Venue

The IST-Africa 2015 Conference takes place in Bingu International Conference Centre (Capital Hill/Presidential Way) Lilongwe, Malawi from 05 - 08 May 2015 (IST-Africa Living Lab Working Group, 05 May, IST-Africa 2015 06 - 08 May).

All conference delegates must be registered and confirmed prior to the Conference.

Flights to Malawi are available from Air Malawi, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, South African Airways and Zambezi Airlines.

Accommodation

Delegates can book accommodation in the President Walmont Hotel (new hotel within the conference centre complex) through online registration for IST-Africa 2015. It is necessary to pay in full in advance to secure the booking. Available rooms will be allocated on a first-paid basis.

The President Walmont Hotel is the first 5 star hotel in Malawi. It has a large reception area, a beautiful lobby bar, a relaxing lounge and Wild Orchid Restaurant. Facilities include a gym, spa facility and the Afroma Terrace Bar. Bedrooms have Air conditioning; Bath and shower; Flat screen LCD television; Selected satellite TV channels; Tea and coffee station; Writing desk and Laptop safe

Vaccinations

Conference delegates travelling to Africa for the first time are recommended to have up to date Tetanus, Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines.

Conference delegates travelling to Malawi for the first time are recommended to bring malaria tablets with you. Whatever tablets you use, remember to complete the course as directed after leaving the malaria area.

Please engage with your personal physician or travel health clinic four to six weeks prior to travelling, outlining where in Malawi you intend to visit.

Proof of Yellow Fever vaccine (Yellow Book) is required for those arriving from a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa.

Security, Health and Safety

Please wear your name badge for all IST-Africa 2015 activities, as it is your identification and allows you access to the facilities on offer. While the meeting rooms will not open to the general public, it is still necessary to take care of bags, personal computers and other personal belongings.

While the conference venue is on a closed compound, the organisers cannot accept any responsibility for losses incurred or for personal health and safety.

Delegates should ensure that they have personal health insurance. Any special needs or requirements should be notified to the Conference Secretariat in advance.

Sightseeing and Climate

Lilongwe is a green city with a lot of trees and grassland throughout the city. The Capital Hill district where the conference centre is located is primarily the home of government Ministries and Embassies.

Souvenirs can be purchased in the Old Town Mall and Lilongwe Craft Market near the Old Post Office.

The Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary is located between the Old and new parts of Lilongwe and includes the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre.

While in southern Malawi, delegates should visit Lake Malawi, Monkey Bay, Mulanje Mountain and Likoma Island.

Malawi has a moderate climate during May with average temperatures of 15 - 25 degrees Celsius during the day. Rains are possible during May and delegates should bring rain wear.

Currency

The currency is Malawian Kwacha.

USD or Euro can be change to Kwacha in the airport, at banks and in the hotels. It is best to change small amounts of currency at a time.

Crafts vendors, smaller shops, taxis and restaurants will expect to be paid in local currency or USD. Larger shops and hotels can usually process Visa credit cards.

Please note that quite a lot of properties and ATM machines in Lilongwe only process VISA Credit cards.

Transportation

Kamuzu International Airport is located about 25km north of Lilongwe.

If you wish to share transportation to and from the airport with other delegates, please provide your arrival and departure flight details (Flight Number, Airlines, Arrival time in Lilongwe) to secretariat@IST-Africa.org or save these details as part of online registration by 17 April. We can see if there are a number of delegates arriving on the same flights that can share the cost of taxis.