annual european congress of rheumatology

Preliminary Programme Call for papers

www.eular.org

Annual European Congress of RheumatologyMadrid, Spain, 12-15 June 2013

European League Against RheumatismAnnual European Congress of Rheumatology

Madrid - Spain- June

Congress and Exhibition Centre Madrid • Spain

www.ifema.es

Mission statementThe aim is to provide a forum of the highest stan-dard for scientific (both clinical and basic), educa-tional and social exchange between professionalsinvolved in rheumatology, liaising with patientorganisations, in order to achieve progress in theclinical care of patients with rheumatic diseases.

@ Photos are provided by the Madrid Convention Bureau

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Welcome Message

- Organising Committees

- Scientific Programme

Time Schedule

- Registration Information

- Abstract Information and Instructions for Presenters

Commercial Exhibition & Sponsorship

- General Information

- Facts about Madrid and Spain

Official Events

- Accommodation Information

- List of Hotels

- Maps

cover Dates to Remember

Table of

Contents

Welcome Message

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Dear Colleagues,

The next EULAR Annual European Congress of Rheumatology will take place from –June in Madrid, Spain. The annual EULAR congress is now a major event in thecalendar of world rheumatology. As have previous congresses during the last decade,Madrid will provide a unique event for the exchange of scientific and clinical infor-mation. It will be a platform to facilitate interactions between patients, medical doctors,scientists, health professionals, and professionals representing the pharmaceuticalindustry both from within Europe and from around the world. In addition, we will alsocontinue our initiative of closer cooperation with primary care physicians and professionals– a commitment we started in London in .

EULAR congresses have grown rapidly in terms of participation and quality of contribu-tions. This partly reflects the increased interest in arthritis and related musculoskeletaldiseases which is seen in most societies. The expansion also reflects the increasedavailability of information on the impact and burden of these diseases and the significantlyimproved potential for diagnosis and treatment. The integration of health professionalsand patient organisations within EULAR has proved to be a considerable stimulus for theseadvances. This integration will facilitate the implementation of recommendations formanagement/standards of care of musculoskeletal disorders in daily practice.

The EULAR Congress in Madrid will once again offer a wide range of topics includingclinical innovations, clinical translational and basic science. In addition, there will bemeetings organised by people with arthritis, by health professionals and by the healthcare industry. The central activity of the congress will be poster presentations and postertours with their highly interactive exchanges among participants. The Madrid event willfurther strengthen the reputation of the EULAR Congress as a highly innovative andinformative venue for clinical and translational researchers not only within the differentfacets of our discipline (e.g., pain, bone, mechanical and inflammatory disorders) but alsofor practising physicians who will find updated high-quality information on the manage-ment of diseases commonly seen in daily rheumatological practice.

The City of Madrid is a first-time venue for the EULAR Congress offering an ambiance ofastonishing architecture, galleries, museums, theatres and culinary pleasures underSouthern skies. Thus, Madrid will provide an excellent background for scientific andclinical exchanges, international collaborations and renewal of friendships. We will takegreat pleasure in welcoming medical doctors, patients, health professionals and represen-tatives of the pharmaceutical industry to EULAR , and hope that their stay in Madridwill be informative, educational and, last but not least, enjoyable.

MAXIME DOUGADOS President of EULAR

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Organising Committees

EULAR Executive Committee– President

Prof. Maxime Dougados, France– President-elect

Prof. Maurizio Cutolo, Italy– Past President

Prof. Paul Emery, United Kingdom

– Vice-President representing national PARE organisationsMr Neil Betteridge, United Kingdom

– Vice-President representing the Health Professionals in RheumatologyProf. Kare-Birger Hagen, Norway

– TreasurerProf. Gerd-Rüdiger Burmester, Germany

– General SecretaryProf. Nemanja Damjanov, Serbia

– Editor in Chief of the “Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases – The EULAR Journal”Prof. Tore K. Kvien, Norway

– Education OfficerProf. Hans Bijlsma, Netherlands

– Liaison to EMEUNETDr Peter Mandl, Hungary

– Liaison to the American College of Rheumatology ACRProf. Iain McInnes, United Kingdom

– * Liaison International OrganisationsProf. Josef S. Smolen, Austria

– * President UEMS Section of RheumatologyDr Deborah Bax, United Kingdom

– Executive DirectorMr Heinz Marchesi, Switzerland

EULAR Standing Committee ChairpersonsEx–officio members of the EULAR Executive Committee

– Investigative RheumatologyProf. Georg Schett, Germany

– Clinical AffairsDr Daniel Aletaha, Austria

– Education and TrainingProf. Dimitrios Boumpas, Greece

– Epidemiology and Health Services ResearchDr Loreto Carmona, Spain

– Musculoskeletal ImagingProf. Maria-Antonietta d’Agostino,France

– Paediatric RheumatologyProf. Johannes Roth, Germany

– PAREMs. Maria Batziou, Greece

– Health Professionals in RheumatologyDr Thea Vliet-Vlieland, Netherlands

* These functions are not includedin the Congress ProgrammeCommittee

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Organising Committees

Congress Programme CommitteeScientific, Health Professionals, PARE, Primary Care

–– The EULAR Executive CommitteeMembers (excluding functions marked with *)

