Dear SOFSEM participants,

the jubilee 25th international conference SOFSEM'98 is to begun in a few days. On behalf of organizers, let me wish you a pleasant journey to Low Tatras and add some information.

Conference venue - the conference is to be held in the hotel Sverma (Demanovska valley, Low Tatras). The precise hotel coordinates are as follows:

The hotel offers the currency exchange services.

Arrival of participants - all information on the transportation possibilities are available at the SOFSEM www page - www.sofsem.sk. For additional travel advices you can contact our travel manager Martin Becka (e-mail address: becka@savba.sk). Besides the public transport, the organizers offer to participants two special buses from the railway station Lipt. Mikulas to the J.Sverma hotel:

The bus (with SOFSEM sign) will wait in front of the Liptovsky Mikulas railway station building. On the www site you can find also an orientation plan of Jasna with clear indication of direction from bus terminal in Jasna to the SOFSEM venue.

Wheather - according to last information from Jasna, in Low Tatras there are already frozy days with a daily temperature slighty under 0 degree (C). Because of expected early winter climate, we recommend to pack also the winter anorak and heavy shoes.

Social programme - a rich social programme is one of the SOFSEM longtime traditions. This year is not an exception and we offer to the participants following events:

Concerning the trip to Orava castle the participants are kindly asked to decide and register as soon as possible at the SOFSEM reception desk. Deadline for the trip registration will be on Monday, 23. 11. 1998 at 8.30 a.m.

Sport facilities - an attractive millieu of the Demanova valley offers many oportunities for the usual SOFSEM afternoon walks and small trips. Moreover, the hotel offers for regeneration also fitness centrum, sauna, table tenis, billiard etc.

Presentations of sponsors - four evening slots of the conference programme are allocated to the presentations of the main SOFSEM'98 sponsors:

Internet connection - thanks to the Telenor company, for the first time in the SOFSEM history the forthcoming SOFSEM will be connected to Internet.

Registration - for a fast and smooth registration the organizers would appreciate an advance e-mail with the participant's permanent address and the passport number.

We are looking forward to meet you soon at SOFSEM'98.