GFOI PLENARY 2017 9-12 APRIL 2017 NEW WORLD HOTEL, HO CHI MINH CITY VIETNAM 1. Venue & Accommodation LOGISTICS NOTE The venue for the GFOI Plenary 2017 is the New World Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. Note that this is the same hotel that has been recommended to participants for accommodation and booked for GFOI Office sponsored participants. The Open Forum Meetings on Tuesday 11 April and Wednesday 12 April 2017 will be held in the Grand Indochine Ballroom on Level 1 of the hotel. Please see hotel layout below. 2. Location The New World Hotel is located in the city center at 76 Le Lai Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: +84 8 3822 8888. Map and further information are available here. English New World Hotel is: 76 Le Lai Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Vietnamese Khách sạn: New World: số 76 phố Lê Lai, Quận 1, thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Việt Nam 3. Airport transfer There are several options for getting from the Tân Sơn Nhất airport to the New World Hotel. The expected travel time by car varies heavily depending on the time of day and level of traffic congestion. In light traffic, it should take about 20 minutes and in heavy traffic it can be expected to take up to 1 hour and sometimes 2 hours with road works or rainfall. For participants whose travel is sponsored by the GFOI Office (FAO), airport transfers have already been arranged for you. Ms. Esther Phillips will notify you of these arrangements in the coming days. For other participants, the below summarizes options for getting from the airport to the hotel:
Prearranged pick up through the hotel: please note this options needs to be booked in advance and paid for by participants directly to the hotel. Please contact concierge.saigon@newworldhotels.com to make a booking. Taxi: there is a taxi rank at the airport, which can be easily located from the Arrivals Hall. Reliable taxi operators include Mai Linh (Green) & Vinasun (green and red) which participants are encouraged to use. The expected fair should be around 120,000 VND and 160.000 VND. Passengers can be expected to pay an additional airport entrance fee of approximately $US1. Please note that most local taxi drivers do not speak English, so it is recommended that you show them the above name and address of the hotel written in Vietnamese. For the return trip, participants are advised to leave the hotel for the airport with plenty of time before their scheduled flight departure. Transport to the airport can be arranged through the hotel using one of their cars or a taxi can also be organized in lobby. Passengers will need to tell the driver which terminal they are going to for either international or domestic flights and it is best if this is done when entering the taxi and with the assistance of hotel staff for translations. The distance to the airport is about 9kms, however this can vary depending on roadworks and congestion. 4. Key times Sunday 9 April: advised separately. Monday 10 April: advised separately. Tuesday 11 April, Open Forum: o Arrival: from 8:30am o Welcome address: 9am (sharp) o Morning coffee break: 10:30am - 10:45 o Lunch: 12:30 13:30 o Afternoon coffee break: 15:30 15:45 o Finish: 17:45 o Plenary Dinner: 18:45 in the lobby to catch buses to the harbor for a dinner cruise. Wednesday, Open Forum: o Arrival: 8am onwards o First session: 8:30am (sharp) o Morning coffee break: 10:45 11:15 (30mins) o Lunch: 12:30 13:30 o Afternoon coffee break: 15:00 15:30 (30mins) o Plenary Closed: 17:00.
5. Information Stations The Information Stations will take place on Wednesday 12 April from 11:15 to 15:00, with a one hour lunchbreak scheduled from 12:30. During these sessions, participants will be able to participate in hands on demonstrations of a range of different tools and resources provided by GFOI partners. There will be five different Information Stations held in separate rooms. These sessions will run for 25mins each and then be followed by a 5min change over to allow participants to move rooms before the session is repeated again. Each session will be run five times to allow participants to join all five sessions. If you have not already done so, we recommend you register for REDDcompass in advance to ensure the most efficient use of time during these sessions. This can be done at http://www.gfoi.org/reddcompass. Participants are encouraged to read up on the other tools listed for Information Stations in advance of this session. 6. Plenary Dinner All registered participants are invited to attend the official Plenary Dinner on the evening of Tuesday 11 April 2017. The dinner will be held on a boat cruise on the Saigon River. Participants are asked to meet in the lobby of the New World Hotel at 18:45 to catch buses for the short journey to the port. Please do not be late. Anyone arriving after this time will literally miss the boat! Attire for the dinner is comfortable casual. Expenses for the dinner will be covered. 7. Dress Code As is the tradition with GFOI Plenary, participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing. Participants are welcome to wear whatever they feel most comfortable in, with smart casual being encouraged. There is no need for formalwear unless this is your personal preference. Participants are warned that April is a very hot month in Ho Chi Minh City and hence are advised to dress appropriately, including the use of sun protection when outside. Carrying an umbrella and other rain protection is also recommended. 8. Currency and Foreign Exchange The official currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). $US1 is equivalent to approximately 22,000VND (as on 4 April 2017) however this will fluctuate from day to day and depending on the outlet you use to exchange money. US dollars (USD) are also accepted by some vendors in Vietnam, however participants are encouraged to carry VND at all times. Exchanging USD to VND is relatively easy in Ho Chi Minh City and can be done at currency exchange offices, banks, travel agents and/or most hotels. Ho Chi Minh City has many ATMs that accept foreign cards. Participants are encouraged to only conduct currency exchanges at official banks, recognized ATMs and registered through registered currency exchangers such as those clearly marked at hotels and airports.
9. Security Ho Chi Minch City is generally considered to be a safe city. However, as with all major cities, security incidents do occur and participants are encouraged to exercise caution at all times. Petty crime does occur in the city with foreigners being targeted. Participants are encouraged to travel in groups and avoid carrying valuables such as large sums of money, cellular phone, cameras, handbags and passports etc. Participants are advised to leave all none essentials items in a secure location at the hotel. However a photocopy of your passport should be carried at all times for identification purposes. Participants are advised to ensure that they have adequate travel insurance to cover them for the duration of their trip. 10. Electricity In Vietnam, the standard voltage at most power outlets is 220V and the standard frequency is 50Hz. The power sockets that are used are types A, C or G: http://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/vietnam/. If your appliances plug has a different shape, you will need an adapter which can most easily be bought at most airports. 11. Climate Ho Chi Minh City is situated within a typically humid tropical climate. April is the hottest month in Ho Chi Minh City with an average temperature of 30 C (86 F). Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately and use sun protection when outside. 12. Internet There will be Wi-Fi available at the hotel. The quality of the connection may vary from day to day and hence cannot be guaranteed in advance. Participants are encouraged to not plan for any essential internet use that requires a fast and reliable connection. 13. Contacts The primary point of contact is office@gfoi.org. For any urgent matters relating to logistics, please contact office@gfoi.org and thienhatravel@gmail.com. In the case of emergencies only, please contact Ms. Hiep on: 84 914261994. For any matters relating to your hotel, please raise these with the front desk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note that all information provided here is recommended by the Plenary organizers to assist participants. The organizers take no responsibility for any issues that may arise during the Plenary or travel to and from Ho Chi Minh City. Participants are travelling at their own risk and as such are advised to take out adequate travel insurance and make any necessary contingency arrangements before leaving home. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------