All Hands/2016 London

What is it? -- Multiple team meetings, happening in the same city, at the same time + some opportunity to get together as one big group as well as with other teams as it makes sense. Then, on the last day, we have a fun social event for all, Mozilla-style!

The information on this wiki primarily applies to Full time and contractor staff. If you are a volunteer contributor or intern, please inquire to your coordinator.

Dates, Location and Weather

Monday, June 13 - Friday, June 17, 2016 (travel days are Monday the 13th & Saturday the 18th*) in London, UK.

We have 3 hotels: Hilton London Metropole, Hilton London Paddington and The Landmark (map).

*For those countries where rest time is required on weekends (vs. work travel), Mozilla will cover a return on the next available work day, if you choose. This needs to pre-approved and pre-arranged.

Weather

Averages temperatures range from lows of 53 Fahrenheit (11 Celsius) to 68 Fahrenheit (20 Celsius). Layers recommended for evenings. Also remember that rain is always a possibility.

Registration

This is an invite only event. The deadline to register was April 15.

Onsite registration/info desk will be in the West Wing Foyer (ground level) of the Hilton Metropole.

Hours:

• Monday - 8:00 - 20:30
• Tuesday - 8:00 - 18:30
• Wednesday - 10:00 - 18:30
• Thursday - 10:00 - 18:30
• Friday - 9:00 - 17:00

There will also be info desks in each hotel Tuesday - Friday.

• Paddington: Atrium (1st floor)
• Landmark: Ballroom Hallway (Ground Floor)
• Metropole: Mezzanine & Conference Centre

Event Swag

So you can properly prepare, everyone who attends London will receive:

• International adapter (not power converter (we are not Tosche Station))
• T-shirt (we are holding the size you ordered in registration, just for you). No swaps.
• Name Badge & Lanyard
• Sticker & Patch

Guests who you "declared" in registration will require a badge for evening events to attend.

New Hires

We have a process to identify new hires each week and will invite them to book travel (and register, once that’s live) on a steady basis. No action necessary from managers other than to let them know about the event.

Due to hotel booking requirements the final day to ask for a new hire to attend is May 10. All new hires must have a start date no later than June 6th.

Participation

Participation will be coordinated by George Roter, Emma Irwin and Francisco Picolini. Communication about the process for nominating volunteers was sent March 3, 2016. Please reach out to the team with any specific questions.

Participation Guidelines

Prior to our All Hands, we’d like everyone to read our Community Participation Guidelines and in registration check a box confirming you’ve done it and understand that these guidelines are in effect at all Mozilla events.

We also want to call out that for this event specifically, if you experience, or see someone else experiencing practices which are counter to these guidelines or, more specifically, to our policy against discrimination and harassment (which staff can access via the mana here), you should contact Allison Banks, abanks@mozilla.com, Brianna Mark, bmark@mozilla.com or Larissa Shapiro, lshapiro@mozilla.com who will assist immediately.

Agenda at a Glance

Please find the final agenda here.

The London All Hands Event Calendar

Our event can be found on Sched here: https://mozillalondonallhands2016.sched.org/

Create an account

We don’t recommend using the same email & password as anything like bank accounts, etc. We care about your security!

If you already have a Sched account from Whistler or Orlando, it still works, just log in with that.

Add items to your calendar

Just hit the circle on any agenda item to add it to your calendar (you do need to have an account & be logged in to do this)

You can also share a link to meetings to invite others. Go into the meeting and copy the short link. You can email that out to anyone and they can quickly add it to their calendar.

Subscribe to GCal Calendar Link

Click on the mobile phone on the right hand side of the screen. All the calendar options are available here. You have the option to choose ALL meetings or YOUR meetings. Unless you have 400 items on your calendar, just select your calendar. It will add anything on your calendar to your GCal (also an option for Outlook and iCal). It syncs once per day.

