Dear Everybody,

this is a short update with essential news about the scientific part of SPT2007. See also the notes about practilaties at the end of the message.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

1.

As you have probably noted, the list of communications and their  abstracts are now available on our website. Please note that:

(a) The abstract booklet will soon go to press; if something should be changed in your entry please let us know as soon as possible. 

(b) Some of you mentioned in their registration they would probably like to give a talk but did not give a title (these appear as "to be announced" in our list). As we are now in the process of preparing the program, those in this situation are kindly required to send in a title by 10 May (which makes a substantial delay with respect to the deadline of 31 March); if you do not actually intend to give a talk, it suffices you do not send in any communication, and conversely if we hear nothing by 10 may midnight we assume you do not intend to present a communication.

2.

(a) Due to the unexpectedly large number if participants and proposed contribution, the conference format will be slightly different than anticipated: we will have (with adjustement for excursion day and for the last day) plenary sessions in the morning and a small number of parallel sessions in the afternoon. Plenary talks will be 30' long, while in parallel sessions the length of talks will be decided by session coordinators; in particular this could be not the same for all talks, and some session talks could be longer than plenary ones (albeit on the average they will be shorter).

(b) We trust that all speakers, and particularly the plenary ones, will pay attention that their talk can be followed by all participants and not only by those already familiar with their topic. Plenary talks were actually chosen not only for their quality but also for their fulfilling this criterion -- based on the abstract presented.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Practicalities: 

(a) Bus transfers from airport/station to the hotel, the information will be online (on our "local" pages, the link you accessed for requiring the transfer) early next week. By now the total number and size of buses to be used has been determined. Not reserved places will be given on the basis of  "first ask / first served" policy until available; once they are filled you can always get a taxi from Brindisi or (cheaper) the airport shuttle bus to Lecce and a taxi from there (or go on with slow local trains to Otranto and again a taxi for the last stretch). [The Hotel can also assist you in this respect albeit with a further cost.]

(b) The Hotel checked their reservation list against the list of registered participants, and noted some differences. If you decided not to take part in the conference it would be nice, in particular if you had asked to present a communication, to let us know ASAP. On the other hand, you are free to lodge elsewhere. 


Giuseppe Gaeta (May 8 2007)