Final Preparations: Lindau Calling! (#LINO19)

In just ten days, Lindau’s meeting venue Inselhalle will open its doors to a week full of science, inspirational exchange and education. We, the organising team of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, are very much looking forward to having such an incredible number of bright minds here on our small island.

By now, you’ve probably gone through the numerous phases of preparation. So, let us give you some additional guidance and helpful advice.

The Programme

Perhaps you’ve already had a chance to check this year’s meeting programme. If not, don’t worry – here’s the link to the full programme.

Getting Here

Since there are not any shuttle buses to Lindau organised by us, you will have to organise your trip to Lindau yourself.

Most likely, you’ll be arriving in Lindau by train. The airports you most likely will be flying into offer connections to ‚Lindau Hbf‘ (Lindau Central Station). It is possible to buy a ticket at the train station or via the website at www.bahn.com. As soon as you see water all around you, you have arrived on Lindau Island. Welcome to Lake Constance!

Alternatively, there are also intercity bus connections to Lindau. You can check connections and book your bus ticket at www.flixbus.com.

Registration

In order to take advantage of everything Lindau has to offer, please register with us and get your conference materials – these include your name badge, which gives you access to the various programme events, your personal agenda, the final programme and more. All young scientists staying on the mainland will get a free bus ticket for the local bus service.

Registration will take place on Saturday, 29 June from 14.00-18.00 hrs and on Sunday, 30 June from 10.00-20.00 hrs. Please note that you will have to show a valid ID at the registration desk. Please make sure to register early in order to take your seats in time for the opening ceremony.

Everything Else You Need to Know

The opening ceremony starts on Sunday at 15.00 hrs, so please be sure you are registered and seated by 14.45 hrs. For security reasons, you are not allowed to bring any large bags. For your convenience, there is a luggage lorry outside the meeting venue, where your luggage will be securely stored. You will have to have your name badge and valid ID-card with you for access.

For a Google Map with all the important places in Lindau, please click here (or check the meeting app):

What to Bring & What to Wear

There is no dress code for the regular scientific sessions. For invitational dinners, you may want to bring something more festive (suits, cocktail dresses). As the lake is great for swimming, you may want to bring swim wear. Some of the local swimming pools even offer free entrance for the participants of the Lindau Meeting. Sunscreen and mosquito repellents are a good idea as well.

Make sure to bring comfortable shoes that are suitable for cobblestone roads and different weather conditions. A hairdryer may be useful as well as a voltage converter (220 volt) or adapter as German socket-outlets vary from those abroad.

Over the last years, one of the events has become particularly popular among all participants: the ‚Bavarian Evening‘ hosted by the Free State of Bavaria. For this, it is a great idea to wear a traditional festive costume from your home country. Those of you who own a traditional Bavarian costume (a Dirndl dress for women and Lederhosen for men) are more than welcome to wear that instead.

Morning Workouts

For those of you participating in the morning workouts: please bring comfortable sportswear, a towel and sturdy sneakers.

Internet & Phones

The meeting venue is equipped with wireless LAN (WiFi).

It’s always helpful if you bring along your mobile phone so that we are able to contact you easily. To use a mobile phone in a German network, it needs to support the GSM standard (used all over Europe). The German country code is +49.

Money

The currency used in Germany and many European countries (except Switzerland) is the Euro. Money can be exchanged at airports. Credit cards (e.g. Visa, Mastercard) and Maestro/EC cards can be used to withdraw money from ATMs (called ‚Geldautomaten‘) using your PIN. Please check the map to see where to find the nearest ATMs. Cheques and traveller cheques have become rather uncommon and are hardly accepted anywhere.

Emergencies

In case of an emergency at the main meeting venue, please contact the staff. Please note that our staff is not authorised to hand out any medication. A paramedic team is present at the meeting venue and can help with all health-related issues. If you have an emergency at a different location, please either contact any of the staff present or call 112, the official emergency number that will work in all of the EU countries and in Switzerland. During the meeting, young scientists studying outside of Germany will be covered by a health insurance policy provided by the organisers.

The Meeting App

There is a conference app for #LINO19. All the information from this post can also be found there (…and more!). For an in-depth explanation on how to get started with the app, please refer to my colleague Christoph’s guide.

Last but Not Least

If you want to get a taste of the ‘Lindau Spirit’ prior to the meeting, you are invited to take a look at our Facebook and LinkedIn pages, follow us on Twitter (@lindaunobel) and Instagram (@lindaunobel). Throughout the meeting week, we will try to post as much interesting content as possible via #LINO19, this year’s official hashtag. Do join the conversation – we’d love that!

My colleagues and I will be happy to assist you at the Young Scientist Help Desk, should you have any questions. It is going to be a great week, so let’s make the most of it!

And finally, if you haven’t seen them yet, take a look at our new bags, which will soon be yours 😉