– The EULAR Standing Committee

Chairpersons

– Prof. Chris Buckley, United Kingdom Chairperson of the Scientific Programme Committee

– Prof. Ulf Müller-Ladner, GermanyChairperson of the Abstract SelectionCommittee

– Dr Stefan Bergman, Sweden– Prof. Frank Buttgereit, Germany– Ms. Patricia Cornell, United Kingdom– Prof. Lesley Crofford, USA– Dr Jurgen Damen, Netherlands– Dr Oliver Distler, Switzerland– Prof. Elaine Hay, United Kingdom– M. Marios Kouloumas, Cyprus– Prof. Floris Lafeber, Netherlands– Dr Fernando León Vazquez, Spain– Prof. Rik Lories, Belgium– Prof. Ingrid Lundberg, Sweden– Mr David Magnusson, Sweden– Prof. Xavier Mariette, France– Prof. Alberto Martini, Italy– Prof. Dennis McGonagle, United Kingdom– Dr Ana Maria Nielsen Bentsen, Spain– Prof. James O’Dell, USA– Ms. Susan Oliver, United Kingdom– Prof. Mikkel Ostergaard, Denmark– Prof. Costatino Pitzalis, Greece– Prof. François Rannou, France– Prof. Deborah Symmons, United Kingdom– Dr René Toes, Netherlands– Prof. Désirée van der Heijde, Netherlands– Prof. Douglas Veale, Ireland– Dr Louise Warbuton, United Kingdom

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The scientific programme will open on Wednesday, June at : and will close on Saturday, June at :. The congress will cover the broad spectrum of the rheumaticdiseases and include state-of-the-art lectures, basic science andclinical symposia, abstract sessions, presentation and discussionof difficult cases, workshops and special interest group sessions.Abstracts can be submitted on the following topics (for instruc-tions, see “Abstract Information” in this programme on pages-). Sessions of the Health Professionals in Rheumatology, of EULARPARE (People with Arthritis/Rheumatism in Europe) and PrimaryCare will extend and complement the programme on all days.

Basic and Translational Research. Genomics, genetic basis of disease and HLA/T cell recognition. Adaptive immunity (T cells and B cells) in rheumatic diseases. Innate immunity in rheumatic diseases. Cytokines and inflammatory mediators. Cartilage, synovium and osteoimmunology. Rheumatoid arthritis - etiology, pathogenesis and animal

models. Spondyloarthritis - etiology, pathogenesis and animal models. SLE, Sjögren's and APS - etiology, pathogenesis and animal

models. Scleroderma, myosotis and related syndromes - etiology,

pathogenesis and animal models . Basic science in paediatric rheumatology

Clinical Topics by Disease. Rheumatoid arthritis - prognosis, predictors and outcome. Rheumatoid arthritis - comorbidity and clinical aspects. Rheumatoid arthritis - anti TNF therapy. Rheumatoid arthritis - other biologic treatment. Rheumatoid arthritis - non biologic treatment. SLE, Sjögren’s and APS - treatment

ScientificProgrammeOfficial language: English

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. SLE, Sjögren’s and APS - clinical aspects (other than treatment)

. Vasculitis. Scleroderma, myositis and related syndromes. Spondylarthropathies - treatment. Spondylarthropathies - clinical aspects

(other than treatment). Psoriatic arthritis. Osteoarthritis. Osteoporosis. Bone diseases other than osteoporosis, metabolic

diseases and crystal diseases. Infection-related rheumatic diseases. Fibromyalgia. Back pain, mechanical musculoskeletal problems,

local soft tissue disorders. Paediatric rheumatology. Other orphan diseases

Clinical Topics by Area of Research. Diagnostics and imaging procedures. Epidemiology, health services and outcome research. Rehabilitation. Education

Health Professionals in Rheumatology Abstracts

PARE / Patient Abstracts

Primary Care Abstracts

Time will be reserved for poster viewing on Thursday June,Friday June and Saturday June

The Scientific Programme will be published end of April on the EULAR Website: www.eular.org

Posters Viewing

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Wednesday, June : Exhibition opens: - : Satellite Symposia: - : Coffee Break : - : Plenary Session: - : Coffee Break : - : Scientific Sessions: Exhibition closes: - : Opening Plenary Session: - : Networking Platform

Thursday, June : - : Satellite Symposia: Exhibition opens: - : Coffee Break : - : Scientific Sessions : - : Poster Viewing and Lunch: - : Scientific Sessions: - : Coffee Break : - : Scientific Sessions: Exhibition closes: - : Satellite Symposia

Friday, June : - : Satellite Symposia: Exhibition opens: - : Coffee Break : - : Scientific Sessions : - : Poster Viewing and Lunch: - : Scientific Sessions: - : Coffee Break : - : Scientific Sessions: Exhibition closes: - : Satellite Symposia: EULAR Congress Dinner

Saturday, June : - : Scientific Sessions: Exhibition opens: - : Poster Viewing, Coffee Break : - : Scientific Sessions: - : Congress Highlights Sessions : Exhibition closes: Farewell Drink at the Feria de Madrid

TimeSchedule

PARE ProgrammeWednesday, June toSaturday, June

Health Professionals in RheumatologyProgrammeWednesday, June toSaturday, June

Primary Care ProgrammeThursday, June as of : to Friday, June

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Please visit www.eular.org in order to register.

