AmI 2011
International Conference on Ambient Intelligence
Amsterdam, 10-12 november 2011
Let us welcome you to Amsterdam, a city of many inspiring and surprising faces. No other city mixes cosmopolitan style with a laid-back atmosphere quite like Amsterdam. Our friendly nature draws a more diverse population than most any city in the world. We invite you to join us and make our global village your own during your stay here.
Home to some of the world’s most acclaimed artistic works, more canals than Venice, more bridges than Paris and nearly 7,000 monumental buildings, our compact floating city offers a buffet of historic and cultural treasures. It is no wonder Amsterdam’s city centre has been recently added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
Maybe you will visit our world-famous diamond factories, discover the city’s tradition as a jazz-music hub, or simply soak up the local nightlife in a casual café. Whatever you choose, we hope you experience our vibrant, open spirit. Welcome to Amsterdam!
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is about 20 km from the centre of the city. There is a good and frequent train connection to/from Amsterdam Central Station (six trains every hour during daytime), costs EUR 3.70 for a one way trip of fifteen minutes.
The OV-chipkaart (PT Smart Card) is the only way to pay for public transport in Amsterdam. You can travel using just one card, whether it is in the train, bus, tram or metro. The OV-chipkaart is the size of a credit card and has a built-in chip.
For conference visitors a disposable OV-chipkaart is advised. You can buy disposable cards at GVB Tickets & Info (Municipal Transport Company) across from the Central Station or at Metrostation Weesperplein, the Ticket Vending and Add Value machines and with tram and bus drivers and conductors. At the Ticket Vending and Add Value machines you can pay cash and with PIN, chip or credit card. Some hotels also sell the cards.
A disposable card already carries a travel product and can not be recharged. Costs for different travel products are shown in the table below:
At schiphol airport you can buy the 24, 48, 72 and 96 hour tickets including a two-way trainticket Schiphol-Amsterdam Central. The Amsterdam All in 1 Travel Ticket is only available at the Holland Tourist Information desk at Schiphol Airport (opposite Arrival Hall 2, open daily from 07.00 – 22.00 hrs.)
For more information on the use of the OV-chipkaart in Amsterdam, click here.
For more information on public transport in Amsterdam, check www.gvb.nl.
Amsterdam has a lot to offer: the historic centre along the canals, the museums, churches, arts & craft stores, antique stores, the contemporary architecture in the former harbour areas, and the theaters and concert halls that offer both classic and modern repertoire.
You can explore Amsterdam and its surroundings on foot, by bike, coach or boat. Information is available at the Amsterdam VVV Offices (Tourist Information Office) at Platform 2 of the Amsterdam Central Station, at Stationsplein across the Central Station and at the Holland Information desk at Schiphol Plaza.
For more information about the city’s history and current activities check the following websites: IAmsterdam and Holland.com.
The conference will take place in Casa400 in Amsterdam. Casa 400 is located at the edge of the centre of Amsterdam. Amsterdam Amstel station is only a three minute walk and offers trains, busses, trams and underground. Public transport will take you to the heart of Amsterdam in 10 minutes. By car, the A10 ring road is within easy reach.
Hotel Casa 400
Eerste Ringdijkstraat 4
1097 BC Amsterdam
Within three minutes walk from the Amstel Station you will arrive in Hotel Casa 400. The train, metro, tram or bus will take you to the Amsterdam Amstel Station. At the Amstel Station you will follow the directions to the ‘Julianaplein’. You can take the traffic lights on the right of the roundabout towards the ABN-AMRO building. At the ABN-AMRO building on the left side you can take the tunnel. Take the first street on your right and then the first street on your left which is the Eerste Ringdijkstraat. From there you will already be able to see the hotel at the end of the street.
Amsterdam city centre: 9 minutes by underground
Schiphol Airport: 26 minutes by train/ 20 minutes by taxi (call TCA taxi: 0031 (0)20 6531000) RAI Exhibition and Congress centre: 7 minutes by underground / bus 15
For a map, route planning and more information, please see the Casa400 website
Casa 400 is easy to reach from all directions. On the A10 ring road you take exit S112 and follow signs for Centrum. De Gooiseweg takes you to the roundabout at the Amstel station. Go straight on and then turn right at the second traffic lights onto the Ringdijk. You will see Hotel Casa 400 on your right.
When you arrive at Casa 400 you can park your car in our conveniently and accessible car park. Hotel Casa 400 offers a private parking garage for up to 100 cars. At our underground car park you can park your car at an reduced rate of €2,50 per hours with a maximum of €17,50 per 24 hours. We work with the first-come first-serve policy. If our car park is full, you can park in the street at an hourly rate of €3,00; Monday to Saturday from 9.00 to 21.00 or at a daily rate of €21,60. If you leave your car in an unattended area, please consider to put “no valuables inside” warning behind the windows.
For more information, please see the Casa400 website
In the evening of Thursday 17 November, a boat will bring you to the location of the restaurant In de Waag, where the conference dinner will take place.
Restaurant-Café In de Waag
Nieuwmarkt 4, 1012 CR Amsterdam
For more details, please see In de Waag’s restaurant website