Dear colleagues,

An update on the arrangements for the Hibernation Symposium:

Presentation format
All oral presentations must be in MS PowerPoint, and must be brought with you either on a memory stick or CD. Please be aware that Macs are far less commonly used in southern Africa than in North America. Although there should not be any compatibility issues with regards to projectors, etc, it may be a good idea to check beforehand that your presentation displays correctly on a Windows PC.

Poster format
All posters should be A0 size, i.e., 841 x 1189 mm, and in portrait rather than landscape format. Posters should be attached to the poster boards with Prestik (Blue Tac) only. Please supply your own.

Program
An updated program grid has been placed on the website, and a detailed program will be available shortly.

Registration
Registration will take place in the Foyer of the Conference Centre in the Swakopmund Hotel, starting at 08:30 on Wednesday 6 August.

Transport between accommodation and the conference venue
Beach Lodge and Rossmund Lodge are beyond walking distance from the conference venue (Swakopmund Hotel). We are in the process of arranging a shuttle service for delegates staying at these lodges, and will provide details once arrangements have been finalised.

Social Events and Tours
The two major social events are the ice-breaker cocktails from 16:00-18:00 on Wednesday 6 August, at Swakopmund Mole, and the conference banquet at Tigers Reef Beach Bar on Monday 11 August, starting at 19h00. If you still need a ticket for the banquet, please contact Virosha Basdeo viroshab@turnergroup.co.za as soon as possible. Also, please remember that Sunday 10 August is a free day, and that there will be a Welwitschia Day Trip into the heart of the Namib gravel plains north of Swakopmund. For more information, or to book places on this trip, please go to the "Tours" page of the conference website (www.ihs2008.com).

Evening lecture on the Namib Desert
The Namib is one of the world's oldest and driest deserts, and is home to a fascinating community of organisms, many exquisitely adapted to the harsh, unpredictable conditions that prevail there. Barry Lovegrove is the author of the Living Deserts of Southern Africa, and will present an evening lecture on the Namib at 18:00 on Thursday 7 August.

Visa
Please visit the conference website (www.ihs2008.com) for information regarding Namibia and South African visas.

See you in Swakopmund in a few weeks's time!

Barry and Andrew