SPRING

THE ACB MAG IS A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ATHENS TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

ACB MAG ATHENS TOURISM AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

PRODUCTION
Editorial Director PRESIDENT
Giorgos Salamas Aikaterini Katsabe LIVANIS PUBLISHING ORGANIZATION
98, Solonos Street, 106 80 Athens.
DESIGN DIRECTORS CEO
T. 210 36 61 200, F. 210 36 17 791
Charalambos Andreanidis Panagiotis Arkoumaneas
www.livanis.gr
Angie Paragoulia DIRECTOR, ATHENS CONVENTION BUREAU

EDITORIAL TEAM George N. Angelis

Nikolas Dervenoulas DIRECTOR, TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Sakis Dimitrakopoulos Manolis Psarros ©ACB mag. All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any
part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans-
PHOTOGRAPHY PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR mitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, pho-

Aggeliki Panagiotou tocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission

Katerina Papadopoulou
of the Athens Tourism and Economic Development Company.
Dimitris Koilalous
TRANSLATION PROOFREADING Where opinion is expressed it is that of the authors and does not
necessarily coincide with the editorial views of the publisher of
Danae Seemann
CONTACT the ACB mag. All information in this magazine is verified to the
7 Xenofontos Street, Syntagma, best of the authors’ and the publisher’s ability. However, the ACB

105 57 Athens, Greece mag does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from reli-
ance on it.
T. +30 210 32 53 123, F. +30 210 32 16 653
E. info@athensconventionbureau.gr
www.athensconventionbureau.gr

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editorial 5FrontlinesATEDCo News 6events calendarUPCOMING CONFERENCES march - may9

case studiesopen access 14upcoming conferencesairport cities16interviewgeorgios tsakiris 20

venuesathinais cultural centre 24case studiespreparing for the upturn 28

museumsnational archaeological museum 32hotelsdivani caravel36locationsthe byzantine estate40

upcoming conferencesthe athens summit 2009 44airportatedcO INFOKIOSK48

TRANSPORTATIONORGANISED BUS TOUR SERVICES 50DAYTRIPMARATHON54CULTURESPRING CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS58

FOODESSENCE OF GREECE 62

3
4

p/32 
national
museum
archaeological

p/6 ATEDCo News

EDITORIAL
Panagiotis Arkoumaneas
CEO / Athens Tourism and Economic Development Company

p/36 divani caravel hotel

Dear readers,

Spring is considered by many to be the best time in Athens. The weather is

p/09 upcoming
conferences
remarkably pleasant and the ambience of the city is filled with joy. It is the
ideal time to combine a conference or a meeting with some inspiring city
exploration.

In this issue, you will read about the latest developments concerning meet-
ings and conventions in Athens; you will learn about recent and future con-
gresses being held in Athens; and we will present some appealing options
in accommodation and conference locations. The issue also features a very
informative interview about the current situation in Athenian tourism with

p/58
Mr. Georgios Tsakiris, president of the Athens-Attica Hotel Association.


spring Cultural
Furthermore, you will learn about the cultural highlights scheduled to take
Highlights
place in Athens during the spring.

p/16  airport cities Enjoy your reading and we look forward to seeing you in Athens.

p/62 essence of greece

p/24  athinais
cultural centre
5
6 FRONTLINES
ATEDCo Highlights
Activities at 9th Airline
Marketing Workshop
2009, February 19
ATEDCo CEO Panagiotis Arkou-
maneas outlined the company's
programme and plan of activities
to promote Athens as a city break
and convention destination at the
9th Airline Marketing Workshop.
The 9th Airline Marketing Work-
shop was staged by the Athens In-
ternational Airport at the Athens
Little Palace Theatre. Extensive
reference was made to ATEDCo's
efforts to promote Athens through
WEB2.0 and social networking ap-
plications, as well as the particular
importance of marketing destina-
tions through the Internet.
Dionyssia 2009, with the
Support of ATEDCo
2009, February 18
With the support of ATEDCO, Dio-
nyssia were hosted this year at the
Zappeion Exhibition Centre in Ath-
ens, 20-22 February. Dionyssia is
Greece's top consumer wine show;
it hosted 150 national wine-mak-
ers, numerous Greek importers of
wine, and featured 1,500 wines to
the public.
Athens Featured in Associa-
tion of British Travel Agents
(ΑΒΤΑ) Annual Catalogue
2009, February 11
ATEDCo made a thorough presen-
tation of the tourism product and
the competitive advantages of
Athens in the Association of British
Travel Agents (ABTA) Annual Mem-
bers' Catalogue for 2009.
The goal of this effort, combined
with extensive promotion of Ath-
ens in ATEDCo publications during
the World Travel Market tourism
trade show in London and the
mailing of ATEDCo's specialised
magazine, Breathtaking mag, to
85,000 travel agents in Great Brit-
ain and the United States through
ABTA, is to enhance the image of
Athens in these markets.
Given that the British market
makes up 20% of incoming tour-
ism to Greece and is one of the
five largest markets for Athens,
ATEDCo is developing specific and
targeted strategies with multiple
benefits for tourism in Athens
through ABTA. It is worth noting
that following its merger with
the Federation of Tour Operators
in 2008, ABTA now represents
the majority of tourism and travel
agencies in Great Britain and is
emerging as the most significant
player in that country's outgoing
tourism.
ATEDCo News
Because of the difficult conditions
being created in the world tour-
ism sector by the economic crisis,
ATEDCo is intensifying its efforts,
enhancing already planned ac-
tivities to promote Athens in the
American, Italian, French and Ger-
man markets, as well as in the do-
mestic and Cypriot market, so that
a strong position for Athens in the
international tourism market can
be ensured.
ATEDCo CEO Panagiotis
Arkoumaneas addresses
5th IMIC in Athens
2009, February 4
ATEDCo CEO Panagiotis Arkouma-
neas was among the speakers to
address the 5th International Meet-
ings and Incentives Conference at
the Athinais Conference Centre in
Votanikos.
The topic of the 5th International
Conference was "Selling Destina-
tions, Venues and Services: Supplier
Perspectives - Customer Demands."
The conference was supported by
the City of Athens and the Athens
Convention Bureau.
MAD TV Gets Award for Video
Clip Supported by ATEDCo
2009, February 2
MAD TV was recognised at the
New York Festivals 2009 Interna-
tional Television Programming
& Promotion Awards, earning a
Silver Award for its "MAD Live in
Athens" show that featured Good
7
 8 FRONTLINES EVENTS CALENDAR

Charlotte during a live perfor-

mance with the Acropolis in the
background.
As part of its efforts to bolster
activities that promote Athens
abroad, ATEDCo supported a
series of musical events under
the title "MAD Live in Athens,"
whose goal it was to stage major
concerts with the Acropolis as a
backdrop.
It is worth noting that the Silver
Award in this category was given
atedco CEO Panagiotis Arkoumaneas
to CNN last year for its show titled
"Larry King: 50 Years of Pop Culture,"
which showcased Larry King's 50-
year broadcasting career.
Aikaterini Katsabe Named
New President of ATEDCo
2009, January 26
Following a decision by Ath-
ens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis,
Athens City Council Member
Aikaterini Katsabe was named
president of ATEDCo. She is also
president of Elpis General Prefec-
The Khakassian delegation in-
cluded the Mayor of Abakan, the
republic's capital, as well as com-
petent officials from the Minis-
tries of Tourism and Culture and
important figures from the coun-
try's academic community. The
tourism product of Athens was
presented in detail during the
meeting, as was ATEDCo's func-
tion as the city's official tourism
agency. An extensive discussion
took place at the conclusion of
the meeting on issues related to
tourism development and desti-
nation management, in addition
to the particular characteristics
of the two destinations.
Successful Participation of
the Athens Convention Bu-
reau (ACB) at EIBTM 2008
2008, December 8
The Athens Convention Bureau's
(ACB) first ever participation in
the Global Meetings and Incen-
tives Exhibition EIBTM 2008 was
a resounding success. EIBTM
took place in Barcelona from 2 to
4 December. ACB's managers had
more than 60 planned and un-
planned meetings with hosted
buyers and trade visitors, repre-
sentatives of international asso-
ciations, conference organisers
(PCOs), multinational compa-
nies, destination management
companies (DMCs) from more
than 30 countries from Europe,
the Americas, Asia and Australia.
Welcome Speech of ATEDCo's
CEO at the opening of the

