PRE-DEPARTURE BRIEFING NOTES
A. DATE, VENUE AND HOST
The 35th ADFIAP Annual Meeting hosted by the Development Bank of Turkey will be held at the Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey from April 25 to 27, 2012.
B. Hotel Accommodations
1. Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel (Venue of the 35th ADFIAP AGM)
Sahilhoyu Cad., Ataköy, 34100
Istanbul, Turkey
Tel. No.: + 90 (212) 4130600
Fax No.: + 90 (212) 5608155
Web address: http://www.sheratonistanbulatakoy.com.tr
Hotel Rates:
|
TYPE OF ROOMS |
ROOM RATES IN EURO |
| De luxe room (single occupancy) | Euro 190 |
| De luxe room (double occupancy) | Euro 210 |
| Suite (single occupancy) | Euro 270 |
| Suite (double occupancy) | Euro 290 |
The above rates include breakfast but does not include government tax of (8%).
2. Titanic Port Hotel Bakirkoy
Fisekhane Cad., No. 7/3, Bakirkoy 34140
Istanbul, Turkey
Tel. No.: + 90 (212) 4137000
Fax No.: + 90 (212) 6611829
Web address: http://www.titanic.com.tr
Hotel Rates:
|
TYPE OF ROOMS |
ROOM RATES IN US$ |
| Superior room (single occupancy) | US$ 120 |
| Superior room (double occupancy) | US$ 140 |
The above rates include breakfast and government tax.
C. ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE INFORMATION
- Arrival Information:
Most of the delegates are expected to disembark at the Ataturk International Airport.
After clearing the customs and immigration processes and collecting your baggage, follow the exit sign and proceed through the Public Area where DBT representatives will welcome you. Transportation to both Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel and Titanic Port Hotel Bakirkoy will be provided.
Delegates are free to bring into Turkey the Turkish Currency and foreign currencies. Passengers may take out a cash of US$5,000 or equivalent and may take out Turkish Currency equaling to maximum US$5,000. Persons established out of the Turkish territory and Turkish nationals established in Turkey but working abroad may freely take out cash exceeding US$5,000 or equivalent on condition that the former declare such amounts at their entry into the Turkish territory and the latter authenticate that they purchased foreign currencies from the banks and private financial institutions.
- Departure Information:
The Development Bank of Turkey will provide transfers to Ataturk International Airport. Details will be provided during the meeting.
D. REGISTRATION,TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2 TO 8 PM, HOTEL LOBBY, SHERATON ISTANBUL ATAKOY HOTEL, TITANIC PORT HOTEL
Registration desks will be open at both hotels’ lobby at 2 pm, Tuesday, April 24 and will remain open until 8 pm.
For delegates who check in after 8 pm, Tuesday, April 24, registration desks will open at the Foyer, Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel at 8 am, Wednesday, April 25 and will remain open until Thursday, April 26 at 9 am prior to the Opening Ceremonies.
E. 75th BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 8 AM TO 10:00 AM, VASCO DA GAMA, SHERATON ISTANBUL ATAKOY HOTEL
75th Board of Directors meeting will be held at the Vasco Da Gama meeting room, Sheraton Istanbul Atakoy Hotel. Delegates are requested to don business attire.
F. DELEGATE MEETS DELEGATE, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 10 AM TO 11 PM, 14TH EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 3:30 PM TO 5:30 PM, CEREMONY BALLROOM, SHERATON ISTANBUL ATAKOY HOTEL
D – m – D session and 14th Extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly will be held at the Ceremony Ballroom, Sheraton Ataköy Hotel. Snacks will be provided during the sessions. Delegates are requested to don business attire.
G. COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE SESSIONS, KEYNOTE SPEECH, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 11 AM TO 3:30 PM, GRAND BALLROOM, SHERATON ISTANBUL ATAKOY HOTEL
CoP and Keynote Speech will be held at the Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel. Delegates are requested to don business attire.
H. WELCOME DINNER AND AWARDS NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 7:30 PM, GRAND BALLROOM, SHERATON ISTANBUL ATAKOY HOTEL
The Opening Dinner and Awards Gala, which will be held at the Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel, will be a formal function for which the dress code is business attire or national dress.