The "only syncs once per day" only applies to Google Calendar. With almost all other clients (like Apple Calendar, Outlook, or the calendar app on your phone) you can set the refresh interval, and Sched's instructions recommend 1 hour.

From Mobile

Visit https://mozillalondonallhands2016.sched.org/mobile from any mobile device - bookmark or add to your homescreen for quick access. There is a bonus icon you get by doing this. It caches the last time you opened the page offline and refreshes anytime you are connected.

Cool things

Filters

We have better (much needed) filtering functionality. You can filter by: Departments (ex: Firefox or Engagement) AND Functional Teams (ex: Dev Tools or Community Marketing)

• Search by Room, Speaker/Leader

Further Filtering

• Audience - who should be there (ex: Team only or Invite)
• Homerooms (you can quickly see what is happening in homerooms, by team) - why do you care? If you have a cross team meeting in their room, its a quick way to search
• Views - Lots of view options. It defaults to the simple view, but there are quite a few options.

Monday Night

Welcome to London!

Monday, June 13th, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

London Market inspired appetizers and entertainment.

Monarch Suite, West Tower, Hilton London Metropole

London All Hands Plenary Session

Welcome Plenary Tuesday, June 14th, 9:30 am - 11:30 am, King's Suite, West Tower, Hilton London Metropole (one floor up from Monarch)

Immediately following the Plenary, we will take an all company photo.

We will not be streaming the Plenary session on AirMozilla, but they will be recorded and a link to the recordings will be emailed to staff.

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Nights

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings will be of your own to structure as you wish. Given how much you all seemed to like a more flexible dining experience, these three evenings will be of your own to structure as you wish.

Here is how this will work:

For each of these three evenings, once your meetings have concluded, you and your team, friends, new acquaintances, are free to explore London and to find somewhere great to eat that suits you. Each of you can expense a total of £120 over the three days (or ~£40/night).

This amount includes:

• Meal cost, including VAT
• Any beverages
• Transportation to/from the restaurant
• Conversion fees (for credit cards) or cash withdrawal fees

Anything over the £120 for the three evenings will be your own expense. The fine print:

• If your team is hosting an evening event 1 of the 3 nights and the payment is coordinated (meaning, you don’t have to open your wallet and pay), you can expense up to £80 for the other 2 nights (£40 for each of the 2 nights you did have to open your wallet and pay).
• You will be asked (later) to submit a London only expense report. You can submit ONE report for London only and must be submitted no later than August 31, 2016.
• If your manager approves expenses above the £40 per night, that expense will go directly to your travel budget in your cost center.

Friday Night

Our Friday Night Event is at The Brewery UK. We’ll celebrate the week together, over some delicious dinner, tasty treats and bubbly beverages - and of course karaoke and dancing!

Evening Agenda

6:00 pm - Shuttles start leaving hotels

7:00 pm - Arrival at The Brewery; Enjoy arrival beverages, dinner & beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks + Games, Rockaroke (song list) & Lounging

9:00 pm - DJ & Dance Party (with continued Games, Karaoke & Lounging)

12:00 am - End of event

What you need

• Your London All Hands name badge and Identification (you may be carded for alcohol).

What to wear

Steampunk or whatever makes you the happiest.

Steampunk romanticizes the steam-train era and inventiveness of 19th century British Victorian era and/or American Wild West. Think Jules Verne (10,000 leagues, Around the World in 80 days), Wild Wild West series.

If you do a search on steampunk fashion it looks a little intimidating but remember all of those people take it to extremes. Be inspired by the style and period, add a few accessories, and you'll be good for the theme!

Accessories are important!

• Hats (see list below for specific styles), goggles, pocket watches, watch chains, parasols, gloves, leather belts with pouches and clips. Motifs include clockworks/gears, octopus/squid, cameos, beaded jewelry, keys.

• Basics: Brown, tan, ivory, cream, gray, black. Copper, bronze, brass. Pinstripes. Stripes. Natural fabrics. Leather. Tweed.