tural Hospital.
City Council Secretary Dionysis
Papadogonas was named AT-
EDCo vice-president and Panagi-
otis Arkoumaneas remains as
ATEDCo CEO.
ATEDCo Meets with Repre-
sentatives of the Republic of
Khakassia
2009, January 20
As part of its programme for
international networking and
exchange of expertise, ATEDCo
held a special presentation for
representatives of the Republic
of Khakassia at the organisa-
tion's offices on 20 January.
It should be noted that ATEDCo,
through its networking and ex-
change of expertise programme,
presents plans and activities that
showcase Athens as a leading
tourism designation to interna-
tional delegations and represen-
tatives of tourism organisations
from all over the world (the Mid-
dle East, China, South Korea and
Russia, among others).
Kostas Markopoulos Named
New Minister of Tourism
2009, January 8
Greek MP Kostas Markopoulos
assumed his ministerial duties
Thursday, 8 January, during a
handover ceremony marking
the changing of the guard at the
Ministry of Tourism.
Exporama Show
2008, December 6
Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, ATEDCo
CEO, made a welcome speech
at the opening of the Exporama
Show, which took place on Satur-
day, 6 December, at the Helexpo
Palace in Maroussi. The Expora-
ma Show is the only show which
focuses exclusively on the Con-
ference and Exhibition market
in South-eastern Europe and the
Eastern Mediterranean region.
The objective of the show is to
distinguish the whole region in
general as the ideal destination
for conferences and exhibitions,
promoting its infrastructure,
companies and organisations.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
1st Green IT Conference
17 March, Dais Cultural and Conference Centre
The Directorate of Information Technology is facing
challenges on two fronts: the dropping economic indi-
cators and the steadily rising cost of energy. Added to
these is the continuing internal struggle on a business
level striving to achieve a more efficient and economical
operation. The goal of the Green IT Conference is to help
Information Technology Directorates develop an inte-
grated "green" strategy consisting of technological solu-
tions to issues of infrastructure as well as management
practices to ensure the maximum benefits to business.
March-May
9th European Congress on Clinical and Economic
Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis
18 - 21 March, Megaron Athens International
Conference Centre
The objective of ECCEO 9, being held under the auspices
of the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects
of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, the International Os-
teoporosis Foundation and the Group for the Respect of
Ethics and Excellence in Science, is to provide practitio-
ners with the latest clinical and economic information,
allowing them to organise their daily practice in an evi-
dence-based medicine perspective with a cost-conscious
perception.
9
10
WebSci'09: Society On-Line
18 - 20 March, Cultural Centre of the
Foundation of the Hellenic World
Web Science focuses on understanding,
designing and developing the technolo-
gies and applications that make up the
World Wide Web. But the WWW does not
exist without the participation of people
and organisations. Now that a significant
proportion of everyday life is spent on-line
in many countries, it makes sense for the
first Web Science conference organised by
the Web Science Research Initiative (WSRI)
and the Foundation of the Hellenic World
(FHW) to be dedicated to the presentation
of research into society on the Web.
12th Conference of the European
Chapter of the Association for
Computational Linguistics
30 March - 3 April, Megaron Athens
International Conference Centre
The 12th Conference of the European
Chapter of the Association for Computa-
tional Linguistics (EACL-09) covers a broad
spectrum of disciplines working towards
enabling intelligent systems to interact
with humans using natural language,
and towards enhancing human-human
communication through services such as
speech recognition, automatic transla-
tion, information retrieval, text summari-
sation and information extraction.
ECOWEEK 2009 Empowering Youth:
Ecology + Leadership + Architec-
ture International Conference
31 March – 6 April, Athinais
conference centre
The conference is open to young architects,
designers and landscape architects and
professionals of other disciplines, and grad-
uate students from Greece and abroad. The
conference will include public lectures and
screening of documentaries and will be
open and free to the general public.
3rd Sales Executives Conference
3 April, Hotel Pentelikon, Kifissia
The 3rd Sales Executives Conference will
take place on April 3 at Hotel Pentelikon,
urging sales executives to "Think alterna-
tively and give energy to your sales." Over
250 sales directors, managers and ex-
ecutives, as well as general managers are
expected to attend the event. Presenta-
tions and workshops will focus on crucial
sales issues, including the current global
financial recession and possible ways to
overcome it. This year’s keynote speaker
will be Dan Clark, CEO of Clark Success
Systems, a consulting, publishing and en-
tertainment corporation, and New York
Times best selling author.
Cardio Athena 2009 - International
Meeting on Cardiovascular Medicine
3 - 4 April, Divani Caravel Hotel,
Athens
The CARDIO ATHENA 2009 is an effort to
enhance the interchange of emerging new
information on the diagnosis, prevention
and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
During these two days. participants will
have the opportunity to attend sessions
with the participation of world experts
who are pioneers in the field of Cardiovas-
cular Research. Through lectures, round
table discussions and satellite symposia,
the meeting offers an outstanding sci-
entific programme featuring both state-
of-the-art knowledge and innovative ap-
proaches in cardiovascular medicine. This
meeting is expected to be valuable, both
in terms of everyday clinical practice and
advanced research.
FT Global Events -
Planning for the Upturn
2 April, Athens Chamber of Commerce
and Industry Headquarters, Athens
FT Global Events, in association with the
Athens Chamber of Commerce and Indus-
try and C&C International Group of com-
panies, is pleased to present a unique con-
ference focused on the steps that need to
be taken to drive the upturn in Greece.
This 1½-day event will be held on the eve-
ning of Wednesday 1st April and through-
out the whole day on Thursday 2 April at
the Athens Chamber of Commerce and
Industry Headquarters in Athens.
5th Thought Leaders International
Conference on Brand Management
6 -7 April, St George Lycabettus Hotel,
Athens
This international conference seeks to en-
gender the advancement of knowledge
about brand management amongst schol-
ars by disseminating new research and by
encouraging the evolution of new research
themes. It also aims to narrow the gap
between academia and commerce by hav-
ing presentations from internationally re-
nowned practitioners whose significant se-
nior experience is regarded as being at the
cutting edge of application. Parallel tracks
of double blind refereed papers will enable
authors to gain constructive comments
about their papers and extend their knowl-
edge horizon from other researchers.
6th International
Conference of the Hellenic
Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry
3 - 5 April, Hotel Grande
Bretagne, Athens
The topics of the 6th International Confer-
ence, as at past conferences, will be drawn
from clinical issues faced by professionals
on a daily basis. Renowned foreign guests,
as well as Greek speakers, will objectively
and responsibly present the knowledge
and clinical experience gained in their own
field of specialisation to the participants.
The programme for the 6th International
Conference is characterised by a markedly
clinical approach and will focus on aes-
thetic dentistry and dental implants.
2nd International Conference
on Mediterranean Studies
9 -12 April, Athens
The aim of the conference is to bring to-
gether scholars, researchers and students
from all areas of Mediterranean studies,
such as history, arts, archaeology, philoso-
phy, culture, sociology, politics, interna-
tional relations, economics, business and
sports. Special sessions will be devoted
to Middle Eastern and the eastern Medi-
terranean countries. Panel organisers are
encouraged to submit their proposals by
inviting other scholars that do research in
the area.
The IFIP WG9.5 "Virtuality and
Society" International
Workshop on Images of
Virtuality: Conceptualisations and
Applications in Everyday Life
23 - 24 April, Athens University of
Economics and Business, Athens
The main objective of this workshop is to
encourage the continuation and enrich-
ment of the discussion on virtuality and
society by focusing more on the technolo-
gies, arts, and practices of virtuality as
they emerge in areas and contexts of ev-
eryday life.
The workshop constitutes an opportunity
to bring together theoretical conceptu-
alisations and practical applications of
Images of Virtuality manifest in human
interaction with information, social, pro-
fessional and technological systems, art,
culture and nature.
Airport Cities - World
Conference & Exhibition
27 - 29 April, Hilton Hotel, Athens
The Airport Cities World Conference & Ex-
hibition's primary aim is to provide a forum
for airport-related management issues, a
vehicle for airports to promote and market
themselves and a direct route for suppliers
of products and services to airports.
3rd International Congress of
Rhinology - Otology and Skull
Base Surgery Current Concepts
7 - 10 May, Divani Apollon Palace & SPA
Vouliagmeni, Athens
This is the third in a series of international
meetings related to Rhinology-Otology
and Skull Base Surgery - Current Concepts
that is offered through the Department of
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
of the University of Athens.
This meeting is designed to provide in-
depth understanding of the pathophysi-
ology and treatment options for patients
suffering from pathologies of the respec-
tive anatomic areas. A world class faculty,
international leaders in their field and
decision-makers will exchange scientific
information on the most up-to-date ad-
vances in these fields of specialty.
EVENTS CALENDAR
14th International Conference of
the A.P.P.A.C. "Neuropsychiatric,
Psychological and Social Develop-
ments in a Globalised World"
5 - 8 May, Hilton Hotel, Athens
The 14th International Conference will be
both European and global, both with re-
gard to the theme of the Conference and
the participation from all over the world. It
will bring together international and local
experts with diverse backgrounds to ad-
dress a wide variety of topics of significant
interest in mental health. In addition, an
important aspect of the conference will be
linking science with profession, providing
plenty of opportunities for academic inter-
change and experience sharing, especially
since Psychology is a profession that has
grown out of science.
International Conference on New
Media and Information:
Convergences and Divergences
6 - 9 May, Megaron Athens Interna-
tional Conference Centre, Athens
The conference objective is to address
questions related to digital communica-
tion and its significance in the public do-
main, as they are both being shaped by
states and politics, technologies, business
activity, publishing initiatives and com-
munities of citizens who utilise the Inter-
net and mobile means of communication.
It will explore the relationships among
new media and modes of information, the
conflict and convergence with traditional
forms of information and the socio-eco-
nomic consequences of these processes.
11
12
6th International Conference on
High Temperature Capillarity
6 - 9 May, Metropolitan Hotel,
Athens
HTC Conferences aim at issues linked to
surfaces and interfaces, wetting and cap-
illarity phenomena, specifically related to
materials as well as to materials process-
ing at elevated temperatures.
The HTC-2009 conference will host a spe-
cial session dedicated to the role of "Capil-
larity on Crystal Growth," chaired by Prof.
T. Duffar, and will include invited, oral and
poster presentations.
Approach to Pleural
Cancer: State-of-the-Art
7 - 8 May, New Amphitheatre, Athens
University - Main Building, Athens
The audience will be informed with up-
to-date understanding of concepts of
pathogenesis as well as practical guides
to management of pleural malignancies,
allowing participants to gain insight and
confidence in the care of patients with
pleural cancers. A European School of On-
cology course on malignant mesothelio-
ma was first held in Brussels in 2007 and
was considered successful. By expanding
the programme to other pleural malig-
nancies, awareness and management
standard for patients with malignant
pleural diseases will be raised.
9th International Conference on
Sports: Economic, Management,
Marketing and Social Aspects
8– 11 May, Athens
The aim of the conference is to bring to-
gether scholars and students of econom-
ics, management, marketing, tourism,
recreation, leisure and other service in-
dustries to identify areas of common re-
search issues as well as methodological
and analytical differences.
5th International Greek
Biotechnology Forum
8 - 9 May, Zappeion Megaron, Athens
The 5th International Greek Biotechnol-
ogy Forum, organised by the Society for
Biotechnology, Biosciences and Culture,
will once again bring together the crème
de la crème of the bio-scientific and bio-
business world. The two-day event will
host some of the most important research
and scientific developments concerning
bio-medicine (Red biotech), agro-biotech-
nology, biofuels, environmental biotech-
nology (Green & White biotech) and their
commercial applications.
3rd International
Conference on Sociology
11 - 14 May, Athens
The aim of the conference is to bring to-
gether scholars and students from all
areas of Sociology, Criminal Justice and
Social Work.
Athens Summit on Energy
Security & Climate Change
12 - 13 May, Hilton Hotel, Athens
Hosted by FT Global Events in association
with the Institute for Climate and Energy
Security and C&C International, the sum-
mit will bring together senior governmen-
tal officials, corporate leaders, financiers
and experts to debate and discuss how the
