General Information

Badges

Access to all scientific sessions will only be possible with your personal badge, which you will receive at the registration desk in Florence. Please wear your badge at all times. Lost badges will only be replaced with proof of your original registration.

Climate

The average November temperature in Florence is between 9°-16°C.

Clothing

Informal for all occasions, but in the evening a jacket is recommended.

CME accreditation

CME accreditation will be requested for Italian participants.
The application of international accreditation for all other participants is currently under evaluation.

Currency

The official currency in Italy is the Euro. There are no restrictions on the import of foreign currencies into Italy and there is no limit on the amount of Travellers’ cheques an individual can bring into the country. Credit cards are widely accepted.
Travellers’ cheques can be changed at a bureau de change, which are open all day; at banks, which are generally open from 08.30–12.30 and for an hour after lunch from 14.30–15.30; or of course at your hotel, where the exchange rate might be slightly lower.

Language

English is the official language of the Meeting.

Official letter of invitation

Official letters of invitation designed to help overcome administrative difficulties can be requested for participants’ use by contacting the local organizing secretariat, FIMO at
fimo-srl@fimo.biz. It must be understood that such letters do not represent a commitment on the part of the Organising Committee or local agency to provide any financial assistance.

Local information

The local agency, F.I.M.O. (Florence International Meeting Organizer), will be present during the meeting. For on-site assistance, please contact the staff directly at their desk. Prior to the meeting please contact them at fimo-srl@fimo.biz. For more detailed information, please refer to "Important Addresses".

Meeting venue

The Ospedale degli Innocenti was a children's orphanage designed by Filippo Brunellesci in 1419. It is regarded as an extremely important and beautiful example of early Italian Renaissance architecture. The hospital’s façade is made up of nine semicircular arches springing from columns of the Composite order. It is a revival of the classical style, no longer having pointed arches. In the spandrels of the arches there are glazed blue terracotta roundels with reliefs of babies revealing the function of the building. There is an emphasis on the horizontal because the building is longer than it is tall but the clean and clear sense of proportion is clearly reflected in the building. The height of the columns is the same width of the intercolumniation and the width of the arcade is equal to the height of the column, making each bay a cube. The simple proportions of the building reflect a new age, of secular education and a sense of great order and clarity. Children were sometimes abandoned in a basin which was located at the front portico. However, this basin was removed in 1660 and replaced with a special rotating horizontal wheel that brought the baby into the building without the parent being seen. This allowed people to leave their babies anonymously, to be cared for by the orphanage. This system was in operation until the hospital's closure in 1875. Today, the building houses a small museum of Renaissance art.

Personal insurance

It is recommended that all participants take out a personal travel and health insurance for their stay in Florence.

Restaurants

Florence is proud of its gastronomic tradition, built on the exceptional quality of produce to be found in the surrounding countryside. Restaurants are generally open between 12.30 h – 14.30 h at lunchtime and in the evening from 19.30 h to 22.00 h.

Shopping in Florence

Shops in Florence are open Monday afternoon from 15.30 to 19.00 and from Tuesday to Saturday from 09.00–13.00 and from 15.30–19.00. In the city centre, larger shops may have continuous opening hours until 19.00. On Sundays and public holidays, shops are generally closed.

Tourist information

The closest tourist office to the meeting venue is located on Via Cavour 1r, tel: 055.290.832 with the opening hours Mon-Sat 8.30-18.30 and on Sunday 8.30-13.30 .

Travel information

Being on the main national railway lines, Florence is easily accessible from most important places both in Italy and abroad. The Florence “Vespucci” airport, where both national and international airlines stop, is located 5 km from the city centre.
The main motorway, A1, connects Florence with Bologna and Milano in the North and Rome and Naples in the South. The motorway A11 joins it to Prato, Pistoia, Montecatini, Lucca, Pisa and all the resorts on the Tyrrhenian sea. There is also a motorway which connects Florence to Siena.
By air
Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci airport is a twenty minute taxi ride to the city centre.
Other important connections are handled by the nearby Pisa and Bologna airports, which can be reached from Florence by train in 60 minutes from Santa Maria Novella station. Both of them are important bases for low cost carriers.
By train
The Santa Maria Novella railway station rises in the centre of the ancient city and connects to major Italian cities.
By car
There is the highway Autostrada del Sole, which connects Florence to Milan and Rome (about three hours’ drive). A motorway connects Florence to Siena (45 minutes), San Gimignano (30 minutes), Arezzo (30 minutes), Pisa (50 minutes) and Lucca (30 minutes).

Travel information within Florence

Florence is compact, with most of the tourist sights within minutes walk from the Duomo.
Combined with limits on car driving within the city, it makes walking the easiest and most pleasant option. ATAF buses get you quickly round the city (www.ataf.net), and four electric buses serve the main central routes. Taxis are white and yellow; get them from the ranks (located at the main railway station, Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Santa Trinita for example) rather than hailing them on the street; all are metered, so you know what you are paying. They can also be called on 055 4242 or 055 4390 or your hotel reception or restaurant will be more than happy to call one for you.

The European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
AD Florence Scientific Secretariat: info@adflorence.org - FIMO Organising Secretariat : fimo-srl@fimo.biz

• welcome address
• important information
• scientific programme
• registration
• call for abstracts
• hotel accommodation
• speakers & authors
• sponsorship & exhibitors
• general information

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