2. INVITATION TO PRAGUE Czech National Committee of Geodesy and Geophysics together with the Institute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy Sciences and the agency CZECH-IN are proud of expressing their sincere invitation to host the XXVI General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics in Prague in 2015. Such a congress in the Czech Republic, if Prague is selected, will provide a unique opportunity for an international gathering of researchers working on diverse issues covering a whole range of the multi-disciplinary topics of all eight scientific associations of the IUGG.

3. INVITATION LETTER LOCAL ORGANISERS CONGRESS VENUE: PRAGUE CONGRESS CENTRE FINANCIALS ACCOMMODATION IN PRAGUE SOCIAL PROGRAMME WHY PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC? CONCLUSION CONTENT

4. LOCAL ORGANISERS Organizer: Institute of Geophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Official support by: Earth Science Institutions of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Geophysics, Prague (http://www.ig.cas.cz) http://www.ig.cas.cz Institute of Geology, Prague (http://www.gli.cas.cz)http://www.gli.cas.cz Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics, Prague (http://irsm.cas.cz)http://irsm.cas.cz Institute of Physics of the Atmosphere, Prague (http://ufa.cas.cz)http://ufa.cas.cz Institute of Geonics, Ostrava (http://ugn.cas.cz)http://ugn.cas.cz

5. PROPOSED VENUES

6. 1)THE PRAGUE CONGRESS CENTRE

7. PRAGUE CONGRESS CENTRE - ESSENTIALS Located within the City Centre Located on the Metro station Up to date AV and Technical Equipment In house catering company to be known as the best in the Czech Republic Historically connected with such events like NATO Summit, EU Presidency Spacious foyers to hold large exhibitions, unique view on the Old Prague Seat of CZECH-IN 30% discount on the rentals offered for IAG in Prague

8. LOCATION OF THE PRAGUE CONGRESS CENTRE

9. FORUM HALL PARTERRE Total capacity: 648 persons Area: 1077 m² Width: 35 m Length: 47 m Ceiling height: 19,4 m -- Connected to the parallel rooms and - exhibition area - Easy access from PCC main entrance

10. Selected area: Forum Hall Foyer 2nd floor Total area: 1 447m² Net area: 600 m² - Main Exhibition area of Forum part of PCC - Considered also as the catering area - Easy access from both Plenary room and breakout rooms - Natural daylight - Panoramic view on Prague FOYER - EXHIBITION AND POSTER AREA

11. PCC – 2. FLOOR Plenary session Parallel session Exhibition+Catering+ Posters+Registration Smaller meeting rooms

12. PCC – LOCATION & TRANSPORT Just two stops by the underground or 10- 15 minutes to walk from the downtown City center

13. 2) HOTEL DIPLOMAT

14. HOTEL DIPLOMAT - ESSENTIALS Located close both to the airport and City Centre Located on the Metro station 22 modern conference rooms with capacity up to 1000 person located on one conference floor Spacious foyer area used for exhibition Up to date AV and Technical Equipment, WiFi connection and quality catering 398 comfortable hotel rooms

15. PRAGUE A-D Total capacity: 400 persons Area: 383 m² Width: 13,7 m Length: 28,1m Ceiling height: 3 m -- Connected to the parallel rooms and - exhibition area

16. Selected area: Prague + Budapest Total area: 255 m² Width:5,2 m Length:49 m Ceiling height:3,6 m - Main Exhibition area of Prague part - Easy access from both Plenary room and breakout rooms - Natural daylight FOYER - EXHIBITION AND POSTER AREA

17. HOTEL DIPLOMAT – FLOOR PLAN Plenary session + Parallel sessions Exhibition+Catering+ Posters+Registration Smaller meeting rooms

18. HOTEL DIPLOMAT–LOCATION&TRANSPORT City center

19. FINANCIALS

20. INCOME STRUCTURE Registration : 120 000 EUR excl. VAT ( 310 EUR for regular member, special rates for other categories) Exhibition + Sponsorship: 16 660 EUR excl. VAT Potential support from the City of Prague: 5 000 EUR excl. VAT ( incentive cash back of 10 EUR per delegate ) CONCLUSION Financial structure of Prague IAG congress is profitable The registration fee stays on the level of the conference held in 2009 FINANCIALS

21. Registration fees (early bird) as proposed: Full registration310 EUR Student registration200 EUR Accompanying person150 EUR Gala dinner150 EUR REGISTRATION FEES

22. FINANCIALS

24. ACCOMMODATION

25. ACCOMMODATION IN PRAGUE The city now offers up to 100,000 beds in accommodation facilities, most of which were built after 1990, including more than 60,000 beds in hotels and boarding houses capable of satisfying all categories of visitors within 2 to 5* hotels. The prices varied between 20 to 200 EUR per person per night. More than 1500 rooms can be found within a short walking distance from the conference venue, many more are located close to one of the stations belonging to the underground Metro system. Student dormitory and small hotels are also located close to the Metro system.