twin goals of energy security and manag-
ing climate change can be achieved to the
benefit of all.
This is the second event of its kind with
last year's conference attracting more
than 800 attendees.
1st International Conference on
Mobile Lightweight Wireless Systems
18– 20 May, Vouliagmeni, Athens
Wireless communications are becoming
increasingly pervasive, as the number and
diffusion of portable wireless-equipped
devices is exponentially increasing (rang-
ing from cellular phones to handheld
game console, from personal digital as-
sistants and personal navigation devices
to still and video cameras). This has re-
sulted in an unprecedented request for
lightweight, wireless communication de-
vices with high usability and performance
able to support added-value services in a
highly mobile environment, able to fol-
low the user everywhere he goes (work,
home, while travelling, in the classroom),
but also in opening exciting research, de-
velopment and business opportunities.
7th International Conference on
Communication and Mass Media
18 -21 May, Athens
The aim of the conference is to bring to-
gether scholars and students of Commu-
nications, Mass Media and other related
disciplines. Past conferences drew partici-
pants from five continents and more than
50 countries, presenting papers on diverse
topics such as political communication, EU
enlargement, website design, cross-media
ownership, war correspondence, cultural
studies, film, public relations, telecom-
munication policy, advertising, agenda
setting, juvenile audience preferences, and
cross-national communication, among
others.
4th International
Symposium on Environment
21 -24 May, Athens
The aim of the conference is to bring together
scholars and students of environment from
all disciplines, such as Education, Biology,
Chemistry, Geology, Economics, Geography,
History, Political Science, Communications,
Environmental Health, Environmental Law
and Justice and Government Policy. Areas
of interest include (but are not confined
to): Energy, Waste and Recycling, Water Re-
search Engineering, Biological Treatment of
Water, Water Quality Engineering, Manage-
ment, Water Quality Modelling, Treatment
Management Strategies Relevant to Water,
Surface Quality Control, Quality Control of
Water, Development of Tools for Controlling
Water Quality, Atmospheric Pollution, Soil
Pollution, the Economy of Nature, Politics
and Science, Petroleum Waste Manage-
ment and Natural Methods of Controlling
Pollution.
11th International
Conference on Education
25 -28 May, Athens
The aim of the conference is to bring to-
gether scholars and students of Educa-
tion and other related disciplines. A special
track will be devoted to Modern Chinese
Educational Studies.
24th Annual Meeting of the European
Association of the Cardio-Thoracic
Anaesthesiologists (EACTA)
27 - 30 May, Divani Carvel Hotel,
Athens
The programme will feature the latest ad-
vances in Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular An-
aesthesia and Intensive Care, incorporat-
ing lectures, oral and poster presentations,
round table discussions and industry-spon-
sored symposia.
NESA Days in Athens: Congress of the
New European Surgical Academy
28 - 30 May, Aegli Zappeion, Athens
NESA has already reached its academic
targets by bringing together doctors from
different surgical specialties. The main
benefit from the interdisciplinary exchange
of experience, especially in technical inno-
vations, is the development of new ideas
that can be used by each of us in our own
specialty. We have planned a very stimulat-
ing program, covering the latest innovative
surgical methods, such as the natural ori-
fice surgical approach, and the up-to-date
pharmaceutical advances. Moreover, the
junior doctors will have the chance to pres-
ent their scientific papers, videos and post-
ers and participate in a special workshop
on the optimal approach to scientific writ-
ing. This year, the NESA Congress will join
the 5th Breast Symposium, which will be
a wonderful opportunity to promote the
multidisciplinary approach to science and
clinical practice.
EVENTS CALENDAR
International Conference on Computer
Graphics and Artificial Intelligence
29 - 30 May, Technological Educational
Institute of Athens (TEI), Athens
The aim of the 3IA Conference is to present
the actual state of research of computer
graphics researchers who use artificial in-
telligence techniques.
Topics include:
• Artificial intelligence techniques in con-
struction of geometric figures
• Artificial intelligence techniques in scene
modelling
• Computer graphics and machine learning
• Declarative techniques in scene modelling
• Scene properties description techniques
• Intelligent visualisation
• Intelligent methods for exploring virtual
worlds
• Intelligent collaborative design
• Design of intelligent graphic interfaces
• Behavioural animation
• Animation and artificial intelligence
• Scene understanding
• Semantics-based approaches in design
• Decision support systems in design
• Knowledge-based design and rendering
• Intelligent Computational aesthetics
• Application of AI techniques in CAD and
GIS
• Intelligent CG applications in bioinformat-
ics & medical informatics
5th Congress of the International
Federation of Neuroendoscopy
31 May - 3 June, Hotel Grande Bretagne,
Athens
The congress will consist of informative
sessions, state-of-the-art lectures, interac-
tive discussions and events, which will be
conducted by distinguished invited speak-
ers. In the context of this congress, we
shall discuss most aspects of indications,
procedures and outcomes of Neuroendos-
copy. Our scientific programme will cover
the hottest topics of our specialty, includ-
ing recent developments and therapeutic
methods.
13
14
New principles for
organizing and disseminating
scientific knowledge:
EKT's International Conference on Open Access
Repositories and Open Access Journals
were in the spotlight at the International
Conference "Open Access Infrastructures:
the Future of Scientific Communication"
that was successfully hosted by the Greek
National Documentation Centre (EKT)
on December 15-16, 2008, in Athens. The
Conference (www.openaccess.gr/con-
ference2008) attracted more than 300
stakeholders that lead the development
of these new open-access principles for
organising and disseminating scientific
knowledge worldwide.
In recent years, there has been an increas-
ing interest from the scientific community
in the development of alternative tools to
ensure the dissemination and the most
efficient exploitation of scientific results.
Open Access is an initiative of the aca-
demic and research community for free,
immediate, permanent, online access to
digital scientific material. Following in-
ternational trends, ΕΚΤ has developed na-
tional open access infrastructures aiming
at providing open access to scientific and
cultural material: the Repository Helios of
the National Hellenic Research Founda-
tion, Repositories for the Humanities and
Health Sciences, the National Archive of
PhD Theses, as well as international Open
Access Scientific Journals.
During the conference, academics, re-
searchers, publishers from Europe and
North America, as well as representatives
from the European Commission presented
views and experiences, and raised impor-
tant questions on open access infrastruc-
tures and the related emerging prospects
of scholarly communication. The follow-
ing are the highlights of presentations and
discussions at the conference:
• The international research community
called for open access to scientific re-
search as a way of intensifying research
for public benefit;
• Open access to scientific research is be-
coming a requirement for research con-
ducted with public funds, and gradually
a precondition for private funding of re-
search;
• Developments towards open access are
positive in all countries and research or-
ganisations, especially as its financial
implications and general benefits are be-
coming better understood with time;
• Numerous intellectual property issues
have yet to be tackled in the effort to put
past and current research in the public
domain;
• Greece has made important advances
towards open access; however, an in-
tegrated web portal is needed, as well
as coordination of efforts of all parties
involved.
The keynote speaker, Prof. Jean-Claude
Guédon (Department of Comparative
Literature, University of Montreal, Vice-
President of the Canadian Society for the
Humanities and Social Sciences) stressed
that open access "returns" the knowledge
produced to a broader audience and to
the scientists themselves. Open Access
gives control of knowledge dissemina-
tion to the scientific community, instead
of the few existing companies that now
profit through high-cost subscriptions to
journals.
case studies
Advisor to the Secretary for Digital Plan-
ning Yannis Larios presented the initiatives
of the Greek Ministry of Economy and Fi-
nance on open access. The representative
of the European Commission, Dr Kyriakos
Baxevanidis, referred to the development
of ICT infrastructures that enable Euro-
pean researchers to produce high-level
results, deposit and disseminate them
through open access tools. Chris Bird, rep-
resenting The Wellcome Trust, the largest
private funding organization on biomedi-
cal research in the UK, presented the or-
ganisation's open access policy. Director
of SPARC Europe (Scholarly Publishing
and Academic Resources Coalition) David
Prosser elaborated on the international
developments of Repositories and Open
Access Journals.
Dr Evi Sachini, Head of EKT's Strategic
Planning & Development Department,
presented the Repositories and Open Ac-
cess Journals that EKT is developing as
part of the project "National Information
System for Research and Technology -
Open Access Electronic Repositories and
Journals." The infrastructures operate in
an interactive digital environment for dis-
seminating knowledge, thus overcom-
ing any geographical or technical barrier.
They run on open-source software and are
managed in collaboration with scientific
and research organisations.
Information on open access, relevant na-
tional and international policies, activities
of the National Documentation Centre,
as well as events and news from Greece
and the world are now available at www.
openaccess.gr. The presentations of the
speakers, video and photos from the con-
ference are available on the website
www.openaccess.gr/conference2008.
15
16
April 27 – 29 2009
The Hilton Hotel, Athens, Greece
Dear Industry Colleague,
Following my letter of invitation, I am pleased to inform
you that preparations for the 2009 Airport Cities World
Conference and Exhibition in Athens are now well under
way. As your host, Athens International Airport is offering
a wide range of social and networking events for you
to enjoy and take part in. Whether you are attending as
a delegate, speaker, sponsor or exhibitor, I encourage
you to take part in the Airport City tour showcasing our
creative land-use and innovative Airport City complex,
the Welcome Reception at the Athens Hilton Hotel,
and last but by no means least, a delightful evening at a
relaxing, unique venue with an idyllic sea view.
My team at Athens International Airport is looking
forward to welcoming you and all our guests from across
the globe to Athens in order to explore and develop
airport city concepts. The conference programme is
at an advanced stage of development and features
many airport CEOs, directors and managers, as well as
architects, planners, real-estate developers, retailers,
cargo and logistic companies and investment bankers.
I know that these distinguished presenters join me in
wishing to meet and welcome all our conference guests
to the event and to share their experiences regarding all
the new developments in the global airport cities model.
On that note, I look forward to welcoming you as our
guests to this exciting and informative conference and
event.
Sincerely yours,
Dr Yiannis N. Paraschis
Chief Executive Officer, Athens International Airport S.A.
About Airport Cities
“Airports have become powerful engines of local economic
development, attracting aviation-linked businesses of all
types to their environs. Along with incorporating a wide
variety of retail and consumer services into passenger
terminals, many airports are developing their landslide
areas with hotels, conference and exhibition centres,
office and shopping complexes, recreation facilities
and logistics and free-trade zones. Such commercial
development is substantially and positively impact-
ing the financial bottom line of airports. It is also
transforming them into airport cities as they become
significant employment, shopping, business and leisure
destinations in their own right.”
Professor John D. Kasarda
Director, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, University
of North Carolina.
upcoming conferences
AIRPORT CITIES
WORLD CONFERENCE
& EXHIBITION
Airport CEO Speakers confirmed
• Yiannis Paraschis, CEO, Athens International Airport SA
• Desmond Shum, Vice Chairman & CEO,
Airport City Development Company Ltd, Beijing
• Wilhelm Bender, Chairman of the Executive Board,
Fraport AG
• Herbert Kaufmann, CEO, Vienna International Airport
• Rudy Vercelli, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC)
• Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO, Hamburg Airport
• Kim Day, Manager of Aviation, Denver International Airport
• Robert Ficano, CEO of the Charter County of Wayne,
Michigan - The Detroit Aerotropolis
• Larry Cox, President and CEO, Memphis-Shelby County
Airport Authority
• Randall Curtis, Executive Director, Panama
City-Bay County International Airport
• Luiz Antonio Athayde, Undersecretary for International
Affairs, Governo de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte
And many others
Conference Programme:
• CEO Vision
• Around the World of Airport Cities - The Very Latest Developments
• Developing Airport Cities (adopting the Aerotropolis model)
• New Airport Cities
• Airport City Developments - An Airport Investor’s Perspective
• Key Partnerships in Airport City Development
• Sustainable Airports – Greener Airport Cities
• Governance of the Airport City / Aerotropolis
• Non-aeronautical Revenue Streams
• Leveraging Value From the Airport Location
• Cargo and Logistics as the Drivers of Growth 17
• The Development of Airport Cities In China
18 upcoming conferences