Prior to the Event, there will be a rehearsal for ADFIAP Award Winners at 5:30 pm to 5:45 pm at the stage area of the function room where the Event will be held.
I. CONFERENCE PROPER, THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 9:00 AM, GRAND BALLROOM, SHERATON ISTANBUL ATAKOY HOTEL
The opening ceremonies of the 35th ADFIAP Annual Conference which will be held at the Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel, is scheduled to begin at 9:00 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012. The Inaugural Address will be delivered by the Chief Guest, His Excellency Mr. Cevdet Yilmaz, Minister of Development, Republic of Turkey. A group photo session with H.E. Cevdet Yilmaz will be held after his speech delivery.
J. ACTIVITIES FOR ACCOMPANYING PERSONS, APRIL 25 AND 2
Our host bank, Development Bank of Turkey, will provide some activities for the accompanying persons/spouses for April 25 and 26. Details will be provided later.
K. CLOSING DINNER, THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 8:00 PM, CEREMONY BALLROOM, SHERATON ISTANBUL ATAKOY HOTEL
The closing dinner will be held on Thursday, April 26, 8:00 Pm at the Ceremony Ballroom, Sheraton Istanbul Atakoy Hotel.
Please bring a special gift representative of your country. We will have our traditional raffle of gifts to make the evening more enjoyable and memorable. So that everyone will have a chance to receive a special gift, each delegate/guest is requested to bring his/her special gift.
L. FELLOWSHIP DAY/CULTURAL TOUR, APRIL 27, FRIDAY, 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM
The host bank, Development Bank of Turkey, is hosting a Fellowship Day on Friday, April 25, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for all delegates and accompanying persons. All costs for these activities, except for personal purchases, are covered by the Development Bank of Turkey.
Dress Code and What to Bring: Comfortable attire; walking shoes, hat, sunglasses and sun block cream. You may wish to bring handy-cam or camera to capture all the breathtaking images during the various tours that the Development Bank of Turkey, has planned for you.
Below is a description of the Fellowship Day/Cultural Tour:
The Historical Peninsula of Istanbul:
Istanbul is the only city in the world to straddle two continents and the only one to have been a capital during two consecutive empires – Christian and Islamic. Once the capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul still remains the commercial, historical and cultural pulse of Turkey and its beauty lies in its ability to embrace its contradictions – ancient and modern, religious and secular, Asia and Europe, mystical and earthly – all co-exist here.
Its variety is one of Istanbul’s greatest attractions. The ancient mosques, palaces, museums and bazaars reflect its diverse history. The thriving shopping area of Taksim buzzes with life and entertainment. And the serene beauty of the Island strait, Princes Islands and parks bring a touch of peace to the otherwise chaotic metropolis.
Coming forward with its unique historical accumulation and splendid natural beauties, Istanbul was selected as the “2010 European Culture Capital” by the European Union.
The most magnificent of Istanbul’s monuments are clustred on the historical peninsula, the triangular piece of land surrounded by the Sea of Marmara to the West and South, by Golden Horn to the North and by city walls to the east. The Megarians settled here and Septimus Severus, who was largely responsible for the pre-Byzantine settlement, paid particular attention to this area. The city walls, which were built according to plans that the Emperor Constantine drew up with a spear, form the base of triangle.
The centre of the land that was the core of Istanbul was the area we know today as Sultanahmet Square. The most prominent examples of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture can be seen in close proximity here.
Sites to be visited:
Ayasofya (HagiaSophia):The most glorious architecture heritage of Byzantine Empire is Ayasofya which has beenreferred to as the eighth wonder of the World and is one of the most important surviving Works of Byzantine Period. Ayasofya was built under the auspices of EmporerJustinian I, who, along with Emperor Constantine, made great contributions to Istanbul. Massive in size and reputation, the basilica stood for centuries as one of the world’s most significant buildings, and, despite suffering damage from natural disasters such as fire and eartquakes, has survived to this day. Ayasofya is not only renowned for its magnificent architecture but also for its exquisite Byzantine mosaics.
