DE FACTO Kick-off Meeting, Sofia, 15-16 October 2018
Agenda
The meeting agenda has now been agreed and is available for download here:
Meeting venue
The meeting venue is at 52, Hristo Botev Blvd, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria. This is the address of the Central Hotel Sofia, with which we also have negotiated special rates for you. For those colleagues who choose to follow our recommendation, this meeting will be very convenient as they wil not have to move around the city to get to to meeting venue and then back.
Attendance
NTCenter and the Adam Smith College of Management are expecting to host colleagues coming from:
Andragoski zavod Ljudska univerza Velenje, Slovenia, Euroface Consulting, Czech Republic, The Learning Machine, United Kingdom, New Service, Italy, Artevelde University College, Belgium, Akademia Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna w Lodzi, Poland
Contacts while in Sofia
Andy Stoycheff: +359 888680408, or FB messenger, or Viber, or WhatsApp
Geri Pencheva: +359897933175, or Viber
Teddy Dimitrova & Chavdar Chavdarov will all be happy to meet you at the venue or provide assistance with getting there. Any queries up to the start of the meeting regarding logistics - please write to [email protected]
Your hotel
We have negotiated special rates with Central Hotel Sofia, located at 52, Hristo Botev Blvd, Sofia 1000. If you wish to use this accommodation, kindly get in touch with NTCenter who will assist you with the booking.
Local money and exchange rate
The local currency (BGN) is called lev (plural: leva). It has a fixed exchange rate to the EUR of 1.95583 BGN for 1 EUR. This makes life easier, as you can simply divide the local prices by two and get the value in EUR. Banks do have slight variations in their rates, as the fixed one is for the Central Bank, but they are insignificant, really.
You can use any bank or ATM to get local currency. If you use a change bureau, make sure you read carefully the exchange rate displayed and the conditions. DO AVOID the exchange bureau at the airport's arrivals luggage hall. All major credit/debit cards are accepted in almost all stores/restaurants. Some restaurants would also accept cash payments in EUR, but do inquire first.
Taxis in Sofia
Taxis are an inexpensive way of getting around in the city, though be prepared for some heavy traffic, espcially during rush hours. The cost per km is typically 0.80 – 0.90 leva (0.40 – 0.45 EUR). As an example, the ride from the airport to the hotel is about 12 km and takes anywhere between 18 mins to 30 mins depending on traffic.
It is best to preorder taxis, as there are still a very few circling around the streets which would try tricks in displaying the per km cost and rip customers. All taxis are yellow, easily recognisable in the traffic or at stands, and are equipped with electronic meters which print out receipts with ride info and price. Ask hotel reception for assistance, if in doubt.
Public transportation
Public transport is quite efficient. One ride on any type (metro, tram, trolley, bus) costs 1.60 lev (0.80 EUR). You can buy tickets from a machine using coins in the vehicle, from the driver, or at numerous ticket points. Metro tickets are only bought at machines or cashier desks at stations and must be validated at gates no more than 30 mins from the purchase time (do not stack up on tickets, makes no sense). You can also get an e-pass with multiple rides loaded on it, but your location is very central and we don’t expect you to need to use public transport at all.
For directions using public transport grid and schedules in Sofia, Google Maps is a very accurate tool. Additionally, all stops are equipped with displays showing the next line and arrival time.
If in doubt, consult with your NTCenter's hosts, they'll be happy to step in and help.