Networking Opportunities
Monday 27 April
Airport City Tour TRAVEL AND CONGRESS SERVICES
Join us for the Airport City tour of Athens International Airport. This is a unique
opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at a busy hub. All conference guests
are welcome to take part in this tour.

Welcome Reception
All participants are invited to attend the Welcome Reception at the Hilton Hotel in
Athens – our official conference hotel – and to take advantage of this networking
evening to meet fellow delegates, sponsors and speakers in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Welcome Reception will provide a platform for the official opening of the
Airport Cities event, and will include an exhibition for delegates to browse.

Tuesday 28 April
Gala Evening
Join us at the exclusive Balux/Babae club on the waterfront and watch thousands
of lights twinkle across the sea. Listen to the sounds, enjoy the flavours, follow the
rhythm and experience Greek hospitality at its best!

Wednesday 29 April
Farewell Reception
Join fellow delegates in welcoming next year’s Airport Cities host, the Airport City
Development Company, for the handover ceremony, as well as congratulating
Athens International Airport on hosting Airport Cities 2009. The Chinese-style
reception will be held in the foyer on the ground floor of the Hilton Hotel, outside
the exhibition room.

Contact Us:
For registration and general information,
please contact:
Emma Dean, Events Manager
Insight Media Ltd
Tel: +44 (0) 208 831 7505
Fax: +44 (0) 208 891 0123
Email: emma@airportconference.com

For sponsorship and exhibition information,

please contact:
Andrew Hazell, Event Director
Insight Media Ltd
39-41 Lykavittou Street, Athens 106 72, Greece, Direct Tel.: ++30 210 366 8800, Fax: ++30 210 364 6415
Tel: +44 (0) 208 831 7505
email: info@afea.gr ñ www.afea.gr
Fax: +44 (0) 208 891 0123 19
Email: andrewh@airportconference.com
ICCA
Member
site
20
GEORGIOS TSAKIRIS
PRESIDENT
OF ATHENS - ATTICA HOTELS ASSOCIATION
Mr Tsakiris talks about changes in Athens, the services offered
by Athens Hotels and the future of Athenian tourism.
What changes were evident in Athens following the staging of the 2004
Olympic Games?
The new infrastructure and the new hotel product and their subsequent extensive
promotion through the Games gave the tourism product of Attica a significant
boost. However, its establishment in the world tourism market demands signifi-
cant organisation on a production level, while at the same time it requires enrich-
ment with other specialised forms of tourism, such as convention, cultural, trade
exhibition and sports tourism, among others. The evolution of contemporary
tourism trends has led most metropolitan destinations to build on their potential
as city break destinations as part of a new direction in development. The entry of
many destinations into the market has created intense competition among the
city breaks destinations, especially in Europe. Most of the capitals and major cit-
ies of Europe are pursuing a share of this particular market, and many of them are
seeing impressive results.
How would you assess tourist flow in Athens?
Until the beginning of December, the flow of tourists in Athens, despite the global
crisis, was good. The December events and the extensive negative publicity of this
destination, which resulted from exaggerated reports of the events by the inter-
national news media, caused a marked interruption in tourist flow in Attica, and
thereby in the rest of the country as well.
INTERVIEW
What is the status of the conference
infrastructure in Athens?
Without a doubt, the development and establishment
of Athens as a conference and trade exhibition destina-
tion constitute an important goal and market for tour-
ism in Attica. As for conference tourism, an increase
in conventions taking place in Athens has been noted
in recent years, particularly since the 2004 Olympics.
Of course, this increase is far below the optimal levels
that would render Athens a "mature" conference desti-
nation. One of the drawbacks we could identify is the
absence of a metropolitan conference centre of inter-
national scope and standards, which would definitely
put Greece on the large conference destination map.
At the same time, the lack of a national policy to at-
tract conference events is also an issue. The significant
delay in transforming the Tae Kwon Do Olympic venue
into a conference centre has been particularly costly
for the tourism economy of the city as well as for in-
dividual businesses. Other than that, as far as confer-
ence infrastructure is concerned, Attica is served by its
area hotels and the Athens Concert Hall.
What is the standard of service offered by
Athens hotels?
We believe that since the Olympic Games, Attica has
been providing its visitors the best hotel product in Eu-
rope. I refer to the entire range of hotels from 2* to 5*.
The services provided are on a part with the physical
facilities, as evidenced by the continual recognition of
the organisational integrity of Athenian hotels.
21
The Mayor of Athens, Nikitas Kaklamanis with Georgios Tsakiris
22 INTERVIEW

Why do you believe that Athens is an exceptionally safe

destination for its visitors?
Athens is undoubtedly a very safe destination. Naturally, as inhab-
itants of this city, we have a different point of view and conception
as compared to visitors. This is an area that we have to work on as
a country so that we can convince our visitors of the safety that we
objectively do provide.

