Arrival information
The expected arrival day is Sunday 12th of June, the departure day is Thursday 16th of June: note that no scientific activities are planned during these two days. We will have a social gathering and the first dinner of the conference together on Sunday evening.
The free transfers (included in the registration fee) operate only from Palermo Airport to the venue (and vice versa) on the official days of arrival and departure. Therefore, we strongly recommend (if at all possible) that you pick Palermo airport as the place of arrival/departure of your flight, and a time that allows you to take part in the first dinner on Sunday — factoring in that there is a ~1h 30’ drive from the airport. One of the organisers will welcome you at Palermo airport (arrivals hall - further information will be shared closer to the arrival date). A van/coach will then transfer you to Erice and another organiser will be there to assist you with checking-in at local hotels and with the conference registration. Please note that the road(s) leading up to Erice all share a stunning view, but also a number of hairpin bends that may affect people suffering from car sickness.
A light arrival buffet and refreshments will be served throughout the arrival day (Sunday) at Hotel Villa San Giovanni.
Please avoid if possible flights landing after 6pm on Sunday 12th and avoid departing before 10 am on Thursday 16th - as this would create additional organizational complexities.
Guided tour to Segesta archaeological park
On Tuesday 14th June, we organised a conference guided tour to the Doric Temple and the Theatre of Segesta (see here and here) - one of the local wonders - completely free of charge (included in the conference fee). We will provide a packed lunch to be consumed at the entrance of the archaeological area, followed by a 2-hours guided tour.
Peer review from the editor’s perspective: A hands-on tutorial
We are very proud to announce that Dr Serena Bradde, a Physical Review editor, will join us in Erice and lead a group-work activity (primarily aimed at early-career researchers) on the evening of Tuesday 14th. During her tutorial, she will give us an inside look at how scientific publishing works and what editors are looking for from referees.
Presentations & Posters
We will aim to collect all presentations of each day, preferably in pdf format, the evening before to load them on the workstation. We have two dedicated 'physical' poster sessions (on Monday and Wednesday). The posters will however remain on display inside the conference venue throughout Monday (first session) and Wednesday (second session) to be freely accessed by all participants even outside the designated times.
There are no poster printing facilities available on site, so please remember to come with your poster printed in advance.
Online posters will be organised in a virtual venue on GatherTown and made available for the entire duration of the event to all participants. An online poster session will take place on Monday, and we will soon provide further information and the links to connect.
Travel to and stay in Erice
If you are arriving directly in Erice on your own, the meetup point will be at Hotel Villa San Giovanni, Viale Nunzio Nasi 12, 91016 Erice. If you are coming by car, there is a free parking space that you can use right next to the entrance of Hotel Villa San Giovanni.
- Other ways to reach Erice and travel around Sicily
- Cableway Trapani - Erice Cableway connecting Trapani with Erice.
- AST coaches connecting Erice and Trapani (or other towns in Sicily) - tickets can be bought directly onboard.
- Prestia e Comande' coaches connecting Palermo downtown with Palermo airport.
- Please note that, in general, travelling by coach is more reliable and efficient than travelling by train.
- Weather: Please note that Erice - due to its geographic position on the top of a 750m a.s.l. hill - has a rather peculiar micro-climate, so we highly recommend that you also bring along a few warmer pieces of clothes (like jumpers/jackets/K-ways etc.) for the windier and chillier days. Also, please consider bringing suitable footwear for Erice's frequent climb-ups and streets paved with very slippery cobblestone. For the (hopefully many) sunny days as well as for the trip to Segesta, we do recommend wearing a hat, sunglasses, and protective sunscreen.
- Hotels: most of the participants will be hosted at the main conference venue (Hotel Villa San Giovanni). We will use, however, four more hotels (at max 10 minutes walking distance from the main conference venue) to be able to accommodate all our participants.
- Restaurants: the main lunch will be served every day at Hotel Villa San Giovanni (except on Tuesday when we will be heading to Segesta straight after the last morning talk). In the evening, smaller groups of participants will have dinner at amazing local restaurants located within 10 minutes maximum walking distance from the main conference venue (e.g. La Pentolaccia, Osteria di Venere, etc.). Alcoholic beverages will not be included in the evening meal deals and should be purchased directly at the restaurant. The conference dinner will be held on Sunday 12th at 20.30 at Hotel Moderno's restaurant.
- Cash machines: although most places in Erice do accept credit/debit card payments, some do not, therefore we recommend carrying around a limited amount of cash at all times. There are only two Euro cash machines in town, which may attract longer queues during the summer season.
We look forward to welcoming you in Erice and please do not hesitate to contact us should you need further assistance.
Past important dates
- 5th of January: Pre-registration and poster/oral contributions submissions are open.
- 7th of February: Pre-registration and poster/oral contributions submissions are closed.
- 23rd of February: Selection of contributed talks and posters.
- Deadline for the payment of the fees: check your invitation email for deadline and instructions
Registration Fees
MECO47 will be held in a hybrid format. This means that you can attend the conference in two different ways, either online or in person. The conference fees to attend the event in person amount to 600€. The fees include accommodation and meals, plus the shuttle connecting the venue to Palermo airport on the 12th of June (arrival date) and on the 16th (departure date). Further information can be found in the "Venue" section of the website.
The conference fees to attend the event online amount to 30€.
Fees are not refundable, except in case of cancellation of the event due to force majeure.