All-inclusive registration fee

When attending the EULAR congress you will enjoy a scientificevent that is invaluable in itself. Enhancing this experience is aregistration fee that offers all of this, and even more, in oneunique package:• Free entrance to all scientific sessions• Free abstract submission• Free -month subscription to the leading journal "Annals of

the Rheumatic Diseases"• Free lunch on Thursday and Friday June • Free local transportation pass • Special fares from Star Alliance airlines• One year free access to recorded presentations

RegistrationInformation

Take additional advantage of the early registration fee and register before February !

Until As of AfterRegistration Fee January February June

& on site

Full Delegate EUR EUR EUR

Health ProfessionalEUR EUR EUR Delegate

PARE Delegate EUR EUR EUR

Primary Care EUR EUR EUR

Trainee EUR EUR EUR

Patient EUR EUR EUR

Registration fee includes % Spanish VAT

Medical or scientific professionals, clinicians, M.D's, PhD's Nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other nearby allied health professionals. A

letter of confirmation of your status from the Head of Unit or Institute must accompany the formalregistration form

Representatives of national PARE organisations

The trainee registration is available for "Clinicians in Training" and "Non Tenured Scientists" (scien-tists not being professor or associate professor) under years of age. A letter of confirmation ofyour status from the Head of Unit or Institute must accompany the formal registration form

A doctor's certificate must be submitted with the registration form

Primary Care registration from Thursday : to Friday :

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Participant's registration fee includes• Admission to the scientific sessions from Wednesday, June to Saturday, June

unless otherwise stated• Congress documents, including badge • Final programme • Access to all accepted abstracts for online and offline use• Access to the industry exhibition and posters • Opening plenary session and scientific networking platform on Wednesday, June

at the congress centre• Coffee breaks • Lunches on Thursday and Friday, June • Free transportation ticket on the Madrid public network, from Wednesday, June to

Saturday, June • -month free subscription to the EULAR journal "The Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases -

The EULAR Journal" ( issues), with the opportunity of renewing the subscription at aconcessionary rate thereafter or again, automatically, by attending the next congress,- June in Paris, France

• One year free access to recorded presentations

Group registrationsFor persons and more, please contact MCI at [email protected] for special conditions.

ConfirmationAn email / letter of receipt will be sent to you on completion of your registration. This lettermust be presented at the registration desk in order to receive the congress bag and badge.Changes and cancellation policiesCancellations and changes to your original registration (including excursions and congressdinner) must be made in writing to the MCI reservation department at the address belowbefore April . An administrative fee of EUR will be deducted from all refunds. Nofees will be refunded after this date.

EULAR c/o MCI SUISSE SA Rue de Lyon – CH Geneva – Switzerland Tel: + – Fax: + – Email: [email protected]

Registration Desk Opening Hours - IFEMA Feria de Madrid

Tuesday June : - :

Wednesday June : - :

Thursday June : - :

Friday June : - :

Saturday June : - :

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AbstractInformation

Please read this information carefully

. Abstracts must be submitted in one of the four different categories:a. Medical or Research Professional / Clinicianb. Health Professional / Practice and Researchc. PARE Member / Patientd. Primary Care

The categories are subdivided into topics (see pages -).The correct category and topic must be selected toensure correct scoring. The content of the abstract mustbe topic related.

. Please read all instructions in the abstract submissionsystem carefully before preparing your abstract.

. For standardisation, the acceptable length of the abstractis not more than characters and lines, authors’details and headers included. This also includes non-visible characters such as spaces and punctuation.

. The abstract should be structured into the followingsections:a. A title which clearly indicates the nature

of the investigationb. Backgroundc. Objectivesd. Methodse. Resultsf. Conclusionsg. References

. One graph/image can be included with the followingcriteria:Image width: min. pixels - max. pixelsImage height: min. pixels - max. pixelsImage quality: min. dpi - max. dpiImage file size: min. KB - max. KBAllowed file type: gif, jpg

Please note that insertion of graphs and images willsignificantly reduce the number of remaining allowedcharacters.

K IMPORTANT DATESSubmissions accepted from October

Submission deadline: January Midnight CET

Notifications to submitters: mid-April Online publica-tion of abstractsinformation: May

Abstracts received afterthe deadlineswill not beaccepted !


. Abstracts can be saved in “Draft” status to be re-edited andmodified until the submission deadline ( January ,midnight CET). Therefore, the submitter will be required tocreate a user account.

. Abstracts fulfilling all criteria can be saved in “Final submis-sion” status. Only abstracts in “Final submission” status willbe regarded as successfully submitted and considered forthe congress. Abstracts in “Final submission” status can bere-edited and modified until the submission deadline (January , midnight CET).