Sultan Ahmet Mosque: Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, is one of the monuments of Istanbul that has become its symbol. The tiles are superb examples of the tile art of the period, and even the actual number of the tiles used was recorded: exactly 21,043 each of which is priceless, but collectively lent their colour to the name of the mosque. There are a total of 16 serefes (muezzin’splatforms) on the mosque’s minarets. That figure is a reference to the fact that Ahmet was the 16th sultan in the Ottoman succession. The architect of the mosque was one of the apprentices of Mimar Sinan, Sedefkar (master of in-laying mother-of- pearl) Mehmet Aga.
Topkapi Palace (Theresidence of Ottomansultansfor 400 years):The Topkapi Palace was built on the prime site of the historical peninsula of Istanbul with commanding views of the Sea of Marmara as well as the Istanbul Strait. The architecture of Topkapi Palacewas not similar to that of European palaces. The Ottoman sultans paid great attention to building grandiose religious buildings, while they kept the architecture of their ownresidence quite plain, just enough to meet their needs. This was probably due to the influence of Islamic thought.
Yerebatan Cistern: One of Istanbul’s major shortcomings was the insufficient supply of drinking water. However, neither the Byzantines nor the Ottomans let their populations suffer because of that shortfall. Even before the city became the capital of Byzantine Empire there were some attemps to bring water into the city and during the Byzantine Period several public cisterns were built. One of the prime examples of them is Yerebatan Cistern, located right across Ayasofya. It provided water to Istanbul during the Byzantine Period. It is called Yerebatan Palace since it is the largest of all cisterns in Istanbul
M. WEATHER/CLOTHING
Starting from end of March, temperatures increase significantly. During day time averages at 20′ C but nights are colder around 15′ C. Tulip blossom time is around mid April which is an indicator for spring. Rains are common and night temperatures are much more less than day time. In spring daytime temperatures are generally warm enough for light summer clothing, but in the evenings, one might feel the need for a light jacket or pullover. It is advisable to pack a light jacket and pullovers, although you may not need them during the day. Business attire would be most appropriate for all the meetings held at the Sheraton Istanbul Atakoy Hotel.
N. USEFUL INFORMATION
1. MOVING ABOUT
Transport in Istanbul comprises a bus network, various rail systems (nostalgic trams, trams, light rail, metro, bus rapid transit and suburban trains), funiculars and maritime services (ferryboats, sea bus). The Tunel, an underground funicular railways line in Istanbul, is the second oldest subterranean urban rail line in the world. The Bosphorus Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge establish the motorway connection between the European and the Asian sides of the Bosphorus. If you prefer, a boat tour will make you admire Istanbul and its beauties.
2. CURRENCY
Turkey follows the decimal currency system in liras (TL) and kurus (krs) with 100 kurus equal to a lira. Currency notes are available in the denominations of TL5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 while the coins have six denominations: 1 krs, 5 krs, 10 krs, 25 krs, 50 krs, and 1 TL. The main specificity of each denomination depicts the founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Currency is not a problem and can be exchanged anywhere in Istanbul.
3. ELECTRIC CURRENT VOLTAGE
Turkey operates on 220 volts, 50 Hz with round-prong European-style plugs that fit into recessed wall sockets /points.
4. TIME
Local time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) however, from April to September; the local time is three hours ahead of GMT. For the rest of the year the time difference is two hours.
5. DUTY-FREE ALLOWANCE FOR ITEMS PURCHASED ABROAD
Each adult is permitted to bring 1 liter bottle of wines or spirits; 5 bottles of perfume not exceeding 120 ml. each bottle; 1 kg. of coffee beans; 1 kg. of instant coffee; 1 kg. of tea; 1 kg. of chocolate, personal gifts to maximum of €300 and €145 for those under 15
O. CONTACT PERSONS
Host Institution:Development Bank of Turkey |
ADFIAP |
| Mr. Muhammed Hakan Koseoglu Specialist, Financial Institutions Department Development Bank of Turkey |
Ms. Sandy Lim Membership and Events Management Consultant |
| Telephone no.: +90 312 231 3773+90 312 231 3747 | Telephone no.: +63 2 816 1672 |
| Fax no.:+90 312 231 2108 | Fax no.:+63 2 817 6498 |
| Email address: muhammedhakan.koseoglu@kalkinma.com.tr meeting@adfiapistanbul.org |
Email address: sandylim@adfiap.org |