How does the economic crisis affect tourism worldwide and

how is Athens responding to these conditions?
Times are definitely hard. The current economic crisis is unprece-
dented in our generation. As for its impact, we can only assess it and
certainly not predict it. This uncertainty does not only affect Athens
and Greece in general, but the entire global tourism market. The
question is what magnitude of damage will each destination actu-
ally experience? We are already seeing our major competitor destina-
tions recording losses – some greater and others smaller – in both
occupancy and in prices. The hoteliers in Athens and Attica have al-
ready markedly reduced their prices to make their productive more
attractive. This, along with immediate efforts to promote Athens an-
nounced by the government and the combined and targeted activi-
ties of the City of Athens, will help us limit the impact of the crisis.

What do you see for the future of Athenian tourism?

I personally believe a great deal in the potential of and outlook for
tourism in Athens. All destinations have their good and mediocre
periods. The potential of Attica on a cultural level, as well as a city
breaks and lifestyle level, is unique. Dining and shopping in Athens
have increased the recreational options for visitors to the city. Our
tourism and hotel product is exceptional and in general I believe that
if we improve our organisation and the image we project, things will A View of the Ancients.
be better. The hoteliers in Athens and With breathtaking views of the famed
Attica have already markedly Acropolis and Parthenon, regal Constitution
In your opinion, why would a company choose Athens as a reduced their prices to make Square and the Parliament, lush Lycabettus
conference location? Hill, or the original Olympic Stadium,
their productive more
As I mentioned earlier, Athens provides a broad range of interests for the Hotel Grande Bretagne offers unrivaled
visitors, and in combination with the many options for recreation of- attractive. This, along with
perspectives of Athens’ mythical history.
fered conference-goers during their stay in the city, it makes an ideal
immediate efforts to promote
conference destination. Athens has many advantages: besides being
a major metropolitan destination, it is also a coastal city that can Athens announced by the
combine and offer its visitors that kind of holiday as well. government and the combined
and targeted activities of the
City of Athens, will help us
limit the impact of the crisis. Life is a collection of experiences. Let us be your guide.
The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts Hotel Grande Bretagne
Explore the collection at luxurycollection.com or contact your travel professional.

23
24 VENUES

Athinais
In the 1920s, it was a natural silk factory. But in the 1950s, it discontinued production
and was reduced to a storage facility. As the 21st century begins, after a long period of

Cultural Centre idleness, Athinais is bursting with new life, converted into a modern "multi-purpose"
venue fostering creative human interaction.

The old silk factory has been gracefully revamped and transformed into a state-
of-the-art, 6,500m2 conference complex hosting a wide range of business
initiatives, cultural activities and quality entertainment. The inspired renova-
tion project preserved the building's industrial character and accentuated its
distinctive architectural features, merging traditional values with advanced
technology and progressive design. Heralding the revitalisation of a historic
district rich in age-old memories, Athinais is a contemporary landmark in the
trend-setting part of Athens, offering a novel approach to creative endeavour
and reflecting the changing face of Greece that became the centre of the world
during the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Conferencing

The conference halls extend over a total area of 1,100m2, hosting business fo-
rums, presentations, trade shows, scientific conventions and social functions.
The natural lighting and unobstructed layout guarantee ideal viewing condi-
tions and perfect acoustics. Exceptionally designed and offering the latest in
audio-visual, communication and exhibition facilities, the Athinais halls com-
prise an outstanding conference centre with advanced features and sophisti-
cated style.

Athinais Catering

25
26 VENUES HOTELS

Athinais is bursting with new life, converted into a modern "multi-purpose"

venue fostering creative human interaction. The old silk factory has been
gracefully revamped and transformed into a state-of-the-art, 6,500m2 con-
ference complex hosting a wide range of business initiatives, cultural activi-
ties and quality entertainment. The inspired renovation project preserved the
building's industrial character and accentuated its distinctive architectural
features, merging traditional values with advanced technology and progres-
sive design. Heralding the revitalisation of a historic district rich in age-old
memories, Athinais is a contemporary landmark in the trend-setting part of
Athens, offering a novel approach to creative endeavour and reflecting the
changing face of Greece that became the centre of the world during the 2004
Athens Olympics.

Conferencing
The conference halls extend over a total area of 1,100m2, hosting business fo-
rums, presentations, trade shows, scientific conventions and social functions.
The natural lighting and unobstructed layout guarantee ideal viewing condi-
tions and perfect acoustics. Exceptionally designed and offering the latest in
audio-visual, communication and exhibition facilities, the Athinais halls com-
prise an outstanding conference centre with advanced features and sophisti-
cated style.
Silk Room
The main conference hall was named after the precious natural fibre that
marked the building's initial "life cycle."
Artium
An impressive space offers a unique setting of enchanting natural beauty.
Auditoriums I & II
Two state-of-the-art auditoriums for conferences and lectures that comple-
ment Athinais' multifunctional capabilities.
01. ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT
Banqueting
02. PROFESSIONAL CONGRESS ORGANISER
Accommodating groups as small as 100 people and as large as 1,500, the Athi-
nais halls are the right choice for banquets of the highest standard. Original 03. EVENTS & DESTINATION MANAGEMENT
ideas and distinctive elegance make social events at Athinais a memorable expe-
rience. Impeccably appointed and imaginatively decorated with fine examples
04. STRATEGY & COMMUNICATION
of modern and contemporary Greek art, the Silk Room and Artium are stylish
banqueting venues that make a lasting impression with their graceful and in-
spiring ambiance. The everlasting value of good taste, the irresistible appeal of
modern design, the captivating beauty of art and the romantic aura of the old
50SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS 255INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS
silk factory create an ideal atmosphere for a genuine feast of the senses.
760UNIQUE SOCIAL EVENTS77.256PARTICIPANTS37.200ABSTRACT PAGES
Art and Culture
17.800INVITED SPEAKERS210.000SQ. M EXHIBITION SPACE520MEDIA ACTIVITIES
Precious antiquities and unique objects of extraordinary ancient and contem-
porary art are exhibited in an impressive indoor area specially designed to host 4.000ACCREDITED JOURNALISTS100SKILLED PROFESSIONALS
visual art exhibitions of high calibre. Two of the most important exhibitions
that have been hosted by the Museum of Ancient and Contemporary Art are
"9000 Years of Cypriot Culture" and "3,200 Years of Cyprus Hellenism - From
Astarte to Aphrodite," both staged by the Pierides Foundation in close co-op-
eration with Athinais. Adjacent to the Museum of Ancient and Contemporary 


Art, the Art Shop offers a wide assortment of decorative objects, high-quality
reproductions, sculpture, museum copies and jewellery. Suitable for both per-
sonal and business gifts, the Art Shop's exclusive selections reach a broader
public, promoting art in everyday life. 27

02_21X28_ADV_print.indd 1 2/2/09 11:08:02 AM

28
ORGANISED IN ASSOCIATION WITH
This one-and-a-half-day event was held
on the evening of Wednesday 1 April and
FT Global Events: throughout the day on Thursday 2 April at
the Athens Chamber of Commerce and In-
dustry Headquarters in Athens, Greece.
Preparing for the Upturn The event was tailored to bring together
political and business leaders to discuss
FT Global Events, in association with the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry how Greece can best manage the eco-
and C&C International, staged a unique conference focused on the steps that need to be nomic upturn.
taken to drive the upturn in Greece.
As the Governor of the Bank of Greece,
George Provopoulos, said: "After many
years of strong and uninterrupted growth,
Greece’s economy is today at a critical
crossroads." The global downturn means
that the government and Greek business-
es must mitigate the impact of the eco-
nomic challenges and actively turn crisis
into opportunity to stimulate and sustain
medium and long-term growth and devel-
opment across all sectors. The conference
focused on the steps that need to be taken
to drive the upturn in Greece.
The conference brought together leading
speakers from government and the pri-
vate sector, both locally and internation-
ally, and was a successful forum for debate
and dialogue on key issues including:
• In-depth evaluation of the government’s
economic stimulus plans to drive growth
• Analysing the key role that foreign and
direct investment can play in revitalising
the economy
• Examining the steps the retail, industrial
and service sectors need to take to miti-
gate the implications of the downturn and
plan for future growth
• How Greek ship owners are limiting the
impact of the downturn on their business
by capitalising on the opportunities of the
downturn
• Exploring the opportunities for invest-
ment in infrastructure projects and the
impact that revised regulation on PPP is
having on the sector
CASE STUDies
• Assessing the steps that need to be tak-
en to restore confidence in and maintain
the positive reputation of Greek tourism
to guarantee its large contribution to the
country’s GDP
Attendees included senior industry figures
and experts from key sectors like govern-
ment, finance, retail industry, shipping
infrastructure and tourism.
ABOUT THE ORGANISERS
The Athens Chamber of Commerce and
Industry
The Athens Chamber of Commerce and
Industry plays a leading role in supporting
the interests of Greece’s business com-
munity. The ACCI was founded in 1841
and today it has approximately 100,000
members.
29
30 CASE STUDies
THE NEW FACE
OF ATHENS
Financial Times Global Events
FT Global Events is at the cutting edge of business practice
and since launching in 2002, has attracted over 24,000
ON THE WEB
The activities of ACCI are focused on four core high-level professionals from throughout the banking and
areas: financial services sector.
• Consultancy: ACCI serves as advisor and consultant to
the government on matters concerning commerce, indus- Organised by an experienced and dedicated in-house
try and economic development policy. team, our events portfolio includes conferences, summits,
• Supporting business activities through the provision of
authoritative data, advice and information and an exten-
country briefings, roundtables and awards which are held
throughout the UK, Mainland and Eastern Europe, North Enjoy the best
sive programme of meetings and conventions, trade mis- America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.
sions and collaborations with international organisations
and agencies. The conference was organised by
of Athens with us
• Education, through the organisation of seminars, support C&C International (www.CandC-group.com)
of continuing education and its participation in the activi- www.breathtakingathens.com
ties of the Athens Laboratory of Business Administration.
• Awards and prizes for companies, business people and
students.

