This document is a travel guide to RubyMotion's first conference, #inspect 2013.
http://www.rubymotion.com/conference
If you are attending or considering attending the conference, you might find here some handy tips that will answer questions you might have. If you have a question that isn't answered here, feel free to contact us and we will update this document accordingly.
The conference will be held in Brussels, Belgium the 28-29th March 2013. Brussels is the capital city of Belgium. There are about one million people living in Brussels, but it is a relatively small city (at least it feels as such).
As the de-facto capital city of the European Union, Brussels is a multilingual city and you will get to hear many languages over there. In the city center, where the conference venue and hotels are located, English, French and Dutch are spoken by almost everyone, as well as other European languages.
日本から団体でお越しになる場合、Shizuo Fujita (Watson) に連絡してください。私たちはみなさまを空港でお待ちしております。 お勧めするホテルには日本語を話せるスタッフがおります。 カンファレンスでは、プレゼンテーションの内容フォローしやすいように IRC のチャンネルで通訳いたします。
The conference will be held in English. We will be running an IRC channel with live-transcript.
RubyMotion #inspect welcomes people with disabilities.
If you have a disability let us know as soon as you register so that we can start working on making sure you won't have any problem attending the conference.
Speakers and attendees will come from all over the world. RubyMotion #inspect aims at providing a harassment-free experience. We will absolutely not tolerate verbal or physical comments, may they be related to gender, sexual-orientation, disability, skin color, religion, or more.
If you are the victim of harassment during the conference please let one of the helpers know as soon as possible (they will wear distinctive shirts) and we will take appropriate measures.
Belgium is part of the Schengen area. Nationals of the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as well as nationals from selected countries (such as Japan or the United States of America) do not need a visa to enter Belgium.
Please refer to the website of your embassy in Belgium to know more about visa requirements. If you need any help on our side, for example a letter of invitation, please let us know.
Brussels has an international airport (IATA code BRU) featuring connections to most European cities as well as America and Asia.
http://www.brusselsairport.be/en
A train runs between the airport and the Brussels Central train station 4 times an hour, the trip takes about 17 minutes and costs about 8 euros. Just follow the public transit signs after the customs. The Brussels Central station is located at walking distance of most hotels and also the conference venue.
Cabs are also available at the airport. A cab ride from the airport to the city center can take between 20 and 30 minutes, depending of traffic, and should cost about 30 euros.
There are several train stations in Brussels, but if you are coming from train you are likely to arrive at Brussels Midi/Zuid, which receives all international connections (Thalys, Eurostar, ICE, etc.). However, Brussels Midi/Zuid is not located in the city center.
The best way to reach the city center from Brussels Midi/Zuid is to take a non-stop train to the Brussels Central station. The trip takes about 3 minutes. A one-trip ticket costs about 2 euros. There are several trains per hour. The Brussels Central station is located at walking distance of most hotels and also the conference venue.
Alternatively, you can jump on line 4 or 5 of the subway to Brussels Central. There are 4 stops. Follow the "metro" signs at the station. A one-trip ticket costs about 2 euros.
Please refer to Google Maps for driving directions. There are multiple parkings in the city center of Brussels where you can leave your car during the conference. You will not be needing your car as everything should be at walking distance.
We recommend Interparking Grand-Place which is conveniently located near the conference venue and hotels we recommend. It is open 24-7 and the daily fee is about 15 euros.
http://www.interparking.be/en/find-parking/Grand%20Place/
The following hotels are located at walking distance (max. 2-3 minutes) of the conference venue as well as the Brussels Central train station.
- Ibis (budget): http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-1046-ibis-brussels-off-grand--place/index.shtml
- Novotel (midscale): http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-1030-novotel-brussels-off-grand-place/index.shtml
- Le Méridien (luxury): http://www.lemeridienbrussels.com
You may find cheaper options elsewhere but these may not be located in the city center area, so be careful. Alternatively, renting an appartment or a room might work too. https://www.airbnb.com
The conference will be held in a classical house on the Grand-Place, Brussels' historical main square. The square is pretty large but there will be a RubyMotion banner so that you won't be able to miss the house!
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Grand-Place,+19,+1000+Brussels,+Belgium
There will be Internet available at the conference venue via Wi-Fi.
Traditional Belgian food will be served at the conference. We will get in touch with all attendees at some point to collect special dietary concerns (such as vegetarian, vegan, etc.). We will make sure that everyone gets something awesome to eat.
We will at some point recommend restaurants around the conference venue for dining options.
The after-party will happen at the Halles Saint-Géry, a very popular place in Brussels. It is at walking distance from the conference venue (about 10 minutes), so there is no need to take public transportation. We will all go there together.
Belgian beer will be served at the party and there will also be soft drinks.