Farewell Banquet, Wednesday, 30th June 2004 19.00 (7 p.m.)
By Wednesday evening we will already have three exciting and exhausting days of the Congress behind us. Lectures will have been visited, discussions conducted, new friendships made and old ones renewed. Now it is time to sit back a little and review what has been learnt and experienced by means of personal contacts and conversations. The last Congress day awaits us with highlights in the scientific lectures of the morning, and the decision - which has long been keeping us in suspense - as to which of the four candidate countries‘ bids for hosting the IPVS Congress of 2008 will be accepted.
Before our ways then part once again, and we depart on the technical excursions, or head for other German tourist destinations, or just have to begin on our journey home, the whole IPVS family will come gather together to celebrate the traditional Farewell Banquet in a convivial and festive atmosphere. Where else in Hamburg could this happen except in the harbour?

Hamburg owes its existence and growth to its harbour, the gateway to the world. Ship building has been replaced to a large extent by the needs of the air transport industry, so that today Hamburg has become the third largest site for aeroplane manufacture in the world. Shipping at Hamburg continues to increase year on year, as it is one of the most important container ports in the world. As a result of the switch from general cargo to containerised transport Hamburg’s considerable warehousing capacity became redundant. The largest warehousing complex in the world, the “Speicherstadt“, over 100 years old, is now a listed building and is gradually being given a new life as a popular office location. Other harbour areas are being fully redeveloped, where the former warehouses are being replaced by modern apartment and office blocks giving rise to “Harbour city“.

A listed warehouse shed, about 100 years old, and still maintained in its original condition, will be used to accommodate our guests for the Farewell Banquet. Here you can experience the unique historical harbour ambience of Hamburg “for real“. In former times thousands of Hamburg harbour workers would travel by barge each morning and evening to their workplaces on the wharves, and now these very same boats take us across the Elbe to Kaischuppen 52 (Quay Warehouse 52), the venue for the Farewell Banquet. We will be welcomed already on the quayside, and led by music into the warehouse, where a sumptuous buffet awaits us. There is a wide selection of drinks and, lots of them; the famous Hamburg brew will also flow in copious amounts. Enjoy being surprised by our entertainments programme. All we can say is that we promise that you will be able to converse without being disturbed, as well as step out to some hot dance rhythms. Fans of the European championship in Football won’t be forgotten: there will be a possibility to watch the semi final match. The evening will pass all too quickly, until we shall be having to say a last farewell in Hamburg and our buses return us to our hotels.

As with previous IPVS congresses a limit must be set to the number of participants at the Farewell Banquet. Due to the record number of delegates already registered we cannot guarantee that during the Congress tickets will still be available for all who might be interested. If you see yourself taking part in this evening, reserve the tickets for yourself and those accompanying you straight from our Home Page; the best way to pay is by credit card. If you have already registered for the Congress, just send an e-mail with a request for tickets to ipvs2004@i-plan.de, giving your address and your IPVS reservation number. You will then find the entry ticket in your Congress bag already on arrival in Hamburg and will be able to be our guest on this evening too.