. An abstract can only be submitted if the “Rules andRegulations, including the EULAR embargo rules” on theonline abstract form are read and accepted

. Conflict of interest: It is the intent of EULAR to provide high-quality sessions focused on educational content that is freefrom commercial influence or bias. Thus the submittingauthor of an abstract is requested to declare any potentialconflicts of interest for all authors during the abstractssubmission.

. Abstracts accepted for the congress are subject to the“Abstract Embargo Rules” and the “Transfer of Copyright” aspublished on the EULAR website www.eular.org. With thesubmission of an abstract the authors agree to the embargorules and the transfer of copyright.

K TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

– The internet abstract submission system works best with Internet Explorer . or higher and Mozilla Firefox . or higher

– Cookies and JavaScript need to be enabled

K GENERALAbstracts can only be submitted online via the online abstract submission formthat can be found in the section “abstracts” on the official EULAR Congresswebsite: www.eular.org/eular

Abstracts sent by post or email will not be accepted. No exceptions will be made.

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. The Corresponding Author has the right to grant, and doesgrant, on behalf of all authors an exclusive licence on a world-wide basis to the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and EULAR topublish the abstract (if accepted) in any media and to exploitall subsidiary rights.

. Only abstracts that contain original data can be submitted.

. Abstracts should not be submitted if the following applies:

a. the abstract contains data that has been published or accepted for publication in a print or on-line journal

b. the abstract contains data that was presented at a scientificmeeting more than months earlier

. Abstracts containing data that has been presented or will bepresented at a different scientific meeting during a monthsperiod prior to EULAR can be submitted. This fact mustbe indicated on the submission form

. Abstracts having been submitted for publication or to a scien-tific meeting, but are pending acceptance, can be submittedwithout restrictions. However, once the abstract has beenaccepted by EULAR it is automatically subject to the EULARembargo rules.

. The reviewers will judge the abstracts according to the scien-tific or clinical value, relevance to EULAR, suitability of methodsto aims, conclusions confirmed by objective results, objectivityof statements, description of methods used, ethics, originalityof work, standard of English and overall impression.

. Please ensure that your abstract does not contain spelling,grammatical or scientific errors, as it will be reproducedexactly as submitted. No proofreading will be done.

. Accepted abstracts will be published either in the congressabstract book, a supplement to “The Annals of the RheumaticDiseases – The EULAR Journal”, or on USB keys which will bedistributed to participants together with the congress bag.Information on an accepted abstracts will also be availableon-line on the EULAR website, about one month prior to thecongress. Published abstracts will be available in the EULARAbstracts archives after the congress.

AbstractInformation


. The submission of an abstract constitutes a formal commit-ment by the presenting author to present the abstract (ifaccepted) orally or as a poster in the session and the timeassigned by the EULAR Scientific Committee. We thereforerecommend that submitters of abstracts register for thecongress simultaneously with abstract submission.

. Abstracts not adhering to these guidelines will be rejected. Ifyou do not agree with any of these rules, you should notsubmit an abstract. The final decision about acceptance of anabstract will be taken by the EULAR Scientific Committee.EULAR does not correspond on the acceptance/rejection ofan abstract.

. If you need to withdraw your abstract, a written statementreflecting the reasons for this decision must be sent to theEULAR Secretariat / or MCI not later than April .

Instructions for Abstract Presentations

– If an abstract is selected for oral presen-tation, the presenting author as specified atsubmission will be requested to present it inthe assigned session. Details will be communicated to the authorby mid-April .

– If an abstract is accepted as a poster pre-sentation, the presenting author will berequested to be available for discussionduring the corresponding poster viewingsession.

– Posters will be set up close to the exhibitionarea.

– The posters need to be printed in land-scape. The usable surface of the displaypanels measures cm (height) x cm(width); adhesive material will be provided.

Please use letters large enough to be read froma distance of . meters.


CommercialExhibition &Sponsorship

ExhibitionDuring the congress, EULAR will present an attractive exhibi-tion to all delegates. The abstract poster presentation area isembedded in the exhibition. Coffee, sandwiches and otherrefreshments will be available in the exhibition and posterarea. The exhibition will open officially on Wednesday June .

Exhibition hours will be as follows:


Thursday June : - :

Friday June : - :

Saturday June : - :

Satellite SymposiaA number of satellite symposia will be organised during EULAR at the following times:


Thursday June : - : and : - :

Friday June : - : and : - :

Satellite symposia are governed by EULAR guidelines. Symposiaare strictly prohibited during the official programme hours.Sponsorship of all symposia and special events must be approvedby EULAR.

The “Exhibitor & Sponsoring Manual”, the “EULAR Code ofPractice” and the “Abstract Embargo Rules“ are available on theEULAR website www.eular.org

For further information regarding the exhibition, satellitesymposia or other sponsored items, please contact:

EULAR c/o MCI SUISSE SARue de Lyon – CH- Geneva – SwitzerlandTel + – Fax + E-mail: [email protected]

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Congress Venue: Dates and Location

The Annual European Congress of Rheumatology EULAR willbe held at the

IFEMA – Feria de MadridAvenida del Partenòn – Madrid - SpainTel: + Website: www.ifema.es

The congress opens on Wednesday, June and closes onSaturday, June .