Costume ideas

• Vintage-style suits with waistcoats/vests, long, straight coats, tailcoats, spats, cravats.
• Military coats or bomber jackets (think aviators and explorers).
• Hats (essential accessory): top hats, bowlers, aviation-style caps, straw boater/skimmer, newsboys, pith helmet, fez, Hats with feathers, facinators, mini-top hats
• Boots or leather shoes with laces or lots of buckles, leather flats.
• Corsets
• Bustles & petticoats
• Long, full skirts, often with metal clips or ties.
• Short, ruffled shirts w/ petticoats (can can girls)
• Bloomers or ruffled trousers
• Blouses with ruffles, fitted at the waist.

Where do I get these sort of items?

• Vintage stores are great places to find clothing to use to put together an outfit, or you can do a search on Amazon (make sure it's prime or 2 day shipping eligible, not coming from China) or ebay (tip for US & Canada; scroll down the left hand bar, and under item location check US or North America) and find not-too-expensive accessories and clothing.

• Costume shops:

1. http://www.steampunkwedding.talktalk.net/shopping/
2. http://www.costumehiredirect.co.uk/costume-hire/victorian-costumes.html?cPath=120 (including rentals/hire)
3. https://www.amazon.com
4. Steampunk Emporium - clothing and costumes online
5. Costume Craze - costumes to buy online
6. Pyramid Collection - Clothing to buy
7. Rebels Market - San Francisco but online store w/10% off coupon you subscribe to mailing list
8. Ebay - UK
9. Escapade - Costume rental in London (about an hour away from hotels via The Tube)
10. Joker's Masquerade - Online store in the UK (buy today, receive tomorrow)

How to Get there

Mozilla hosted shuttles will be leaving from the front of each hotel from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm (dinner is served until 9 pm). Look for helpers holding Mozilla signs.

Childcare

More info coming soon.

Hotel

We have 3 hotels: Hilton London Metropole, Hilton London Paddington and The Landmark.

Hotels have been assigned based upon team and a part of registration. Everyone has received an email confirmation for their hotel from mozilla@shworldwide.com titled "London Hotel Confirmation." If you don't have one, email mozilla@shworldwide and request it by June 3.

Do not book hotel through Egencia.

Travel

Delays, Cancellations or Travel Interruptions

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, work with the airline in the airport to get re-booked & accommodated. Please email mozilla@shworldwide.com if you get delayed or cancelled and it will impact your arrival by 6 or more hours. We need to ensure your hotel reservation is kept (little known fact, they cancel them if you don't show up) and make sure you are taken care of for anything related to your arrival when you do get there.

Air Travel via Egencia

Flights will be booked via Egencia through the London Portal.

The Meetings Dept of Egencia: +1-877-264-1622 (who you should call if you need anything)

All paid staff and Elancers (MoCo only [1], exceptions below [2]) will be booking their air travel to London through Egencia, through the London Portal. Using the portal ensures we can meaningfully balance 1,400 of us to booking our own flights with a need to be mindful of budget.

[1] Mozilla Foundation employees - Phia Sanchez is your coordinator.

[2] Employees of Mozilla Japan will use a local agency and Yuka Takagi is your coordinator.

[2] Employees from our Taipei office will use Egencia and Bella Su is your coordinator.

Train travel

Train travel will be booked and expensed by the employee, as long as it is more cost effective to take a train than fly. Mozilla will not reimburse for Business/First class upgrades or tickets. Any submitted expenses needs to have an itinerary attached to ensure it is employee expenses only and within policy.

Travel Guidelines

Our standard travel guidelines apply (pre-populated in Egencia) when booking with a few additional budget constraints. Anything booked outside of them will require approval. Please note the budget per employee is a not-to-exceed amount only, and not an allotment.

Most people will arrive on Monday, 13-June and leave on Saturday, 18-June. Here are some exceptions:

• If you live in a country where work travel is prohibited on weekends, you may travel on Friday, 11-June and Monday, 20-June, if you’d prefer (not required).
• If you are attending the Monday Director's event (by invite), you should arrive on Sunday, June 12.
• If you plan to spend some extra time in London, see below.

