The 10th ICAM will be organized at the renowned Radisson Blu Royal Garden Hotel. Originally built in 1984, it has received several prizes for its architecture and design. The hotel has 289 standard and business class rooms plus an additional 9 suites up to 140sqm/1500sqft. Access to smoking rooms is limited.
All rooms have been fully upgraded from 2007-2010 and come with a number of in-room amenities to make your stay comfortable. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool with fitness room and Jacuzzi. There is limited access to indoor parking, but alternative facilities are nearby.
Free high-speed wireless internet access is available during the congress, and around the clock for delegates staying at the venue. Further information is available at the hotel’s website www.radissonblu.com/hotel-trondheim
Alternative accommodation
Options for alternative accommodation will be specified in the second circular.
History and culture
Trondheim, founded in the year 997 by King Olav Tryggvason, holds a special place in Norwegian history and culture. It was the first capital of Norway, and still is the city where new kings are crowned. Situated by the Trondheim fjord, it is surrounded by lovely forested hills, with the Nidelva river winding through the town. It has been and still is a popular pilgrimage site, an ecclesiastical centre, a regional capital and a centre for commerce and administration.
Small town – big city
Today Trondheim is a modern city, a centre of knowledge with a highly respected university, several popular colleges and a diverse research community ranking among the best in Europe. A wide variety of cultural and recreational activities are found in Trondheim. Here you can experience both the charm and intimacy of a small town intertwined with the plethora of choices of big-city life. www.trondheim.com
Weather and climate
Trondheim weather is typically fine and sunny in July and August. However, as the Arctic Circle is only 400km/250mi up North, weather can be ‘surprisingly different’ from what the term ‘temperate climate’ in travel guides suggests. Normal precipitation amounts to 71mm in August. Temperatures in Trondheim for mid-July to mid-August 2009 are plotted in the graph below. Check the weather forecast at www.yr.no/place/Norway/Sør-Trøndelag/Trondheim/Trondheim/long.html and do bring appropriate clothing
source: www.wunderground.com
Geography
Norway is the tallest country in NW Europe, stretching almost 1 750km (=1 100mi) in a straight line from Lindesnes in the south to the North Cape in the north. Over the road staying within country borders, a one way trip Lindesnes-Nordkapp covers well over 2 600km. Width W‑E ranges from 432km to just over 6km at Hellemofjord. The country shares 2 562km of international borders with Sweden, Finland and Russia.
The Norwegian mainland has an enveloping coastline that runs for 2 532km. However, if fjords and bays are included, the total coastline is an amazing 25 148km, with an additional 58 133km if counting islands and skerries as well (overall length: 83 281km, or 51 749mi). The tallest fjord is the Sognefjord at 204km length, and the Geirangerfjord has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Additional information on Norwegian geography and nature can be found at www.visitnorway.com, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway, and many other online locations.
Demography
Norway has a population of about 4.8 million and its mainland covers an area of 304 280km2. Thus, average population density amounts to ~16 capita per square kilometer. However, most of its population is concentrated around Oslo and suburbs Drammen and Bærum (~1.5M), the cities of Bergen (0.5M), Trondheim (0.4M), Stavanger (0.3M), and along the coastline in general. Consequently, the inland of the county of Finnmark up in the north (about the same size as entire Denmark) is mostly empty, with an actual population density close ~0.2 per square kilometer.
The local currency is the Norwegian Kroner (monetary acronym NOK), at current exchange rates approximately 8:1 to the Euro (EUR) and 6:1 to the US dollar (USD). Check for instance www.oanda.com for current rates.