The EULAR congress Opening Plenary Session, followed by aNetworking Platform, will be held on the evening of Wednesday, June at the congress centre itself.

IFEMA is the Trade Fair Institution of Madrid with years of expe-rience in staging trade fairs in Spain. Sited at one of Madrid’sbusiest and modern business areas, three kilometres from Madrid-Barajas International Airport, the congress centre for EULAR is easy to reach. Transport links by road, rail, bus or undergroundallow access to the city centre in just minutes.

Taxi ranks, underground/light rail stations and bus stops are closeto the centre entrance. EULAR will offer a free transportation passincluded in the registration fee to all congress participants, whichwill be handed out on site at registration.

GeneralInformation


Scientific SecretariatEULAR SecretariatSeestrasse CH- Kilchberg/ZurichSwitzerlandTel + Fax + E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.eular.org

Organising Secretariat

Registration, abstract handling, exhibition and sponsorship, hotel reservations

EULAR c/o MCI SUISSE SARue de Lyon CH- Geneva Switzerland

Tel + Fax + E-mail: [email protected]: www.mci-group.com

Local Organising Agency

Transfers and company events

EULAR c/o MCI SpainMCI Barcelona Office

MCI Group Spain SAC. Tuset º C.P E - Barcelona, SpainTel + Fax+ E-mail: [email protected]: [email protected]

Website: www.mci-group.com/spain

GeneralInformation

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Italian Pharmaceutical CompaniesEULAR has chosen MCI Rome to collect - on behalf ofEULAR - all applications from Italian pharmaceutical compa-nies and file them with the appropriate Italian HealthMinistry officials. For further information, please contact:MCI RomeAttn. Mrs Maria Grazia Paolelli Via della Ferratella in Laterano Rome (Italy) Tel: + Fax: + Email: [email protected]

Certificate of AttendanceA certificate of attendance will be given with the congressbag to each participant. It can be used by the participant toclaim CME points in his/her own country.

CMEThe EULAR Congress will have CME approval for the offi-cial scientific programme. Exact number of points will beconfirmed on-site on the Certificate of Participation. Satellitesymposia are not CME approved unless the organisers havegained approval for the symposium from UEMS.

Congress Documents and BadgesCongress documents should be collected on-site at the regis-tration desk at the Feria de Madrid. Name badges must beworn visibly at all times during the congress and in the exhi-bition area.

Food and BeverageDuring official breaks, complimentary coffee and tea will beserved in the exhibition/poster area. Lunches on Thursdayand Friday are included in the registration fee. Restaurantsand sandwich bars will be available in the congress centre.

Official LanguageThe official congress language is English. No simultaneoustranslation is provided.

GeneralInformation

Private Events PolicyAll requests from companies/organisations to host privateevents during the congress must be submitted in writing tothe EULAR Secretariat in Zurich (Kilchberg) by March at the latest.

Services for the DisabledAll the rooms at the congress centre are fully accessible toparticipants with disabilities.

Smoking PolicySmoking in the congress centre is only permitted in desig-nated areas.

Transportation PassA free transport “Madrid Pass” will be given to each regis-tered participant at the congress when registering on site,available for the days of the congress. Madrid’s public transport system operates Bus and Metro.The main stop name is: “Campo de las Naciones” Station onthe Line . This line passes through the main hotel areas ofMadrid.


Travel to Madrid Madrid can be reached easily from all four corners of the globe.

By Plane:Madrid Barajas airport is located only minutes from the exhibi-tion complex, and just kilometres from the city centre, withwhich it is connected by Metro (Airport station T-, T- and T-).Now a top international airport, with a new fourth terminal airportstation T- guarantees daily connections from Feria de Madrid toall of Spain’s cities and to those throughout the world.

By Metro:Access to Feria de Madrid is possible from anywhere in the city bymeans of Campo de las Naciones station on Line , whose exit is atthe South Entrance of the complex. Line also connects the exhi-bition complexes with the different terminals of BarajasInternational Airport.By Bus:A wide bus network provides access to Feria de Madrid fromdifferent points in the city:Route -Mar de Cristal-Feria de Madrid-Bº Aeropuerto. Route -Avda. de América-Campo de las Naciones-Feria de Madrid.Route -Universidad Autónoma-Alcobendas-Canillejas-Feria deMadrid.By Taxi:With ranks at each entrance to the exhibition complex, more than, taxis are available to visitors to Feria de Madrid.By Car:Feria de Madrid is linked by road to Madrid’s major access routesand ring roads: the M (Exits and ), the M (Exits , and )and the A (Exit ). The South, North and East Entrances to theexhibition complex provide direct access to the various parkingareas.

VisasSpain is part of the European Union. Many visitors can enter EUcountries without a visa. Congress delegates who require a visa canobtain one without problem from the Spanish Embassy in theirhome country.

