Logistics
Meeting Location
The conference will be held at the FINATEC Foundation’s conference facilities on the Darcy Ribeiro Campus of the University of Brasília (UnB) located in the Asa Norte part of Brasília. The venue is marked on the map below in the upper left corner. The poster session will be held in this building in the foyer ground level.
The workshops will take place in venues of the Institute of Geosciences in the main ICC building on the UnB campus (to the right of the center of the campus map). A practical session on microscopy will be scheduled in the Institute of Geosciences as well.
As final venue selection will depend on eventual numbers of workshop participants, all workshop participants will receive separate confirmation of workshop logistics, as well as the shuttle arrangements between St. Moritz Hotel and the venue.
Lunches will be served in the FINATEC restaurant within the conference venue, just one floor above the auditorium.
Free WiFi service will be available at the conference venue. Throughout the Darcy Ribeiro Campus, Eduroam service is available.
Visa Requirements
Foreign visitors may require a visa. Participants are urged to inquire with their Foreign Affairs authorities or a Brazilian embassy or consulate on whether a visa is required to enter Brazil. Conference participants are urged to request visas early as delays can occur in this process.
IMPORTANT: Yellow fever vaccination is required for travelers going to Brazil. Please note that the vaccine needs to be taken at least ten days before the trip to be effective.
Information: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/yellow-fever-brazil
Hotel Information
Participants will be responsible for making their own travel arrangements and hotel reservations.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the St. Moritz Hplus Express Hotel located at Setor Hoteleiro Norte, Área Especial A, Q. 1 Bloco B - Asa Norte, Brasília - DF, 70701-000, Brazil ((61) 3051-4001).
The hotel is located 5.5 kilometers from the conference venue.
| Brazilian Reais (R$) | |
| Single occupancy | R$ 265/night |
| Double occupancy | R$ 270/night |
| Exchange Rates as of May 25 for Brazilian Real R$ are: $1 USD = R$4/1€ = R$4.5 |
These room rates will be available May 31–September 1, 2019 and only apply to reservations made with a credit card for stays during September 22–October 12, 2019. Onsite reservations are subject to a higher rate.
To make your reservation, please follow these steps:
- Go to the hotel’s website: https://www.hplus.com.br/en/hotels
- Follow the instructions. The relevant promotional code to secure the conference rates is LMI2019
(Item number 5). - Go to page 2 to initialize payment. Fill in your credit card information. Please be advised that the hotel will charge upon confirmation of the reservation. Please provide a valid e-mail address. In the case that the transaction is not approved, you will be contacted by e-mail.
- Confirm for completion of reservation.
If you have a problem making your reservation, please contact Daniele Verissimo, Mangeress of Reception, at [email protected].
Transportation
There will be a shuttle to take participants from the St. Moritz to the conference venue in the mornings prior to the start of sessions and in the evenings after sessions conclude. The shuttle will also be provided to the Welcome Function and the Banquet Dinner.
Please consult the conference program for bus departure times. These times will be strictly adhered to in order to guarantee planned beginnings of conference sessions. Those who “miss the shuttle” may have to take a taxi or Uber to the FINATEC complex, located on the Darcy Ribeiro Campus just off the L3 road.
Taxi and Uber services are available in Brasília. If you require assistance during the conference, please visit the FINATEC registration desk.
Airport Information
The Brasília area is serviced by the International Airport of Brasília (13 mi/21 km from the conference venue). Flights are available directly from the United States and Europe into Brasília. International travelers can also connect to Brasília from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro international airports.
Full airport services are available to the arriving traveler. ATMs are available inside and outside the boarding area. Currency exchange can be done at Confidence Cambio Agency, which is open 24 hours.
Upon arrival at Brasilia International Airport, you will find taxi services just outside the airport building at the arrivals level. Uber service is available as well, and generally, a car can be obtained quite quickly. Make sure to advise the driver on which level of the airport you will be waiting.
Brasília International Airport Guide
About Brasília
Brasília (DF) is the Federal Capital of Brazil, as well as the seat of the government of the Federal District. The city is located on the Central Plateau of central-eastern Brazil. It is the third most populous city of Brazil (about 3 million inhabitants). On April 21, 1960, President Juscelino Kubitschek inaugurated the city that was constructed in just a few years to be the capital of Brazil (in fact, the third capital of Brazil, after Salvador and Rio de Janeiro). As seen from above, the city resembles an airplane. The city plan has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The architecture of Brasília is marked by the style of famous architect Oscar Niemeyer. Religious and secular buildings, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Congress, were designed by him, and his work can be found all over the city. The urban city plan known as the “Plano Piloto” was conceived by the urbanist and architect Lúcio Costa.
Restaurants
Brasília is renowned for its many restaurants. There are a number of restaurants within the hotel district around the St. Moritz conference hotel, and with readily available taxi and Uber services other parts of the city are reached quickly and safely. For example, excellent restaurants are located in the Pontão area at Lake Paranoa. There is some fine dining also available in the Asa Sul district – by taxi some 7–15 minutes (depending on traffic conditions) from the hotel. Restaurant suggestions will be enclosed with the conference package.
Weather in Brasília
Brasília has a tropical savanna climate with two distinct seasons: the rainy season from October to April, and a dry season from May to September. The conference will be held at the end of the dry season, during which time the highest average maximum temperature is about 28.4 °C (83 °F); other average weather gauges for September are: minimum temperature 16 °C (61 °F), mean temperature 21.7 °C (71 °F); mean precipitation 55.2 mm, and relative humidity 53%.
The official tourism guide of Brasília can be found at
http://www.turismo.df.gov.br/wp-conteudo/uploads/2017/12/Guia-Roteiros-Brasilia-Ingles.pdf (English version).
Security
As in every large city of millions of inhabitants, there is a factor of crime to be considered. However, the central parts of the city are rather secure, especially the administrative/government sectors. The recommended hotel is located just off the main artery of the city, the Eixo Monumental (Monument Axis). The university campus is also well patrolled, and as the conference takes place during university term time, there will be plenty of students around at most times. We advise against walking through empty streets on your own.
Certain satellite cities (tens of kilometers from downtown Brasilia) are, however, no-go zones. Our conference business does not bring us near these areas at all.
Finally, once more – do not take unregistered “taxi” services. The hotel reception will arrange transport for you upon request. At the airport is a properly signposted taxi allocation booth, and Uber transport services the entire city.