All you need to know

about your business
trip in Athens
www.athensconventionbureau.gr
32
National
Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Mu-
seum is the largest museum in
Greece and one of the world's great
museums. Although its original
purpose was to secure all the finds
from the 19th century excavations in
and around Athens, it gradually be-
came the central National Archaeo-
logical Museum and was enriched
with finds from all over Greece. Its
abundant collections, with more
than 20,000 exhibits, provide a
panorama of Greek civilisation from
the beginnings of Prehistory to Late
Antiquity. The museum is housed in
an imposing neoclassical building
built at the end of the 19th century,
which was designed by L. Lange
and remodelled by Ernst Ziller. The
vast exhibition space, consisting of
numerous galleries on each floor ac-
counting for a total of 8,000 square
metres, houses five large permanent
collections:
The Prehistoric Collection con-
sists of unique works of art repre-
senting the major civilisations that
flourished in the Aegean from the
7th millennium to about 1050 BC. It
includes objects from the Neolithic
period and the Bronze Age, from
mainland Greece, the Aegean is-
lands and Troy.
The history of Greek civilisation from the beginings
of Prehistory to Late Antiquity
The most important exhibits are
the treasures from the royal tombs
at Mycenae, the famous Cycladic
marble figurines, and the superbly
preserved wall-paintings from Thera
with their large-scale composi-
tions. These objects are on display in
Rooms 3-6 on the ground floor and
Room 48 on the first floor.
The Sculpture Collection pres-
ents the development of ancient
Greek sculpture from the 8th cen-
tury BC to the end of the 4th cen-
tury AD. The sculptures comprising
it, many of which are masterpieces
and landmarks in the history of art,
come from Athens and other parts
of Greece – Thessaly, central Greece,
the Peloponnese, Crete and the Ae-
gean islands – and enable visitors to
get an overall impression of both of
the development of sculpture and
of the particular features of the vari-
ous local workshops. The collection
contains some of the largest groups
of original sculptures in the world.
Amongst these are the groups from
the Archaic period, the most impor-
tant of which are the series of Kouroi,
and those of Classical grave reliefs,
the unparalleled famous gravestone
of Hegeso and those from Salamis
and the River Ilissos. This veritable
MUSEUMS
treasury of large-scale sculpture oc-
cupies 30 rooms on the ground floor,
arranged in a broad circle around the
periphery of the old building. The vis-
it begins in Room 7, with the works
of Late Antiquity.
The Collection of Vases and
Minor Objects is to be found in
Rooms 49-56 on the first floor. A few
outstanding pieces, like the monu-
mental Geometric amphora from
Dipylon or the Analatos hydria, are
displayed for comparative purposes
in rooms of the Sculpture Collec-
tion. The great quantity and quality
of the Geometric pottery, the early
black-figure vases from Vari, and the
white-ground lekythoi and red-fig-
ure vases of the 4th century BC make
this collection one of the richest in
the world. The exhibits are displayed
in chronological order and illustrate
the evolution of Greek pottery from
the 11th to the 4th century BC.
33
34
The Bronze Collection is one
of the largest in the world. It is
famous mainly for its unique,
large-scale original statues,
such as the Poseidon or Zeus
from Artemision, the Marathon
boy, the Antikythera youth and
the jockey from Artemision and
also smaller pieces, such as the
mechanism from Antikythera,
figurines and vases. The majority
of the bronzes were dedications
in the major Greek sanctuaries.
These small artefacts, displayed
in Rooms 36-39 on the ground
floor, illustrate the development
of Greek art from the Geometric
to the Roman times.
The Egyptian Collection is re-
nowned throughout the world
for the importance of its objects.
Representative items are on
display in Rooms 40-41 on the
ground floor. These are arranged
in chronological order and cover
the full spectrum of Egyptian
civilisation from the early Predy-
nastic period (5000 BC) to the
time of the Roman empire (30
BC – AD 395). Examples of every
art form are included: statues,
reliefs, stelai, pottery, sarcoph-
agi, mummies, Fayum portraits,
miniature art and jewellery. The
Stathatos Collection is exhibited
in Room 42 of the ground floor.
The 970 objects comprising it,
mainly works of the Minor Arts
in a variety of materials, cover
the period from the Middle
Bronze Age to the Post-Byzan-
tine period.
The museum possesses a rich
photographic archive and a
library with many rare publi-
cations, the latter of which is
constantly enriched to meet the
needs of the research staff. There
are also modern conservation
laboratories for metal, pottery,
MUSEUMS
stone and organic materials, a
cast workshop, a photographic
laboratory and a chemistry
laboratory. The museum has
temporary exhibition spaces, a
lecture hall for archaeological
lectures and one of the largest
shops of the Archaeological Re-
ceipts Fund.
The National Archaeological
Museum welcomes thousands
of visitors each year. Besides
displaying its own treasures, it
organises temporary exhibitions
and lends artefacts to exhibi-
tions both in Greece and abroad.
It also functions as a research
centre for scientists and schol-
ars from around the world and
participates in special educa-
tional and other programs. An
important feature is the avail-
ability of guided visits for people
with impaired hearing. The Mu-
seum functions as a Special Re-
gional Service of the Ministry of
Culture and its five permanent
collections are administered au-
tonomously.
The new wing
Five new permanent exhibitions
were inaugurated February 26
2009 in the new wing of the Na-
tional Archaeological Museum,
covering a total of 550 square
meters. It is situated on the up-
per storey of the building, where
the former Numismatic Muse-
um operated from 1946 to 1998.
The exhibition units are part of
the Vases and Minor Arts Collec-
tion, most of them presented for
the first time. The units are Hel-
lenistic Pottery, Terracotta Figu-
rines, the Vlastos-Serpieris Col-
lection, Glass Vessels and Gold
Jewellery and Silver Vessels.
35
36 HOTELS

Divani
Caravel
Hotel
Fully serviced conference facilities, rooms with outstanding
view, a perfect location in the heart of Athens.

