour coded on the map and colour coded using the same colours in the Tube stations. One thing to be wary of is that some platforms serve multiple lines it is necessary to check the line and destination of a Tube train carefully to make sure it is going where you want! However, if you make a mistake it is usually easy to get off at the next station and go back. We ve all done it. The bus network is very extensive all the details are on the TfL website, but the main routes in central London are shown on this map:

6 - note that the RVI bus passes IBM South Bank on its route from Covent Garden to London Bridge and Tower Gateway. The river ferries are shown on this map: The nearest stopping points to IBM South Bank are at London Eye and Festival Pier. If you want to use public transport in London, plan on getting an Oyster card, which is an electronic payment card the most convenient way to pay for your journeys - and the ONLY way to pay for bus journeys. Oyster cards can be purchased at stations and many other outlets. See: Taxis the famous London Black Cabs are widely available in central London and there are usually some waiting outside IBM South Bank in business hours. Fares are always metered. Many black cabs accept credit cards but it is best to check with the driver before you start the journey! Bear in mind that London traffic can be very congested in morning and evening rush hours, which can make a taxi journey slow and relatively expensive: Finally, if you would like some exercise while you travel, there are public bikes for hire from bike stands all over the city, with the name Santander Cycles (Santander Bank sponsors these bikes, which is where the name comes from) although Londoners usually call them Boris Bikes after the Mayor who first introduced them. You will need a credit card or debit card to use these bikes: Hotels London has a very large number of hotels of all classes some of the ones nearest to IBM South Bank include: Marriott London County Hall Premier Inn London County Hall Premier Inn London Waterloo Park Plaza County Hall London

7 Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hampton by Hilton London Waterloo The Wellington Hotel Mondrian London at Sea Containers The Mad Hatter Hotel Novotel London Blackfriars Ibis London Blackfriars Hilton London Bankside Premier Inn London Southwark If your budget will stretch to it the famous London Savoy Hotel is a short walk across Waterloo Bridge from IBM South Bank! Timezone London timezone, which by early April will include Summer Time (i.e. UTC + 1). Visas / Letters of Invitation Visitors from Europe/US/Japan/Korea/Brazil do not require a visa to enter the UK. Visitors from Europe should bear in mind that the UK is not part of the Schengen area and as a result, you should plan on bringing your passport or equivalent valid ID. Visitors from other countries probably require a visa to enter the UK. Full details on UK visas can be found here: If you think you need a letter of invitation, please Mike Edwards. Weather Weather in the UK is highly variable. Rain is always a possibility and it is a good idea to carry a raincoat and umbrella. Daytime temperatures in early April typically vary between 7C and 15C, with an average of 12C. Electricity

8 The UK has 230V/50Hz supply as in most of Europe, but with a rectangular 3-pin plug design: Adapters are widely available to accommodate other common designs of plug such as US and French/German, and many hotels will have them available to borrow or buy, but unusual ones like Swiss or Brazillian will be harder to find. Emergency To call the Police, Fire Service or Ambulance dial 999 or 112.