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GeneralInformation


Facts about Spain Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain is a sovereign stateand a member of the European Union located in south-western Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland isbordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Seaexcept for a small land boundary with the British OverseasTerritory of Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, andthe Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by theAtlantic Ocean and Portugal. Because of its location, the territory of Spain was subject tomany external influences since prehistoric times andthrough to its dawn as a country. Spain emerged as a unifiedcountry in the th century, following the marriage of theCatholic Monarchs and the completion of the Reconquest, orReconquista, of the Iberian peninsula in . Conversely, ithas been an important source of influence to other regions,chiefly during the modern era, when it became a globalempire that has left a legacy of over million Spanishspeakers today, making it the world's second-most spokenfirst language.

Facts about Madridand Spain

Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a parliamentarygovernment under a constitutional monarchy. It is a member of theUnited Nations, European Union, NATO, OECD, and WTO.

Facts about MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of thecity is roughly . million and the entire population of the Madridmetropolitan area comes close to . million. It is the third largestcity in the European Union, after London and Berlin. The city islocated on the Manzanares river. As the capital city of Spain, seat ofgovernment, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is alsothe political centre of Spain. Madrid’s attractions for the visitor are many: astonishing artgalleries, relentless nightlife, its transformation into Spain’s premierstyle city, an exceptional live music scene, a feast of restaurants andtapas bars, and a population that has mastered the art of living thegood life. Very few Madrileños come from here originally, a factthat possibly makes the city Europe’s most open and welcomingcapital. ‘If you’re in Madrid, you’re from Madrid’ is an often-heardphrase that sums up the city’s way of life.

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BanksThe most current foreign currencies (in cash or traveller checks)can be exchanged at most hotel cashier stations, and of courseat any available bank. Banking hours vary according to the bankused but the most common are:

Monday - Friday : – :Saturday : – :Sunday closed

ClimateSpring is one of the most pleasant times of the year to visitMadrid. The long days are generally warm and the nights cool.Large numbers of young people take to the streets for the all-night ‘marcha’ and all the outdoor cafes open up. Suitableclothing: You will have to allow for a range of temperature. It isvery unlikely to get very cold, but it can get quite chilly at night,particularly if you go outside the center. At mid-day the temper-ature can easily rise to short sleeve temperatures. Rain gear isrecommended, as is a jacket to break the wind.

CurrencyThe Spanish currency is the Euro ( Euro = cents).

ShoppingDepartment stores and most shops are open from:Monday - Friday :/: am – : pmSaturday : am - : pmSunday some shopping centres are open

Visitors from outside the European Union are able to reclaim theVAT on goods purchased, either at the airport or at the border.Refund application forms are taken care of on departure day.Look for the tax-free sign in shops and please remember to askfor the VAT reclaim form at the time of the purchase.

Credit CardsMajor Credit Cards (Visa, American Express, Eurocard/Master-card, Diners Club) are accepted in most hotels, restaurantsand shops.


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Insurance and liabilityIt is recommended that participants obtain adequate cover for travel, healthand accident insurance before they depart from their countries. EULAR andMCI as organisers cannot accept responsibility for personal injuries, or loss of,or damage to, private property belonging to the congress participants.

ElectricityThe standard voltage in Spain is volts. Most hotels provide -vlt outletsfor shavers.

TaxiMadrid’s taxis are one way of getting around in the city, although the meterticks away alarmingly when you are stuck in the rush hour traffic. You canshare the front seat with the driver if you wish. There is an initial charge ofEUR . when starting the journey. After that, the charge is depending on thedistance, with a slightly higher rate per kilometre if leaving the city limits. Givethe driver a rounded up sum in payment. A few taxis accept cards, but this isthe exception rather than the rule. It is advisable to always have enough cashhandy.

TelephonesFor calls to Spain, use the international code +. The regional code forMadrid is . Calls from Spain follow international standard dialling rules.

TimeSpain follows Central European Time (CET) which is GMT + hour in winterand GMT + in summer.


TippingYou are not expected to tip on top of restaurant service charges but youcan leave a little extra if you feel service warrants it. If there is noservice charge, the customer should consider leaving a % tip, but thisis not obligatory. Tipping taxi drivers is not common practice, but youare expected to tip the porter at top-end hotels.

VisasYou do NOT need a visa for Spain for business, personal visits or tourismif you are:• a citizen of an EU country• a citizen of Norway, Switzerland, Iceland• from a country listed on the Foreign Ministry list• not staying more than daysIn this case, a passport or ID Card valid for the duration of your stay issufficient. For more detailed information, please visit:http://www.theschengenoffice.com/spain_need_visa.html

If you should need a visa, please apply early enough to allow sufficienthandling time to the authorities. You may ask the EULAR OrganisingSecretariat for an official letter of invitation (proof of registration required).


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Opening Plenary Session and Networking PlatformWednesday, June – :-:The Networking Platform will be held after the Opening PlenarySession at the IFEMA Feria de Madrid. All participants are cordially invited.