26. HOTEL Category Hotel Capacity Distance from PCC PRICE for SGL EURO excl. VAT, incl. Breakfast Radisson SAS 5*2113 metro stops200,- Corinthia Towers 5*532Walking distance160,- Holiday Inn 4*251Walking distance140,- Corinthia Panorama 4*4501 metro stop140,- Yasmin 4*1982 metro stops150,- Beranek 3*801 metro stop60,- Otar 3*351 metro stop60,- Oya 3*351 metro stop60,- Ibis Old Town 3*2715 metro stops58,- Ibis Wenceslas Sq. 3*1811 metro stop58,- Chodov Dormitory 2*10006 metro stops, 1 bus stop15,- ACCOMMODATION PRICE OVERVIEW

27. HOTELS LOCATION

28. SOCIAL PROGRAMME

29. VENUES Municipal House Up to 1100 persons Žofín Palace Up to 700 persons O2 Arena Up to 2000 persons Industrial Palace Up to 1800 persons

30. TOURS Large variety of tours inside and outside of Prague Prague, Kutná Hora, Karlovy Vary, Český Krumlov, Karlstejn Castle and many others

31. WHY PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC?

32. Prague is located in the very centre of Europe, with easy access by all means of public transport. At present there are over 100 direct flights from 48 countries around the world. Travel time from most of the European cities is around 1.5 hours, the maximum travel time from e.g. Moscow or Lisbon is 2.5 hours. Prague is suitably connected to the national highway system further interconnected with road nets of all neighboring countries. The city forms the hub of the Czech railway system, with services to all parts of the Czech Republic and abroad. There is also a commuter rail system which serves the Prague metropolitan area. CZECH REPUBLIC – CONNECTION

33. PRAGUE – FLIGHT CONNECTIONS Flights durations FROM / TO PRAGUE Amsterdam705 km1h25 Brussels714 km1h25 Copenhagen643 km1h20 Frankfurt537 km1h10 Helsinki1307 km2h25 Lisbon2241 km3h15 London1035 km2h10 Montreal6197 km8h25 New York6567 km9h10 Oslo1117 km2h00 Paris882 km1h45 Zurich636 km1h35

34. Free circulation of scientists in the Czech Republic is guaranteed No visa for visitors from the EU countries Many non-EU Countries also need no visa : Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Columbia, Chile, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hongkong, Israel, Japan, South Africa, Korea, Costa Rica, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Salvador, San Marino, Singapore, Serbia, Montenegro, Brunei, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay, USA, Vatican, Venezuela Citizens from the rest of world need visa, but generally the procedure is quick and very simple. For more information visit web www.mzv.cz IMMIGRATION CONTROL

35. The Czech currency is called the Czech Crown (CZK). Exchange offices are located all around the city centre (exchange offices, banks, post offices). At present 1 Euro = 24.5 CZK, 1 USD = 18.5 CZK, 1 GPB = 28 CZK, 1 AUD = 18 CZK All types of credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) are generally accepted Many hotels and restaurants accept Euro as well. CURRENCY

36. Prague (Praha) - capital and the largest city in the Czech Republic, with about 1.3 million people Situated on the river Vltava in central Europe Political, cultural and economic centre of the state Home to a number of famous cultural attractions Since 1992 on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites One of the most popular tourist destinations; over 4 millions visitors annually - the 6th most visited in Europe ABOUT PRAGUE

37. Prague contains one of the world’s most pristine and varied collections of architecture, ranging from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Gothic and Neo-Classical. Hundreds of concert halls, galleries, cinemas and music clubs. Each year Prague hosts a number of famous international music festivals as well as hundreds of vernissages and fashion shows Prague can be enjoyed not only for its museums and cultural sites but also for famous Czech beer and hearty cuisine. ABOUT PRAGUE

38. Public transport infrastructure “Prague integrated traffic system” consists of an integrated (underground) transport system of Prague Metro (3 lines of 59 km in length and 57 stations in total), electric tram system, numerous bus lines, a funicular to Petrin Hill and five ferries. All services have a common ticketing system Taxi services operate from regulated taxi stands, and from independent drivers who make pick-ups on the street. PRAGUE – PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Prague hospitality program offers public transportation passes free of charge for all delegates during congress duration.

39. The Czech Republic is a safe destination with politically and economically stable environment Rich Cultural and Historical Heritage, UNESCO listed Ideal location and easy access - Situated in the very centre of Europe Congresses in Prague usually have higher attendance of 10 – 15 % High quality at competitive prices WHY PRAGUE

40. PRAGUE ON PICTURES

44. CONCLUSION

45. The Czech Republic has a strong knowledge-based economy  Our candidacy is supported by leading officials, stakeholders and potential sponsors The committed Team is in place with identified responsibilities Prague has a proven record of successfully organized large international events Prague selection will further stimulate - Cost effective, safe and centrally located destination - Positive public/institutional awareness - Participation from the Central & Eastern European Region CONCLUSION

46. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU TO PRAGUE IN 2013!