Arriving Early/Departing Late Guidelines

If you are looking into booking on either end of the week for personal time, here are the parameters:

Travel:

• You'll need to pull an itinerary for standard dates/locations within the London Portal
• You can sway up to +$100 over and Mozilla will cover it. Otherwise you'll need to come with an alternate itinerary that fits within the pricing (like a round trip in and out of London w/ longer dates, and you personally book & cover the rest - to Paris, for example).
• Generally, an itinerary with different arrival and departure airports are more expensive.
• We do not have the ability for employees to reimburse Mozilla for any overage.

Hotel:

• You will need manager approval. There is no unilateral approval based upon timezone.
• You will book and pay on your own, and expense the manager approved amount (which is coded to your cost center).

Booking travel if you have family joining you

To book travel for family, whether they will accompany you on your flight or join us later, please call the Meetings Dept at Egencia directly at +1-877-264-1622 - you will need to have your booked itinerary and phone number ready. The trained agents are available Monday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm EST (and strongly suggest you call within that window).

You can pay for your family directly (including the Egencia booking fees) and coordinate with your own travel (which can be billed to Mozilla). You will not be able to book families online through Egencia. Our Mozilla Travel team will not create any online accounts for family.

See above in guidelines for more information on different dates/airports.

Travel Insurance

For more information on the travel insurance provided for staff, please visit the Global Benefits Mana Page or email benefits@mozilla.com.

We do not reimburse travel insurance for contributors unless it is "mandatory" in order to process the visa.

Air Travel Fine Print

Change fees will be covered by Mozilla for business reasons only. If you need a change and have manager approval, email bmark@mozilla.com prior to requesting the change with Egencia. Once you have approval, call Egencia to make the change at +1 (702) 939-2530 or +1-877-264-1622 (note this will not be possible without prior approval so be sure to get that by way of an email from your manager to Brianna Mark). If you are changing for personal reasons, the change in airfare, change fee and Egencia fee is your responsibility.

Mozilla will not reimburse for Business/First class upgrades or tickets.

Any submitted expenses needs to have an itinerary attached to ensure it is employee expenses only and within policy.

Airport Ground Transportation

We will be utilizing public transportation in London. We’ll be using the Heathrow Express from London Heathrow into Paddington Station primarily (with on the ground support and tickets provided). Once you arrive at Paddington Station, you will walk to your hotels.

If you opt to fly into an alternate London airport, you will be responsible for finding your way to the hotel on your own via public transport (Gatwick Express, tube, etc). Since the majority will fly into LHR, that is our focus. You are welcome to do what works best for you, knowing some navigation will be your own to sort.

London Heathrow (LHR)

Those arriving and/or departing from Heathrow will take the Heathrow Express directly from the airport to Paddington Station, which takes about 15 minutes. Tickets have been purchased and paid for for all paid staff and volunteers arriving into the airport, regardless of arrival date.Heathrow Express tickets were emailed to you on June 2 to the address you registered with. Email from: noreply@heathrowexpress.com titled "Heathrow Express Order Confirmation." The ticket information in the email will tell you more, but these tickets are confusing:

• Express Saver Return are two-way / will get your from the airport --> London AND back to the airport again (even though it looks like they might just get you to London).
• Express Saver Single are one-way / either direction.
• Both types are valid for 3 months

Your Heathrow Express ticket was emailed to you on June 2. These are non-refundable and non-changeable.

This is very important, as this is your ticket into the city. The tickets have a scannable QR code that staff scan once you are on the train so you can open on your phone or print. There is free wifi on Heathrow Express should you need it to access the ticket. They are valid for 90 days so if you are arriving early than June 13 or later than June 18, they are still valid. Seats are NOT reserved. If you do not receive an email ticket, please reach out to bmark@mozilla.com.