37
38
Just minutes away from the business centre, fashion-
able Kolonaki with its exclusive shopping, trendy cafes
and restaurants, as well as notable museums like the
Museum of Cycladic Arts and the National Gallery, the
Divani Caravel makes the perfect base from which to
enjoy all Athens has to offer.Upon entering the hotel,
you find yourself in an impressive lobby combining
light, marble and wood. Stay in one of the 471 fully refur-
bished luxury, executive-floor rooms and suites, which
combine comfort and elegance. Unique designer fab-
rics, tasteful artistic paintings, stately and functional
oak furniture together create an atmosphere of luxury
and warmth.
All rooms are soundproof, equipped with individually
adjustable climate control, satellite and cable TV, mini-
bar, safe deposit box, radio, digital phone system with
voice mail, ADSL & ISDN lines and data port, electronic
key-card-lock system, fireproof doors and hairdryer.
The two executive floors and the suites have a full ste-
reo music system, a second telephone line, coffee/tea
facilities and luxurious bathroom amenities. Executive
services include daily VIP turndown service, mineral
water upon arrival, private executive hospitality desk
and private executive lounge with free breakfast, drinks
and snacks.
A fully equipped business centre, daily laundry, dry
cleaning and valet service, as well as round the clock
room service, complete a superb package of pleasure
and relaxation. During your stay, you may sample the
full American buffet breakfast at the Amalia Restau-
rant or have a cocktail at the Roof Garden Pool Bar. The
indoor/outdoor swimming pool operates all year round
and invites you to swim with a breathtaking view of
Acropolis and the city of Athens. At the Café Constan-
tinople, you can partake of the lunch buffet featuring
a variety of local and international dishes and, as night
falls, have a drink, accompanied by a cigar, in the Cigar
Lounge before continuing with an unforgettable din-
ner at Brown’s Restaurant.
Meetings & Events
Host your next business meeting, training conference,
corporate event or formal affair in the luxurious el-
egance of the Divani Caravel Hotel. The hotel’s helpful
staff is eager to ensure all the details are taken care of,
and that your event will be truly memorable.
The Conference Halls are the ideal venue for all types of
meetings.
Divani Caravel offers 4,000 m2 of meeting space and
can accommodate from 10 to 2,000 persons. All areas
are fully equipped, multifunctional and soundproof,
with individual lighting and the latest audio-visual
technology upon request. Our staff will attend to every
detail to ensure your meeting is a success.
Divani Caravel has 16 fully equipped function rooms,
most with natural daylight, with a spacious banqueting
foyer at the hub of the main conference room, providing
an impressive setting for delegate registration, exhibi-
tions and refreshment breaks.
The 600 m2 Olympia Ballroom with its spacious foyer,
one of the largest hotel ballrooms in the city, accommo-
dates up to 1,500 persons and lends an extra dimension
to congresses, exhibitions, product launches and major
banquet events. The room can also be divided into two
completely self-contained soundproof areas. State-of-
the-art lighting and audio-visual facilities are discreetly
positioned throughout.
The hotel offers three more spacious conference halls:
the Macedonia, which has the ability to break out to
eight separate banqueting areas, and the Ilissos and
Vergina, which can be used for meetings or dining. Al-
ternatively, the meeting rooms Lobby Suite, Florina and
Aristotelis I, II, III, are perfect for high-level meetings on
a smaller scale.
Finally, the banqueting halls Horizon and Athens View,
both located on the Roof Garden level, offer a magnifi-
cent backdrop of Lycabettus Hill and the Acropolis for
your event.
Peak Health Club & Spa
The Peak Health Club & SPA is located on the 9th floor of
the Divani Caravel, a member of the Leading Hotels of the
World, in the centre of Athens. Open seven days a week,
the spa offers a treatment menu with more than 30 dif-
ferent selections, including signature services that allow
clients to experience Anne Semonin’s one-of-a-kind face
and body therapies. The SPA welcomes guests as well as
residents of Athens who would like to enjoy this oasis of
serenity in the centre of the city. The Peak Health Club
& SPA features three private treatment rooms, including
one room for two, all decorated in relaxing colours with
peaceful music and scented candles.
Furthermore, the Peak Health Club & SPA offers a state-
of-the-art fitness centre with the latest Technogym
cardiovascular equipment. But that's not all! The fitness
centre at the Peak Health Club & SPA boasts fantastic
views of Athens to make one’s workout more enjoyable
and to take their mind of the task at hand.
HOTELS
Restaurant and Bar Facilities
“Amalia Restaurant”: Delicious full American break-
fast buffet with Greek and low-calorie section.
“Constantinople Café”: One of the most popular and
busy meeting places in the city offering all-day dining
and an à la carte menu.
“Brown’s Bar-Restaurant”: Elegant settings, warm
colours, a lounge feeling and light music are just some of
the reasons for dining at this unique restaurant.
“Cigar Lounge”: For those who enjoy a good cigar,
this is the place for you while in the city. Warm colours,
comfortable seating and a unique selection of premium
cigars that can be complemented with select whiskeys
and cognacs.
“Pool Bar”: Take a dive in our rooftop indoor/outdoor
swimming pool and enjoy your drink with the best pan-
oramic view of Athens.
Divani Caravel
2, Vas. Alexandrou Ave.
161 21 Athens
Greece
Tel: 0030 210 7207000
Fax: 0030 210 7236683
E-mail : info@divanicaravel.gr
Website: www.divanis.com
A combination of beautiful settings,
specialised staff and a convenient
location make the Divani Caravel Hotel
an ideal choice for inspiring meetings
and events.
39
40 LOCATIONS

The Byzantine
Estate-nasioutzik
museum
An estate with a unique atmposhere for both social and
corporate events.

On the outskirts of Athens in the Spata area lies a 18.5 acre

estate, rich in history and culture, belonging to George Nas-
sioutzik, originally from Serres in northern Greece. He acquired
the estate in the early 1970s upon returning to Greece after living
in various countries all over the world. Through his travels, his
appreciation of Greek culture grew and he began the transfor-
mation of his estate following the traditional architecture and
aesthetics which characterise both Northern Greece and the
Byzantine era. Stones collected from old traditional homes de-
stroyed by earthquakes, wood from tobacco factories and old
railroad tracks, hand-crafted wooden doors and floor tiles from
the ancient monasteries of Mound Athos were all brought to-
gether to build this home.

Additional wings were built onto the mansion through the years
and today the home includes a museum which displays some of
the most remarkable items reflective of Byzantine history and
Orthodox Christian art. In addition, George Nassioutzik’s per-
sonal art and artifacts collection consists of 18th century Tsanak
Kale pottery, antique kilim carpets from all over the world, tra-
ditional handmade wooden chests, old books (some of which
belonged to Prime Minister Theotokis), and various folkloric art
pieces. These collections are among the largest and most im-
pressive private collections of their kind.

41
42 LOCATIONS

With time, George Nassioutzik’s fam- Nassioutzik Museum Hall Capacity

ily and friends, as well as multinational
corporation representatives, began to Estate Venue
request the use of the estate, where the
unique atmosphere overwhelms all visi- Mystra – Museum of Orthodox Art
tors, for both social and corporate events. Cocktail: 300 (hall) – 70 (museum)
Thus, beginning in the early 1990s, he Theater: 250
decided to make the estate available for Dinner/Dance: 160 (hall) – 40 (museum)
the staging of grand-scale events upon Schoolroom: 150
request. Banquet: 100

Today, the estate consists of numerous Monemvasia I, II, III

fully equipped interior halls filled with
character, as well as an exquisite exte-
rior garden facility which features a lovely
swimming pool, large verandas always
surrounded by beautiful seasonal flow-
ers and cobble-stone terraces. The most
recent addition to the estate is the Nas-
sioutzik Museum “Meteora.” It has been
constructed to resemble a monastery-
Cocktail: 600 – 350 - 200
Theater: 500 – 200 – 100 (150)
Dinner/Dance: 380 – 180 - 132
Schoolroom: 320 – 150 – 60 (100)
Banquet: 320 – 100 – 35 (70)
Marmaras
Cocktail: 120
Theater: - C

castle and is located at the top of the hill, Dinner/Dance: 50 M

offering a phenomenal view of the entire Schoolroom: -

Y
Mesogia region. There is an Orthodox Banquet: -
Church dedicated to Saint Constantine CM

within the estate, as well as a heliport and Meghisti MY

extensive parking facilities. Cocktail: 2,000 CY

Theater: 300
CMY
Throughout the years, the Byzantine Dinner/Dance: 1,000
Estate has hosted some of the most re- Schoolroom: 840 K

nowned social, cultural, corporate and Banquet: 600

political events. Socialite weddings, ex-
clusive art exhibits, music concerts, car Meteora Venue
shows, haut-couture fashion shows and Cocktail: 1,000
global company conferences are examples Theater: Upon request
of the variety of events that take place at Dinner/Dance: 350-400
the estate. Recently the Byzantine Estate Schoolroom: Upon request
had the honour of hosting the two-day Banquet: Upon request
forum for the European People's Party in
which numerous prime ministers of Eu-
rope participated. Italian Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi, former Spanish Prime
Minister José Maria Aznar and Greece’s
Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis were
some of the honored guests.

In addition, the Byzantine Estate hosted

the gourmet lunch for all the European
Ministers of Economy and a gala for all
Olympic Committee participants where
over 200 countries were represented.

