September 2014 From the Secretary-General Hello! Welcome to the 2014 RCAR Annual Conference in beautiful Cartagena Colombia! Of Special Interest: Our host, Cesvi Colombia, has been working very hard to ensure that this year’s event is a complete success. From the Secretary-General 1 As usual, part of that effort has involved putting together Dates for your Diary 20 this special edition of the Newsletter, containing all sorts of The RCAR Network 20 useful information to make your visit as special as possible. Important Notice to 20 In addition, our specially-prepared Social and Partner Members Programs have been carefully designed to be both interesting and fun, whether your main interests happen to be in history, culture, or even shopping! The Technical Program is shown on pages 16 to 19 of the Newsletter. As always, particular attention has been shown to make sure the Program adequately reflects our primary interests in vehicle design, material damage, personal injury prevention, and vehicle safety. In addition, the Program includes several Working Group reports on progress in their respective areas since our last Annual Conference. Inside this issue: From what I have seen to date, I am confident that we will once again be treated to an interesting and informative event. This is our opportunity to network with fellow delegates whom we may not have had the privilege of meeting with for some time, as well as to meet Welcome! 2 with new delegates attending their very first RCAR Conference. Regardless of which Meet Your Conference Team 2 category you may fall into, welcome! How to Get Here 3 General Information 4 If you need to contact me for any reason, please use one of the following e-mail addresses: [email protected], or wilf [email protected]. Hotel Santa Clara 6 About Colombia 9 In closing, I hope you enjoy the Conference, and I look forward to seeing you there! History 11 Colombian Figures 12 Wilf Bedard Things to See and Do 13 About Cesvi Colombia 14 2014 Technical Program 16 Page 2 Welcome! No doubt by this time, you have made your travel arrangements for the 2014 RCAR Conference. Some time ago, you received some preliminary information about the Conference. Now, as is customary, we are able to utilize the September edition of the Newsletter to provide even more information, which I hope you will find useful in getting the most out of your visit! Our Coordinator General, Doraluz Moreno, will serve as your contact person for the event. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact her at [email protected]. I look forward to seeing you in September! Mauricio Ruiz General Director, CESVI Colombia Meet Your Conference Organizing Team: Page 3 How to Get Here Cartagena is served by the Rafael Nuñez International Airport, located within the urban perimeter of the city, which allows easy access from anywhere in Cartagena. International flights to Cartagena originate from New York (Jet Blue), Miami (Avianca), Ft. Lauderdale (Spirit), and Panama City (Copa). Within Colombia, you can fly to Cartagena from San Andres Island (Copa), Medellin (Avianca, Viva Colombia), Cali (Avianca, Viva Colombia), and Bogota (Avianca, Lan, Copa). INTERNATIONAL DIRECT FLIGHTS TO NATIONAL DIRECT FLIGHTS TO RAFAEL NUÑEZ INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CTG) CARTAGENA AIRPORT (CTG) Important Travel Information For entry into Colombia, visas are not required for anyone arriving from any of the member countries that make up RCAR. However, to ensure valid entry into the country, it is essential that you be able to produce, at time of admission, a valid passport. Page 4 General Information Cartagena de Indias is a colonial resort city located on the northern coast of Colombia on the Caribbean Coast. • Climate and Clothing Cartagena’s climate is warm (average temperature: 30 degrees Celsius), humid (average humidity: 90%), and windy, making the climate very pleasant overall. You should also protect yourself from the sun with glasses, hats, and sunscreen, even though most shops, restaurants, and malls usually have air conditioning. Also, remember to stay hydrated! As rain can arise at any moment, it is best to choose fabrics that dry easily, although umbrellas will be available at the hotel. • Dress Code The dress code for the various RCAR meeting events will be the same as in previous years: business casual (no shorts for men). Although the opening dinner and technical program will be held indoors, the opening dinner reception and closing dinner are scheduled to take place outdoors, so dress according to the weather of the day. In addition, as the social day on Wednesday will consist of an outdoor excursion, participants should be prepared for all types of weather. • Voltages and Connector Types Colombian voltage is 110-120 volts, 60 Hz – the same as in the USA. On request, most hotels will provide transformers to