EULAR Congress DinnerFriday, June – :-: Price: EUR per person (not included in the registration fee)The EULAR Congress Dinner will be hosted at the Palacio delNegralejo. The Congress Dinner is a great opportunity to see and experience a histo-rically building while enjoying a relaxed dinner and entertainment withcolleagues from around the world. In , on the ruins of a castle named“Negrales”, a family from Madrid’s nobility built their country palace. Lateron, well into the th Century, the Marquis of Villamejor founded hisfamous stables, the renowned “Figueroa” stud. In the ownersdecided to turn this fabulous complex into a venue for events and func-tions, keeping the original style but introducing all the modern function-ality required for events. Such was the determination and perfectionismput into the restoration that Palacio del Negralejo can today be consideredan ethnological museum where one can find countless antique farmimplements, household and decorative items.Join this evening and taste the Spanish flavour of the place!

Official Events


AccommodationInformation

MCI has reserved a large number of hotel rooms invarious hotels in different price categories. The majorityof hotels are located in the city centre but also in thesurroundings of the IFEMA Feria de Madrid. Madrid attracts many tourists. Hotel reservations will bemade on a first come, first served basis.Please book before April in order to guaranteeyour booking.

EnquiriesPlease address all enquiries, requests for additionalinformation and changes or cancellations of room reser-vations directly to MCI.

EULAR c/o MCI SUISSE SARue de Lyon CH- Geneva Switzerland

Tel + Fax + Email: [email protected]

Reservation and Payments For hotel booking, a deposit payment for the first nightis required with your reservation. Your booking will beconfirmed upon receipt of your deposit payment. Thisprepaid deposit will be deducted from your hotel billwhen checking out from the hotel. Additional expensessuch as mini-bar and telephone must be paid directly tothe hotel when checking out.

Group Reservations Special rules and regulations apply for group reserva-tions. Please contact MCI for further information.

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Change and Cancellation of Hotel BookingAll changes to hotel reservations will be handled by MCI.Please do not contact the hotel directly. A handling fee ofEUR per hotel room will be charged for every hotel modi-fication received after April .All cancellations must be sent to MCI in writing (fax, letter, ore-mail). For cancellations received before April deposits will be refunded less EUR for administrativecosts. After this date, no refund will be possible.In case of late cancellations (after April ), roomscancelled, cancelled nights or no-show, we reserve the rightto charge the full stay if the hotel room can not be re-sold.

Check-in/Check-out TimeHotel check-in time is : or later. If arriving after :,please notify MCI in advance. Check-out time is :.

Methods of PaymentPayment of registration, hotel deposit and excursions mustaccompany the form and may be made by:

• Credit card: EuroCard/MasterCard, Visa, American Express

• Bank transfer to the following account:MCI Suisse SA - EULAR UBS SA - CP - CH Geneva SwitzerlandAccount n° -..LClearing – Swift UBSWCHZHAIBAN CH L

Mention: EULAR and participant’s nameAll costs are to be borne by the ordering customer

• Payment by personal cheques cannot be accepted

• All payments have to be made in Euro (EUR).


List of Hotels in Madrid All rates are in EUROS

5 Palace AC Palacio del Retiro 347 378 City Center Retiro 1

5 Palace AC Santo Mauro 398 434 City Center Alonso Martinez / Ruben Dario 2

5 Palace Gran Melia Fénix 327 347 City Center Colon 60

5 Hilton Madrid Airport 220 250 Airport El Capricho 61

5 Intercontinental Madrid 322 322 City Center Gregorio Marañon 62

5 Melia Princesa 230 245 City Center Ventura Rodriguez 76

5 Sheraton Madrid Mirasierra 181 197 City Center Herrera Oria 63

5 NH Hesperia Madrid 306 327 City Center Gregorio Marañon 88

5 NH Palacio de Tepa 296 315 City Center Anton Martin 65

5 Occidental Miguel Angel 240 240 City Center Gregorio Maranon 66

5 Silken Puerta America 245 266 City Center Cartagena 68

5 The Westin Palace Madrid 312 312 City Center Anton Martin or Banco de Espana 69

5 Wellington Hotel 215 215 City Center Retiro 70

4 Sup Mercure Madrid Plaza de Espana 177 187 City Center Ventura Rodriguez 3

4 Sup Pullman Madrid Airport & Feria 177 187 Congress Center Campo de las Naciones 67

4 AC Aitana 261 276 City Center Bernabeu 4

4 AC Aravaca 133 148 City Center No metro station nor public transportation around 5

4 AC Atocha 184 204 City Center Atocha 47

4 AC Carlton Madrid 179 199 City Center Atocha / Palos de la Frontera 6

4 AC Coslada Aeropuerto 133 148 City Center San Fernando Henares 7

4 AC Cuzco 276 291 City Center Cuzco 8

4 AC Los Vascos 169 189 City Center Quatro Caminos 9

4 AC Madrid Feria 194 210 Congress Center Sant Lorenzo 10

4 AC Recoletos 220 220 City Center Recoletos 11

4 Auditorium Madrid 159 174 Airport San Fernando Henares 12

4 Axor Barajas 164 174 Close to CC El Capricho 13

4 Barcelo Castellana Norte 164 184 City Center Virgen del Cortijo 14

4 Barcelo Torre Arias 164 184 City Center Juan Camarillo 15

4 Celuisma Florida Norte 123 143 City Center Paseo de la Florida 16

4 Confortel Alcala Norte 189 215 City Center Suanzes 17

4 Confortel Atrium 215 230 City Center Emilio Vargas 18

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4 Confortel Pio XII 189 215 City Center Duque de Pastrana 19

