2007 Annual Conference
17 to 20 May 2007 in Torino, Italy

During the conference, attendees discussed the future of EPDA during the Disributor-Manufacturer Relations Meeting. Read their notes here.

See photos from the conference!

Download a PDF of Michael Moeller's keynote handout. Click here to visit Beratergruppe Neuwaldegg, Michael Moeller's company web site.

2008 Annual Conference
15 to 18 May 2008, Istanbul, Turkey

Meet where the continents meet! Istanbul is a huge metropolis connecting continents, cultures and religions. It is home to 11 million people and is one of the greatest business and cultural centers in the region.

Over the course of millennia, Istanbul was the seat of three great empires – Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman – and a meeting place of people of many religions and cultures who came together and learned to live in peace and harmony.

Ultra-modern amenities, the splendors of the Ottoman past and the honored traditions of Turkish hospitality combine to make Istanbul a distinct ciity, one that will impress treasured and lasting memories.

Istanbul will reward you with the comforts of home while offering sights, sounds and smells that carry you swiftly to another culture and another time.

For more information, go to http://english.istanbul.com.

Travel Information
Istanbul is OEZ, East European Time, one hour later than MEZ, Middle European Time. It is approximately a 2,5 hour flight from Frankfurt, Germany.

The Atatürkairport is 24 km west of the centre of Istanbul. Transportation from the airport to the hotel is easiest done by taxi. Look for the yellow color and the sign for Taksi. They are the fastest way to move through Istanbul and are not expensive. You may also take the the shuttle bus to Taksim Place, the centre of the business quarter Taksim. The bus runs every half hour from 7:00 until 23:30. There are also the options of the new Hafif Metro, which takes 32 minutes from the airport Atatürk to the Centre, or the Dolmus (group taxi), which are cheap and have fixed routes. Dolmus start when they are completely full and make frequent stops. Purchase your ticket from the driver.

Europeans need an identity card or passport to enter Turkey. People from the United States and Russia need a visa, but it can be obtained in a few minutes at the airport upon arrival. It costs 15 Euro. People from Israel do not need visa.

The mains voltage is 220 Volt alternating current.

Currency
TRY,  New Turkish Lira, is the currency.

As of 15 August 2007, the rate of exchange is:

Attendees are encouraged to exchange their money in Turkey to get a better price. There is a currency exchange at the Atatürk airport .

Cultural Considerations
When visiting a mosque, women are asked to keep shoulders and knees covered. 

2009 Annual Conference
Samara, Russia

The 2008 conference will be held in Istanbul, Turkey. The 2009 conference will be held in Samara, Russia. Lada-List has provided the following information on the area.

Samara was founded in the 16th century as a fortress on the border of the Russian empire. In the 19th century, Czarina Katharina II invited foreigners to immigrate to Russia, and many Germans accepted her invitation. During World War II, the city (formerly Kujbyschew) was the temporary seat of the government. As a closed city, Samara enjoyed a special position in the aviation and space technology industries during and after the war.

Today, more than 3.3 million people call the area around Samara home, and the city has developed into one of the most important industrial areas of the country.

Among the city’s attractions are Stalin’s bunker, a World War II bunker built to house military operations in the event that Moscow was taken; theaters for opera, ballet and drama; museums of history, art and literature, the beach along the Volga River and the Schuguli hills with Samarskaja Luka national park.

Lufthansa and Czech Airlines offer direct flights from Frankfurt and Prague, respectively.

More information on the city is available online at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samara%2C_Russia.