On international flights into Russia, you will receive an arrival/departure form which you need to fill out on both sides. The immigration officer will take the arrival form and you will keep the departure form in your passport.
Many participants are arriving on May 29 or May 31. On these days, a BGS Tours desk with a large BGRI + 8IWC banner will be set up in the arrival hall from early morning to late evening in the international terminal of Pulkovskaya airport directly outside of baggage claim/customs. Go to that desk upon your arrival, and the shuttle to the Park Inn and the Holiday Inn will pick you up. The shuttle will be circulating all day on those days. If you arrive on another day and have sent your arrival information, there will be a BGS Tours representative at the airport to meet you with a sign and your name. This is a free service.
If you have not sent your arrival information to <mailto:dasha@orticon.com> dasha@orticon.com as requested several days ago, we cannot guarantee airport pick-up on days besides May 29 and 31. In this event, you may take a taxi from the airport to your hotel, which will cost about $40 US. You will need to pay in Russian roubles, however, so remember to change money or get cash from an ATM at the airport.
For your departure from St. Petersburg, airport shuttles from both of the hotels (Park Inn and Holiday Inn) have been arranged.
2) Hotel check-in at the Park Inn or Holiday Inn
Upon arrival at your hotel, you will be asked for your passport. The hotel reception needs to take your passport for a few minutes (or hours, depending on how busy it is at reception) to be able to register you with the Russian federal tourism administration. Hotel reception will not use your passport for anything else and will keep it safe, and you can pick it up in a few hours after your check-in.
If you are paying by credit card for your hotel room, the reception clerk will need to see your credit card and will put a hold on the credit card for the total amount of your stay. You will not be charged until departure, but the hotel needs to secure that the funds are available.
You do not need any other documents besides your passport upon arrival at the hotel.
3) Getting cash and changing money
You should plan to have around $100 US in Russian roubles with you. You can change money at the airport or get Russian roubles from an ATM at the airport. At the Holiday Inn, there is an ATM, which dispenses cash and also changes money (USD and Euro).
4) Registration for the BGRI workshop and 8th International Wheat Conference
Both conferences will take place in the Ginzburg Hall of the Holiday Inn.
The conference registration desk is situated in front of the Ginzburg Hall. Conference registration will be open on May 29 from 11AM to 11PM, May 30 from 7AM to 7PM, May 31 from 7AM to 7PM, and June 1 from 7AM to 12PM. We encourage you to register early. There are more than 600 people attending the IWC, and registration will be very busy on May 29 and June 1.
5) Conference secretariat
The conference organizers can be found at the conference registration desk in front of the main hall or in the Molinari room on the 3rd floor of the Holiday Inn.
6) Internet facilities
Free wireless internet is available in the Park Inn lobby and the ground floor, 1st, and 2nd floors of the Holiday Inn. Internet is available in the guest rooms for an additional fee.
Four computers with internet access will be available outside the Ginzburg hall to conference participants. We ask that you spend no longer than 15 minutes at the computer terminals, as they need to be used by others. A printer will also be available in this location.
The Holiday Inn has a business center available to guests (your room key is needed to open the door) with two computers and a printer.
7) Dress code for the conferences
Dress code for the conferences is business casual.
8) Restaurants near the hotels and vegetarian options
The Holiday Inn has two restaurants with a full service menu, including vegetarian options, and several bars with salads/sandwich options. The Park Inn also has two restaurants with vegetarian options.
There is a pizza restaurant right next to the Holiday Inn as well as a grocery store, where fresh produce, etc. can be purchased.
Breakfast is included in your hotel stay.
A lunch buffet is provided by the conferences, and vegetarian options are available.