Friends & Family Discount for Heathrow Express (Do not purchase for yourself here)

We’ve negotiated a 25% friends and family discount, valid on any new purchase. Visit www.heathrowexpress.com and enter the below promotion code in with your search. Just a note, while you have to select which direction trip you want and dates, on the next screen you’ll have the opportunity to select a return ticket (round trip). Mozilla Promotion code: MOZILLA

Arrival at Paddington Station (and getting to your hotel)

Heathrow Express arrives into Paddington Station on platforms 6 &7. Paddington Station help.

To Hilton Paddington

​T​ake the escalator opposite platforms 6 and 7 directly to Hilton London Paddington hotel.

To Hilton Metropole

Exit the train platforms and follow the signs to the exit (straight off the platforms, to the left and then up a ramp driveway). Once to the street, turn left and you are on Praed Street. It is past the hospital approximately 4 blocks (you'll also pass a Post Office, Travel Agency and a Super Drug). The hotel is on the corner at Edgware Road.

To Landmark

Follow directions to Metropole. Cross Edgware Road and continue on Chapel Street. Chapel turns to the left as it approaches Marlyebone Road. Turn right onto Marlyebone Road and cross the street at the next opportunity (cross walks are mid block on this road). The hotel is approximately 2 blocks up at Harewood Road.

London Gatwick (LGW)

If you arrive into and/or depart from London Gatwick Airport, you can take the Gatwick Express into London Victoria Station. You will need to purchase tickets online, in advance. You’ll need to navigate to/from your hotel via tube or bus to/from London Victoria Station.

London City Airport (LCY)

If you arrive into and/or depart from London City Airport, you’ll need to navigate to/from your hotel via tube or bus.

EuroStar

You will arrive into St. Pancras International Station. You’ll need to navigate t/fromo your hotel via tube or bus.

Local Trains

https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/ actually does all public transport methods in London. You can select in the travel options what methods you want it to limit to if desired (bus, tube, etc, etc).

A gotcha with tfl's journey planner is it will by default give you the fastest route even if a much easier/simpler/cheaper route may only take 1 or 2 mins longer. I recommend pointing out to people that in the travel options you can select route with fewest changes (which is what people generally seem to want) or route with least walking for people who have trouble walking any distances.

Google maps does a decent job of giving you travel directions in London for public transport during the day but citymapper is better and has a great phone app: https://citymapper.com/london/ This is my default for "it's late and I'm not sure what's running still, get me home".

If someone is going to be doing more than two distinct journeys on public transport (excepting airport express trains) then it is cheaper to get an Oyster card from a machine at a tube station: https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/link/sso/0001.do (the equivalent of an SF Clipper card). Paper ticket costs are considerably higher than Oyster charges and Oyster will cap a maximum charge per day, good if you're wandering around touristing.

People with US chip & signature or chip & pin credit/debit cards should be able to use them for the ticket machines at tube stations. People with mag stripe only cards may have problems, find a staff member if you can't make it work.

Security

We are working with our local event vendor and our hotels to ensure our spaces are safe and secure. We will continue to update this section as more details are available. We will have security guidelines for the event to help you anticipate what to expect.

Food & Drink

All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) will be provided and paid for centrally. Any other food or drink expenses (including room service and in-room minibar charges) will be the responsibility of the attendee.

• Allergies: We will ensure that all food/environmental allergies are taken into consideration and will always have gluten-free and vegan options (and gfv options). If you have severe allergies that we need to know about; you can indicate in registration.

Families/Guests in London

Of course our focus, for the majority of the week, will be on Mozilla. Everyone is expected to be present and engaged each day, during work hours (as your schedule dictates). Please do what you can to make sure your loved ones understand the kind of commitment you’ve made. Family should not join you during your work sessions (other than the more tiny beings).

Quick summary logistics

Air Travel: Family travel can be booked/coordinated through Egencia by calling direct; or on your own. Employees do need to book via Egencia regardless of how families are booked.