visitors with electrical appliances of a different voltage, such as 220- 240 volts, 50 cycles per second. The types of connectors used in Colombia are shown below: Page 5 • Transportation The hotel is only a 15-minute cab ride from the airport, and transportation will be provided to all delegates and partners to and from the hotel on arrival and departure. Although the hotel is well- positioned in the heart of the Old City, allowing you to walk to most places of interest, in case you want to ride, the safest transportation is by taxi. The hotel can help you with this; in fact, they have a specialized company in this regard called Gema Tours. Ideally, you would book this service in advance, but if you need a taxi right away, the hotel will assist you by providing the best possible option available. Or, you can call one of these taxi companies directly: Radio Taxi Cartagena (5) 6424242 Taxi Lugo (5) 6601600 Tel Taxi (5) 6600000 • Exchange Rate/Currency Exchange The official currency is the Colombian peso. Cents are not used. Coins are issued in $50, $100, $200, $500, and $1000 denominations. Bills are issued in $1.000, $2.000, $5.000, $10.000, $20.000, and $50.000 denominations. The exchange rate fluctuates from day to day, and uses the US dollar as its official reference rate (1 US = ~1.926 Colombian pesos). (It is best to use Colombian pesos.) As most shops will only accept pesos or credit cards, it is best to arrive with pesos in advance. If you are unable to do so, convert your local currency to US dollars, which are readily convertible to pesos at any currency exchange office. Every hotel and bank provides a currency exchange service. Cartagena also has various different “bureaux de change” or foreign currency exchange offices, but for your comfort and safety, Santa Clara Hotel provides this service as well. At the airport, US dollars are accepted. • Use of Debit/Credit Cards The majority of ATM’s are in service from 6 am to midnight, and provide the option of service in English. Transactions generally permitted are: credit/debit balance, withdrawals, transfers, and cash advances. Avoid giving your card to strangers or revealing your personal PIN code. Cirrus, Visa and Master Card permit international debit and credit transactions. The majority of hotels, restaurants, and commercial establishments accept international credit cards. The most commonly used are Visa and Master Card. Only a few locations accept American Express and Diners Club. International banks that will allow you to withdraw money with your debit card include Citibank, Lloyds TSB, and HSBC. • Business Hours in Cartagena • Banks: Monday to Friday (9 am - 12:30 pm & 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm) • Department Stores: Monday to Sunday (10:00 am - 8:00 pm ) • Malls: Monday to Sunday (10:00 am - 10:00 pm ) • For Those Requiring Assistance/Staying Longer Assistance in making travel arrangements will be offered, especially to those wishing to spend additional time in the area either before or after the Conference. Simply contact Doraluz for further information. Page 6 Location of the Hotel Santa Clara, Your Conference Headquarters Address: 39 Calle del Torno -29 San Diego Neighborhood From Rafael Núñez International Airport: The Hotel is located 2.8 km (1.4 miles) from the airport; an average 15 minute transfer time to the hotel. From the Heliport: The heliport is located within the Rafael Núñez Airport, an average 15 minute transfer time to the hotel. Hotel Information Originally built as a convent in 1621, the Sofitel Santa Clara is a legendary landmark in the heart of the walled city of Cartagena. Transformed into a luxury hotel in 1995, the Sofitel Santa Clara, unique in style, combines the charm of history with local hospitality and the art of savoir-faire French cuisine. Joining colonial and republican-style architecture with modern comforts, the hotel also features a gourmet kitchen, exceptional service, a world class spa, meeting facilities, and requisite technology for events, conventions, and weddings. Its privileged geographic location and rich history make the Legend Sofitel Cartagena Santa Clara a magical destination Hotel Accommodations Superior room 38m2 rooms, located on the third and fourth floor of the 19th-century republican wing, these guestrooms are tastefully decorated in contemporary style and have balconies with views of the pool. All are equipped with bathtubs & “rain-dance showers”, flat-screen TVs, minibars, safes, exclusive amenities from “Hierba Luisa” by Loto®, Sofitel MyBeds, pillow menus, & complimentary Wi-Fi. (While not supplied with the room, irons and ironing boards will be available on request). For 1 person: $354 plus 16% VAT For 2 people: $381 plus 16% VAT These are the rooms which have been booked for Conference attendees. All room rates include full breakfast buffet for delegates and partners.