If you are visiting this page it means you are very very probably participating in the event, so first thank you for coming! Every year we welcome close to 600 persons coming from 35 countries, and the following information is here to make your trip and stay as enjoyable as possible.
Participant checklist
- • Book a flight and hotel. Try to arrive on the 5th and to leave on the 9th. See below for addresses.
- • Follow the conference news: join the mailing list, read the official blog, subscribe to our RSS feeds. More info.
- • Print the maps and directions document before you travel (coming soon)
- • Complete your profile so that others can know who you are and what you are up to. You will end up with better contacts, that's the main reason for coming to conferences right?
- • See if you can propose a workshop, a talk or a discussion
- • Join somebody else's workshop
Quick facts
- The conference happens in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb 6-7-8, 2008
- If you are coming from abroad, you should land on the 5th or 6th (if you want to attend the morning workshops come on the 5th, but landing early on geneva on the 6th also works) and fly back on the 9th if you are in a hurry, the 10th if you can take a bit of time to visit the region.
- The whole conference is held in English.
- The weather in February is pretty cold
- The currency is the Swiss Franc (CHF). 1CHF is 0.85USD, 0.60EUR, 0.40GBP
Date & location
- The event happens at various locations. Read the information below very carefully!
| Activity | Type | Location | Date | Time |
| Workshops | Open Program | Unimail | Wed. 6 | Morning: 9-12h Afternoon: 14 - 17h |
| Venture Night (public event) |
Open Program | Salle Plainpalais | Wed. 6 | 17 - 19h30 |
| Main conference | Official program | CICG | Thu. 7 & Fri 8. | Thu: 8 - 19h Fri: 8 - 18h30 |
| Open Stage | Open Program | CICG | Thu. 7 & Fri 8. | Scheduled inside main program. |
| Discussions | Open Program | CICG | Thu. 7 & Fri 8. | Scheduled during breaks. |
| Fondue | Social event | Salle Plainpalais | Thu. 7 | From 20h |
| Party | Social event | Halles de l'île | Fri 8 | 21h to the morning |
It might look complicated but it is not. Here is how you will go through the program:
• arrive at Unimail on Wednesday morning around 8am.
• at the end of the workshops day, the venture night will be at a venue only a few hundred meters from Unimail (Salle Plainpalais).
• on Thursday, go to the CICG. At the end of the day, we will organize a bus service to take you to the Fondue.
• on Friday, come back to the CICG, then have diner in town and join us for the party (to be organized in a very central location).
Travel
- From Switzerland: you would be crazy not to take the train, but if you persist get a map from mappy or google.
From France: try the TGV (click here to book your trip with the SNCF) or try to catch a plane if you come from Paris (click here to see a timetable of flights from Paris to Switzerland). Easyjet and Swiss have very cheap flights.
From Europe: we have a great airport in Geneva so you should easily find reasonably priced tickets. Try the amazhing Kayak to find a fare. You will probably fly with Easyjet, Swiss, Air France, British Airways, Fly Baboo or Virgin Express.
If you're flying into Geneva airport you're eligible for free public transport from the airport, valid 80 mins http://www.gva.ch/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-67/ (look at the bottom of this webpage). You have to pick the ticket up before you come through customs from a special machine in the baggage collection area in the arrivals section of the Airport.
Once in your hotel, ask for a Geneva UNIRESO Transport Card. That gives you a pass for free public transport during your entire stay. http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/index.php?rubrique=0000000417&lang=_eng&PH....
For a complete schedule of flights going to/leaving from Geneva check the airport's page. This might be a good start to check who is flying to your place and then book your ticket directly from the airline.
Accomodation
- The city has a handy online hotel booking system that has really good prices. Another good way to get discounted prices is to go through agencies like GTA Hotels.
The hotels listed below are our recommendations as they are in the center of the city and be close to the conference. The prices shown are estimates, please call the hotels to get the current prices.
Youth hostel
City Hostel
1 Bed in a 3 bed dormitory CHF 28
1 Bed room (single) with tv CHF 63
1 star hotels
Hotel St Gervais (95CHF)
Hotel Cloche (unknown price but nice situation)
2 stars hotels
Hotel Bernina (From 140CHF, in front of the Train Station)
3 stars hotels
Hotel Mon Repos, 178CHf, free wifi, mention LIFT CONFERENCE when booking.
Hotel Cristal (156CHF, WIFI)
Hotel Eden (180CHF, WIFI but not sure it is free)
Hotel Strasbourg & Univers (150CHF, WIFI but not free)
Hotel Suisse (190CHF single, 260CHF double, WIFI but not free)
4 stars hotels
Hotel Cornavin (where the speakers are staying)
Hotel Tiffany
Hotel Novotel
Royal Manotel Hotel Geneva
5 stars hotels
Hotel Intercontinental (from 270CHF, WIFI but not free, 5 minutes from the Conference Center)
La Réserve, one of the world's best hotels and then the SPA... Amazing place a bit off center but sure to give you a nice moment.
Four Season Hotel des Bergues, in the center, leading hotels of the world etc etc...
More hotels on the Geneva Wikipedia page.
What to do after the event
- We very very strongly encourage you to stay in Switzerland after LIFT to enjoy the mountains that are a few minutes away from Geneva. Here are some links to the greatest ski slopes around:
Les Diablerets, with its Glacier.
Verbier, nothing more to be said...
Villars, Nice and Cosy.
Crans-Montana, Glamorous and Sunny
La Clusaz, a 45 minutes car drive from Geneva. Be sure to eat at L'Arbé, one of our all-time favorite.
Chamonix, maybe the greatest ski of your life.
Courchevel and Megeve, for the jet-setters.
Grimentz/St-Jean, if you like quieter places with less people and still great ski.
All these places are easily accessible by train (for the Swiss stations), car or bus (for the French stations).
If you don't like ski go do a bit of thalasso at Leukerbad, visit the CERN, the UN, the waterfront, the old town, some museums, or drive to Annecy
Maps of Geneva
- Walking: map of Geneva showing pedestrian times
- Geneva public transports Route Maps
- Geneva public transports itinerary search (very handy)
- Maps: Google | Mappy | Search.ch
Contact
- If you need further assistance to organize your stay, contact the Geneva Tourism office or the LIFT team!