Thursday, July 26, 2018

QUICK TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS On travel, postcodes, delays, and e-tickets

Problems
1 DIRECTIONS
You want directions of buses and trains to a venue for yourself or a colleague. You need the postcode. However, the organization's website has three addresses. (For example, London Business School.)

2 E-TICKETS & PRINTING
You book the event though Eventbrite. You can save paper by not printing it.
However, when you reach the venue, you need a code to log onto their wifi, so you can't show your e-ticket on your phone.
The person with the list of attendees is in another room. Other visitors don't know the name of the person you need to find.

3TIMING
You have timed the route. However, there are delays.

4 DEALING WITH DELAYS
Your route has unexpected delays.

5 ARRIVAL - now what?
You arrive at a huge venue. Nobody knows anything about your event.

Answers
1 DIRECTIONS
Write the postcode of the venue in your diary.
 Add it to the contact details in your phone.

2 E-TICKETS - To print or not to print?
Print out the e-ticket in advance. To save paper and printing ink:
Copy the section which is relevant.
Cut the part with your number from the paper. Stick in in your diary or keep it in your right-hand pocket, in a see-through cover which makes it large enough to find in a hurry.
Find out who has the list of attendees. Put their name and phone number in your phone. Find out what time they will arrive and where they will be.

3 TIMING
Allow extra time in case of delays. Arrive early. Find out where you can wait if the room is locked.
Have your own food and water, in case you are left standing alone in a corridor or lobby.
Know the name of the event, which might be different from your session.

4 DELAYS
Allow time before setting off to check on delays, alternative routes, and messages to tell anybody who needs to know that you are setting off and of any delays.

5 ARRIVAL
Know the name of the entire day's event. Know the orgnization organizing the event.
Know the divison or number of your club because there could be events worldwide on any one day, so you need something specifici for an internet search. Note the name of the person who sent the email inviting you to the event.

Find out the room of the event. Conference centres are big. The welcome desk may be unattended by the time you arrive late. In the lift which floor are you looking floor, Basement, lower basement, ground, 1, 2, 3? Is it in the basement, the auditorium, the conference centre, on the 3rd floor.

TOILETS
Where are the toilets for men and women, same floor or upstairs or downstairs. (When retinring from the toilets, are you going downstairs or upstairs.

FOOD
Should you grab a coffee at the station or the supermarket you pass? Will the college cafeteira be open at the weekend, and at the end of the coference at lunchtime, 4 pm or 6 pm?

You may need cash to grab a sandwich in a hurry in the interval. How much are the sandwiches? If you are a group, can one of you buy sandwiches for everybody. If so, will they all eat meat or do you need egg or cheese (not for vegans).

Who will pay for the food, you, your club or oganization, the people giving you orders? (Get them to write their name and food choice. Meat only, meat or egg and cheese, no shellfish, any. If no sandwiches, will they want cakes, donuts, etc? Price limit - £2.50, £5, £7.50. £10, any.)

Find out what latecomers should do. Sneak in at the back? Wait until the interval to avoid using the door which open onto or beside the stag.

Wave to signal to the chairman on stage that you have arrived. Pass the usher a note to hand to the organiser on stage.

Information on delays
https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/#line-tfl-rail

Author
Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.


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