Hotel: They are welcome to stay with you, however, any additional room expenses will be yours to cover. All room rates are based upon single occupancy and costs to add guests vary by hotel:

• Hilton Metropole: guests over the age of 10 are an additional £12 per night. Fees include breakfast.
• Hilton Paddington: guests over the age of 10 are an additional £12 per night. Fees include breakfast. Most rooms accommodate a maximum of 2 guests and upgrades will be needed for larger groups. Addt'l fees are determined on availability and on case by case basis.
• The Landmark: guests over the age of 12 are £30 per night. Mozilla will provide a buffet breakfast for families (with staff) as long as you let us know about them in registration.

Hotels will be assigned based upon team and a part of registration. Once hotels are assigned, we will provide a link or contact to your book hotel for pre/post stays and add guests.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch are on their own. They are invited to join our evening festivities, we just ask that you let us know they'll be there in registration.

Restaurants: Here is a list of various restaurants in the Hilton London Metropole area.

London All Hands Expense Policy

1. All "All Hands" Expenses must be submitted on 1 (and only 1) Expense report (e.g. London All Hands Expense Report)

2. It must contain only those expenses relative to the All Hands Event (5-10 days of pre-post activity only)

3. If your submitted expense report for All Hands is submitted outside these guidelines, it will be rejected and you will be asked to re-submit with only All Hands Expenses

4. The deadline to submit the London All Hands Expense Report is August 31, 2016.

5. Expenses related to team events, room service, mini-bar charges, and food/drink costs above the vouched amounts, will not be approved.

The intention of our all hands are to centrally organize a structure that includes:

• Meals (two/day + snacks)
• Transportation
• Accommodations
• Some number of social events

Due to the nature of the City of London, employees will be expensing specific meals. The amount that can be expensed will be communicated and expenses submitted can not exceed the approved amounts. Any social events that are not part of our central plan will generally be self-organized and funded by participants.

Cell phone reimbursement policy

Cell phone reimbursement must be approved by your manager prior to submitting the expense. Teams will decide for their staff what is appropriate to expense.

Internet reimbursement policy

Internet will be provided in all guestrooms and meeting space in all hotels. If you opt to upgrade/add service, those costs are not reimbursable, unless previously approved by your manager and are for business reasons.

If you have questions about any of this, please reach out to bmark@mozilla.com

Shipping to London

To keep things simple, we encourage you to carry any small items, fabrics and swag goodies in your luggage. Please do not ship items to the London office. They are preparing for an office relocation.

If you must ship something to London from our offices, enter a Service Now Shipping Request ASAP. Items must be in WPR hands no later than Wednesday June 1 by 5pm. Please provide all details in Service Now Shipping Request; if shipping electronics internationally see Electronics Shipping (below).

Shipping Address:

You should ship items to yourself at your hotel. Include your name and date of arrival. You will be responsible for items once you arrive to your hotel.

Hilton London Metropole

(Your name) Guest arriving (date you are arriving)

225 Edgware Road

London, W2 1JU, United Kingdom

Hilton London Paddington

(Your name) Guest arriving (date you are arriving)

146 Praed Street

London, W2 1EE, United Kingdom

The Landmark

(Your name) Guest arriving (date you are arriving)

222 Marylebone Road

London NW1 6JQ United Kingdom

International Shipments

Please understand there is no "rush" Customs Clearance processing. International Priority does not equal overnight delivery.

Electronics Shipping

If you are shipping electronics, you must provide these details for the each item:

• Manufacturer Name
• Country of Origin
• Value (this has to be accurate or as close as possible because we may need to show proof. If you have manufacturer's invoice, attach it)
• Detailed description of item (Part#, Serial#, material etc. The better the description the less likely it will get held up in customs)
• Battery type & voltage
• Type of Radio Frequency if any (FCC ID#, it should be on the box and/or equipment itself)

It is a lot, we know, but the more complete the request, the faster we will be able to process it.