4 Confortel Suites Madrid 189 215 City Center Alfonso XIII 20

4 Crowne Plaza Madrid Airport 179 199 Airport Campo de las Naciones 71

4 Emperador 194 215 City Center Santo Domingo 21

4 Grand Hotel Husa Princesa 194 194 City Center Argüelles 22

4 H10 Villa de la Reina 169 189 City Center Gran Via 23

4 Husa Mirador de Chamartin 153 153 North of city Pinar de Chamartin 24

4 Husa Nuevo Boston 153 164 Airport Alameda de Osuna 25

4 Husa Nuevo Madrid 153 169 City Center Manoteras 26

4 Husa Paseo Del Arte 184 184 City Center Atocha 27

4 Husa Serrano Royal 164 174 City Center Ruben Dario 28

4 Lope de Vega 174 184 City Center Anton Martin 29

4 Melia Avenida America 217 235 Close to CC Suanzes 72

4 Melia Barajas 184 194 Airport Barajas 73

4 Melia Castilla 194 210 North of city Cuzco 74

4 Melia Galgos 179 189 City Center Ruben Dario 75

4 NH Abascal 184 204 City Center Gregorio Maranon 30

4 NH Alcala 184 204 City Center Principe de Vergara 31

4 NH Eurobuilding 204 225 City Center Cuzco 32

4 NH La Habana 184 204 City Center Colombia 33

4 NH Las Tablas 164 184 North of city Maria tudor 34

4 NH Nacional 184 204 City Center Atocha 35

4 NH Parque Avenidas 184 204 City Center Parque de Las Avenidas 36

4 NH Paseo del Prado 194 215 City Center Banco de Espana 37

4 NH Principe de Vergara 204 225 City Center Avenida de America 38

4 NH Sanvy 184 204 City Center Serrano 39

4 Novotel Madrid Campo 177 187 Congress Center Barajas 40de las Naciones

4 Novotel Madrid Puente de la Paz 162 188 City Center Barrio de la Concepcion / Parque de las Avenidas 41

4 Rafael Atocha 164 174 City Center Palos de la Frontera 42

4 Rafael Madrid Norte 164 174 City Center No metro station nor public transportation around 43

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4 Rafael Orense 164 174 City Center Santiago Bernabeu 44

4 Rafael Ventas 143 153 City Center El Carmen 45

4 Tryp Alameda Aeropuerto 174 184 Airport Barajas 77

4 Tryp Alcala 611 164 174 Close to CC Canillejas 78

4 Tryp Ambassador 184 194 City Center Opera 79

4 Tryp Atocha 184 194 City Center Anton Martin 80

4 Tryp Cibeles 184 194 City Center Callao 81

4 Tryp Diana 164 174 Airport Alameda de Osuna 82

4 Tryp Menfis 184 194 City Center Coliseum 83

4 Velada Madrid 164 179 Close to CC Ciudad Lineal 46

3 AC Avenida de America 169 189 City Center Avenida de America / Campos de Las Naciones 48

3 All Seasons Madrid Prado 159 169 City Center Anton Martin 49

3 Axor Feria 123 133 Close to CC El Capricho 13

3 Husa Chamartin 113 123 City Center Chamartin 50

3 Ibis Madrid Aeropuerto Barajas 78 84 Airport Barajas 51

3 Ibis Madrid C/Valentin Beato 78 84 Close to CC Suanzes 52

3 NH Alberto Aguilera 164 184 City Center San Bernardo 53

3 NH Balboa 164 184 City Center Avenida de America 54

3 NH Barajas 164 184 Congress Center El Capricho 55

3 NH Embajada 153 174 City Center Alonso Martinez 56

3 NH Lagasca 184 204 City Center Serrano 57

3 NH Zurbano 164 184 City Center Gregorio Maranon 58

3 Tryp Chamberi (former Alondras) 153 164 City Center Alonso Cano 84

3 Tryp Madrid Chamartín 153 164 North of city Estacion de Chamartin 85(former Centro Norte)

3 Tryp Gran Via 164 174 City Center Gran Via 86

3 Tryp Washington 164 174 City Center Plaza de Espana 87

3 Holiday Inn Madrid Piramides 118 128 City Center Piramides 59(former Rafael Piramides)

Rates apply for standard room; other room types like deluxe room, junior suite, suite, etc. are available upon request.All rates are in EUR per room, per night, and include Breakfast,City Tax and VAT at 8% at the time of printing (April 2012).VAT may increase without notice and any such change will be reflected in final rates.

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N O T E S

Opening of abstractsubmission

October at

www.eular.org/eular

Deadline for abstractsubmission

January

Early registration deadline January

No refund for cancellation of hotel room after April

No refund for cancellation of registration after April

eular 2014Paris, France

- June

EULAR website: www.eular.org

Dateto remember

Annual European

Congress ofRheumatology