Hello everybody,
Please find below the information I have received from Maija from Finland
about next RI congress.
Best regards,
Markus


Dear Friends,

The 15th Retina International World Congress will be held in Helsinki next
summer. Here in Finland the preparations are advancing in their due course
and presently we are starting to get to the final stage of the work. The
scientific program for the congress is ready. The invitations have been sent
to the speakers.

The exact dates for the congress will be Friday, the 4th, and Saturday, the
5th of July, 2008. The time of the year is the most luminous here in the
north and, therefore, often said to be “nightless”.

We have chosen Finlandia Hall in the centre of Helsinki as the congress
venue. The building was designed by Alvar Aalto, a world-famous Finnish
architect, and has been the seat for several international congresses and
meetings of world leaders. Finlandia Hall provides such occasions with
excellent technological conditions.

The official languages of the congress are Finnish and English. Thanks to
the technology we have the opportunity of arranging simultaneous
interpretation in several languages. If a larger number of participants are
coming from your society to Finland and you wish to get interpretation in,
for instance, French, Italian or Japanese this will be technically possible.
You can bring your own interpreter with you or we can find you one here in
Helsinki. You will pay for all the costs of the interpreter and Retina
Finland will pay for the technical arrangements.

We have succeeded in negotiating good deals with two high class hotels, the
Crowne Plaza and the Scandic Continental near Finlandia Hall. Staying in
these hotels will cost about 110 Euros per night in a double room. The price
includes a very generous buffet breakfast. The walking distance to Finlandia
Hall is 5 to 10 minutes. Opposite the hotels is the big Hesperia Park where
the RI Running Club can go for their morning jog.

Besides these hotels we offer an even more affordable alternative at Domus
Academica, a summer hotel, which is situated a bit further away. The walking
distance to Finlandia Hall is about 20 to 30 minutes. A single room costs 50
Euros and a double room 70 Euros per night. Rooms for three or four persons
are also available. Domus Academica functions as a dormitory for students in
winter. That’s why there is no luxury in the rooms. Each room has a toilet,
a shower, a fridge and a small kitchen. In the lounge there is
a TV-set and some computers. The hotel has a sauna and a small swimming
pool.

The social program for the congress days has been confirmed. The Speakers’
Dinner will be held in Suomenlinna on Friday evening. Suomelinna is the
historical sea fortress on the islands just off the coast of Helsinki. The
area was included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1991.

On Saturday we end the congress in a festive way with a Gala Dinner
celebrating also the 30-year existence of Retina International.

According to the tradition the business meetings of Retina International
will take place in connection with the congress. We have built up the
program so that we can arrange alternative programs for those in the party
who are not official delegates.

The days for the business meetings are:

Monday, June 30th, Retina International Management Committee Meeting
Tuesday, July 1st, Continuous Education
Wednesday, July 2nd, General Assembly

The Management Committee meeting on Monday will be held at a hotel. The
business meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday will take place at Iiris - The
Service and Activity Centre for the Visually Impaired.

According to the feedback from earlier congresses we have dedicated the
whole Thursday for social activities. The participants have the opportunity
of getting familiar with Finnish nature. We will make a trip to a national
park near Helsinki where we can canoe, hike and bathe in a sauna.
Alternatively participants can get acquainted with the colourful history of
the sea fortress of Suomelinna. A partly separate program has been planned
for the Retina International Youth participants.

More information can be found on our website
http://www.retina.fi/RI2008/congress.html.
In the beginning of December the First Announcement will be published on our
website. It will contain more detailed information both on the scientific
and the social program as well as on fees and ways of payment.

We are happy to answer any of your questions.


We Wish You All Welcome To Finland Next Summer!


Retina Finland

Maija Lindroos
President

maija.lindroos@...