Food/Alcohol

Please do not ship food, alcohol. Mozilla doesn't have the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) permits for that.

Personal Shipments

Please limit personal shipments by carrying your belongings to LONDON and back. If you do need to ship something to yourself, please try to have it arrive no earlier than June 8 to avoid possible storage charges.

Immigration

Staff Pocket Letter

Pocket Letter is on the mana for staff. You must have LDAP to access.

STEP

What is STEP?

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Benefits of Enrolling in STEP

• Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
• Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
• Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.

Visas

You do not need a visa if you hold a passport issued from the EU, USA or Canada.

Please visit the following website to learn more about visa requirements, process and timing for your country: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa. If you are from a country that requires a visa to enter the United Kingdom, please plan for it early as government processing time constantly change.

Please keep in mind while you are traveling for work, you are not traveling for a UK based job. You are actually traveling for a conference/event.

If you have questions specific to your circumstances, please email immigration@mozilla.com.

Entering the UK

Your passport or identity card will be checked when you arrive at a UK port or airport to make sure you’re allowed to come into the country. It must be valid for the whole of your stay. You may also need a visa to come into or travel through the UK, depending on your nationality.

If you are from an EEA country or Switzerland, you can enter the UK with either a valid passport or a national identity card issued by a EEA country.

If you need a United States Passport, start here: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html. Please note it can take 4-6 weeks to receive your passport. Please plan ahead.

EU Visa Waiver Program - Update

The EU has *not* suspended the Visa Waiver Program -- they are threatening to do so, and will likely make a decision in April. The EU has not acted yet but we're monitoring it closely.

We are in communication through our immigration lawyers with both the US and UK immigration offices. Currently both say this is not an issue, and do not anticipate it being an issue by June. If that changes, we will notify as soon as possible.

More details:

https://www.lawfareblog.com/thinking-travelling-europe-summer

https://www.niacaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/0127-DHOD-Letter-to-NIAC-ACTION-re-WVP.pdf

Accessibility

The Metropole has 3 building wings; West, East, and Tower. The West wing has wheelchair accessible rooms and lifts (elevators). Other tower rooms may have narrow room door openings or narrow hallways. Breakfast, lunch, the welcome and plenary sessions are in the West wing. Access to the Tower Wing, 3rd floor (Hilton Meeting Rooms/Conference center) uses the Tower Wing Lifts, and then a smaller "stair" lift. The East tower has a different set of lifts. So, consider planning your path from meals to the Tower and East wing locations and back as this may mean several elevators rather than using the central stairway of the "Tower wing" conference center. Floor plans are available if you ask for them from Ava or Brianna.

At Friday's party venue, the lifts are in to the right, once you enter the building. There may be other ramps and lifts inside the venue and you can ask the venue staff for help or directions.

Extracurricular Activities

Costs for these activities are self-funded and can not be expensed.

• Football! Euro 2016 will be in full swing during the week, with games at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm most days. England play at 2pm on Thursday. The Metropole has a Sports Bar which will be open for all games - meet there to watch. Europeans, bring flags with you!
• Bletchley Park
• Find a running group
• Science Museum, London
• Board games will most likely be played; feel free to ping Ms2ger if you wish to join.
• Up for some friendly Dota 2 matches? [Sign up]
• Trooping the Colour in London on Saturday June 11th. This is a massive celebration of the Queen’s birthday, complete with hundreds of horses, military bands, fly over and the royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace! If you are in London, this is not something you want to miss!!!
• England v Sri Lanka at Lord's is scheduled Thursday 9 - Monday 13; tickets for Monday seem to be available only at the gate (if the game lasts that long).
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child <-- Wikipedia says this opens July 30?
• West End Live
• Botanical Gardens and The Arboretum
• Hiking
• Rock-climbing! : go indoor climbing in London :)

FAQ

Ask your general questions until June 1 here or email bmark@ for questions specific to you. Volunteers may refer this FAQ