Expert Consultation on Global Forest
Resources Assessment: towards FRA 2010
Kotka V

Kotka, Finland , June 12-16, 2006

Practical information

Kotka V location and venue

Kotka is located in the South-East of Finland on the Gulf of Finland about 150 km from Helsinki. The city of Kotka was founded in 1878 and the population is now about 56 000. Kotka has the biggest export port in Finland.

The meeting will be held at the University of Applied Sciences in Kotka, Forestry and Wood Technology campus. Accommodation will be in single rooms mainly in the student hostels in the campus area. Meals will be served in the lunch room of the University.

Accommodation in Helsinki
(before 11 June and after 16 June)

The Finnish organizers have reserved hotel rooms for participants who will stay in Helsinki before and/or after the Kotka V meeting. We offer three options:

1. Hostel Academica, Hietaniemenkatu 14, summer hostel in the city centre. Price for a single room is a. 60 € /person/night.
2. Hotel Aurora, Helsinginkatu 50, tourist class hotel with good connections to the city centre. Price for a single room is a. 80 €/person/night.
3. Hotel Vaakuna, Asema-aukio 2, good tourist class hotel in the city centre. Price for a single room is a. 150 €/person/night.

Note! There is a big international event in Helsinki in the weekend before Kotka V and most of the hotels are booked up. Therefore, we recommend you to choose one of the hotels mentioned above and indicate it in the registration form.

Transportation

Participants will be transported from Helsinki to Kotka (150 km) by two charter buses on Sunday 11 June. The costs of the transportation are included in the registration fee. The bus trip will take around two hours. The buses have a sign 'KOTKA V' and you will have three options where to get on the bus:

• OPTION 1: Bus leaves from the airport (Meeting in front of the Info Desk in the lobby of arriving flights) at 17:30.
• OPTION 2: Bus leaves from in front of the Hostel Academica, Hietaniemenkatu 14, at 17:00.
• OPTION 3: Bus stops in front of Hotel Aurora, Helsinginkatu 50, at 17:30

Participants who will stay in Hotel Vaakuna or who will arrange accommodation on their own should indicate in the Registration Form where they intend to get on the Kotka V bus.

It is also possible to arrange own transportation from Helsinki to Kotka by using ordinary bus services, please contact the Kotka V secretariat for additional information. If you will arrange your transportation by yourself, please indicate this in the Registration Form.

After the Meeting on Friday, 16 June, there will be a bus transportation from Kotka to Helsinki. The transportation is in two buses that go either directly to the airport or to the city centre. The appropriate departure time will be fixed during the meeting to fit as many participants as possible, but the approximate arrival time is 17:00 (airport) and 17:00 (city centre).

Costs
All fees and costs are quoted in Euros (€)

The Registration Fee is € 360 including VAT 22 %. It covers:

• Registration material
• Transportation from Helsinki - Kotka - Helsinki by a charter bus
• Accommodation in the student hostel in Kotka
• Full-board (breakfasts, lunches, dinners, coffee breaks) during the meeting
• Half-day excursion
• Copy of the proceedings (will be published and delivered afterwards)

Liability

The meeting fees do not include provisions for the insurance of participants against personal injuries, sickness, theft, or property loss or damage. This applies to any event held during the meeting and the excursions. Participants are advised to obtain whatever insurance they consider necessary. The University of Applied Sciences in Kotka and the Finnish Forest Research Institute will not assume responsibility for loss, injury, or damages to persons or belongings, however caused.

Climate

Great variation is typical for the summer weather in Finland in June. The average daytime high in June is 20 °C (10 - 25 °C). Nights are usually cool with an average low of 7 - 12 °C. Average monthly precipitation is around 50 mm, with a very high degree of variability involved - it may rain every day or not at all during the meeting. Forecast and current conditions. There will be one half-day excursion during the meeting, so please bring your walking shoes/trainers and a pullover and a jacket.

Time in Finland

Time in Finland is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).