43
44
It is generally accepted that climate change
is one of today’s greatest challenges and
threats. If the issue of climate change is not
dealt with appropriately, economies, soci-
eties and the environment all around the
world will be critically harmed, especially
in developing countries. Climate change
is not restricted by national boundaries; it
affects the entire planet. Its sensible man-
agement, therefore, requires determined
and combined action on a global level. To
this end, the Athens Summit 2009 will ad-
dress issues concerning the management
of climate change and energy security in
Southeast Europe and beyond.
The Athens Summit 2009, hosted by FT
Global Events, is an unrivalled forum,
bringing together senior governmental
officials, corporate leaders, financiers and
energy experts from Southeast Europe and
beyond to proactively prepare for and get
the most from the upcoming Copenhagen
Conference on Climate Change.
Sourcing and securing energy supplies and
meeting climate change targets continue to
be top priorities for policy makers around the
world, despite the economic challenges.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
The Athens
Summit 2009
For the countries of Southeast Europe
and the Mediterranean, the challenge is
to put in place energy strategies which
meet global sustainability objectives while
also reflecting unique local conditions and
priorities. The UN Copenhagen Climate
Change Conference presents a unique op-
portunity for this region to review and re-
focus its activities in key areas, including
increasing intergovernmental cooperation
in guaranteeing energy supplies, as well as
in improving energy efficiency, driving in-
vestment and facilitating the speedy tran-
sition to a regional low-carbon economy.
The Athens Summit 2009 is being staged
under the auspices of the President of the
Hellenic Republic, Dr. Karolos Papoulias.
This is the second event of its kind, with
last year’s conference attracting more than
800 attendees.
The conference is aimed at those who wish
to update themselves with news and views
of recent developments, understand how
efficient energy strategies are a neces-
sity for the region and exchange ideas with
leading international experts in the field.
The Athens Summit will be a meeting point
for international knowledge concerning
climate change and energy security.
45
46
Senior industry professionals, such
as the following, will benefit from
attending the summit:
• Energy and environmental ministers
• Renewable energy companies
• Alternative fuel producers
• New energy technology players
• New entrants into clean energy, e.g.
agribusiness and agribio technology
• Financiers - investment and project
finance banks, private equity and ven-
ture capital, carbon trading compa-
nies, clean energy and climate change
fund managers
• Energy equipment manufacturers/
suppliers
• Oil, gas, coal and utility companies,
including generating and distributing
companies
Through keynote addresses, expert panel
discussions and case studies, the summit
will cover several topics concerning cli-
mate change and energy security and will
offer unique insights into numerous top-
ics, such as:
• Keeping the focus on energy and cli-
mate change issues in the face of eco-
nomic downturn;
• What Southeast Europe can offer and
gain from the Copenhagen Confer-
ence;
• How Mediterranean countries can
play a central role in managing the
economic and political challenges of
securing Europe’s energy supplies;
• How to build a regional approach to
developing energy policies which bal-
ance local priorities while working
towards meeting climate change tar-
gets;
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
• Practicalities of identifying and secur-
ing the investment required to fully
maximise the potential of indigenous
energy resources, including wind and
solar;
• Fostering the development of low-
carbon technologies to improve long-
term efficiencies; Venue
• Clarifying the responsibility of busi- The Hilton Athens has been chosen as the
ness to reduce carbon dependency and Athens Summit venue. C
achieve climate change targets.
M
The Hilton Athens, located on one of the
Organisers capital city's most fashionable avenues,
Y
has a spectacular view of the Acropolis. CM
It is just a few minutes walk from the city
Institute for Climate and Energy MY
Security centre, opposite the National Art Gal-
lery and close to many major companies, CY
The Institute for Climate and Energy Se-
shopping areas and historical sights. The CMY
curity is an enabler of effective initiatives
hotel's conference centre provides state-
and capacity-building for climate and K
of-the-art infrastructure combined with
energy security. It identifies, enables and
ultimate comfort and promises an unfor-
strengthens initiatives for global climate
gettable meeting experience. It features 14
and energy security. Relying on broad
meeting rooms for two to 2,000 people, a
scientific consensus, it aims to bring the
24-hour business centre and an Executive
many diverse communities (NGOs, gov-
Lounge.
ernments and decision-makers, business
leaders and academia) into effective de-
liberation and to act as a catalyst of joint
The conference is organised by
actions. The primary geographic focus of
C&C International
its activity is Southeast Europe and the
(www.CandC-group.com)
Mediterranean.
Financial Times Global Events
FT Global Events is at the cutting edge of
business practice and since launching in
2002, has attracted over 24,000 high-
level professionals from throughout the
banking and financial services sectors.
47
48
ATEDCo Info Kiosk
at Athens International Airport
What time does the Museum of Cycladic Art open? Which res-
taurant is still serving at this time? What time is the next bus
to Syntagma? At Athens International Airport – Eleftherios
Venizelos, the new ATEDCo info kiosk will tell you everything
you need to know about the city of Athens.
ATEDCo has introduced a tourist info-point in the Arrivals area
of Athens International Airport to better inform and welcome
incoming visitors to Athens.
Through this hospitable and efficient kiosk, visitors may get
information from specially trained staff and receive brochures
providing extensive details on all that Athens as a tourism
destination has to offer. These brochures include recommen-
dations for sightseeing, dining, nightlife, day trips and shop-
ping; included in the brochures are a map and a "What's Hot"
insert listing all current events. A plasma TV screen at this
Info-Point shows various video spots around Athens. There is
also a special informational touch-screen connecting users to
the Athens web site www.breathtakingathens.com, which
also provides a variety of tourist information. The Info Point at
Athens International Airport is the first of a broader informa-
tion network serving visitors which will gradually be extended
to all points of entry to the city, as well as to other locations
of interest to tourists, with the aim of providing the best pos-
sible service for visitors to Athens.
The info kiosk features the latest technology, with a 19" TFT-
LCD high definition touch screen, and is equipped with state-
of-the-art computing systems as well as an anti-vandal key-
board with trackball.
AIRPORT
This new generation of interactive digital stations and inter-
active digital signs are the newest sources of digital informa-
tion and modern message-transmission centres. The interac-
tive digital stations (info kiosks) are specially built and serve
as integrated communication and promotional systems. The
info kiosks are distinguished by the high quality of their con-
struction, their exceptional design and their immense flex-
ibility in adapting to any use in either an indoor or outdoor
environment.
The info kiosk may help visitors obtain information about the
city more readily during their stay in Athens, discover what
Athens has to offer, navigate the city more easily through the
integration of city maps, and increase cultural awareness.
The goal of the info kiosk is to capture the attention of tour-
ists and dispense information concerning the activities within
Athens. In this way, it is hoped that tourists will choose to stay
in the city longer.
The use of kiosks can be very advantageous as they have the
ability to enhance the amount of information being dispensed
without increasing man hours. With the kiosk technology, us-
ers can obtain information 24 hours per day.
Tourists now arrive in the city of Athens and before they leave
the Athens International Airport, they already know where to
go and what to see.
49
50
Organised BUS TOUR services
An organised bus tour service
takes visitors sightseeing, with
routes around the major tour-
ist attractions of Athens and its
surroundings.
There are many key points of
interest and attractions along
the routes the buses follow, like
the Acropolis, the Panathenaic
Stadium, Cape Sounion, Delphi,
Mycenae and many other jewels
of Greek culture. The tour in-
cludes visits to the monuments,
memorials, museums and gov-
ernment buildings of Athens,
as well as visits to historic sites
away from the city centre.
An easy and efficient way to discover the city and its surroundings.
These tours run all year round
with modern, air-conditioned
coaches and professional mul-
tilingual guides. The prices vary
depending on the route and the
services selected (eg. first class
ticket, meal included and other
special services each company
offers), but they range between
€30 and €100. Organised bus
tours also offer passenger pull
service from major hotels and
attractions (based on scheduled
timetable).
Here are some of the most com-
mon routes that organised bus
tours offer in Athens:
Athens Sightseeing
This tour gives you an opportu-
nity to discover the great variety
that Athens has to offer and to
get acquainted with the cultural
heritage of Greece.
This tour usually begins with an
introduction to the more con-
temporary side of Athens, includ-
ing Syntagma Square, the Greek
Parliament, the Monument of
the Unknown Soldier and the
National Library, among others.
It continues towards the “Sacred
TRANSPORTATION
Rock” of Acropolis with a stop
at the Panathenaic Stadium,
where the first modern Olym-
pic Games took place in 1896.
Along the way to the Acropolis,
passengers will have the chance
to see the Arch of Hadrian and
the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
At the Acropolis, you will enjoy
works of art from the Golden
Age of Athens: the Erechtheum,
the theatre of Herodes Atticus,
the Propylaea and the Temple
of Athena Nike. Take a moment
to enjoy the breathtaking view
of Athens and continue the tour
with a visit to the New Museum
of Acropolis, designed by Ber-
nard Tschumi and due to open in
June 2009.
Many of the bus tour companies
also offer a night-time tour of
Athens that introduces you to
Athenian entertainment, featur-
ing a fine dinner at a traditional
Greek tavern with folk music
and plenty of dancing, usually
followed by a stroll around the
picturesque streets of Plaka.
Duration:
Approximately 5 hours
Price Range: €30 - €60
51
52
Another pleasant and cheap
way to explore the historic
centre of Athens is on Athens
Sightseeing Bus Line 400. The
route begins at the National
Archaeological Museum and
makes stops at the city's top
sightseeing spots. The dura-
tion of the round trip is 90
minutes. The ticket costs €5
and can only be purchased on
the bus. It is valid for 24 hours
and provides for unlimited
travel on the Athens Sight-
seeing Public Bus Line and all
modes of public transport.
Services
Time Table Frequency
June – September: tion the Athenians saw as
07:30 – 21:00 30’
October & May: and the first as they returned.
09:00 - 18:00 30’
November – April: road, passing through the at-
10:00 – 16:00 60’
If you also want to enjoy the
warm Athenian sun while dis-
covering the city, you should
try the open-top double deck-
er bus tour that departs every
30’ from Syntagma Square.
The open-top double decker
bus goes to all the Athenian
top sightseeing spots in 90’
and the ticket costs €18.
Cape Sounion
Cape Sounion is one of the
most famous and scenic loca-
tions in Attica. It is the south-
ern-most point in Attica and
offers a breathtaking view of
the Aegean and the islands.
In ancient times, the temple
was the last sign of civilisa-
they sailed away from home
A drive along the coastal
tractive suburbs of Glyfada,
Vouliagmeni and Varkiza will
take you to Cape Sounion,
where the glorious Temple
of Poseidon stands above the
cliffs. Enjoy the spectacular
view from the temple and
then grab a bite of fresh sea
food with a glass of cold ouzo
at the tavernas nearby.
Duration:
Approximately 4 hours
Price Range: €30 - €50
TRANSPORTATION
Delphi
Another must offered by or-
ganised bus tours is a daytrip
to Delphi. Delphi is located in
southern mainland Greece,
along the slope of Mount Duration:
Parnassus, and includes the Approximately 9 hours
Sanctuary of Apollo and the Price Range: €70 - €100
site of the ancient oracle. It
takes approximately 90 min- These are some of the most
utes to get there from the popular guided tours offered,
centre of Athens. although there are plenty
Delphi was the site of the of options to suit everyone's
Delphic oracle, the most im- tastes and needs. An appeal-
portant oracle in the classical ing alternative offered by
Greek world; it was sacred many of the tour companies
throughout the Greek world is a tailor-made tour, whereby
as the site of the omphalos each group or family selects
stone, the centre of the earth their own route depending
and the universe. on their interests. These tours
A drive through the rich plain can be arranged through
of Boeotia, the city of Thebes, your travel agent. No matter
related to the tragedy of King which route you choose, the
Oedipus, and Livadia will take guided bus tour is a unique
you to Delphi, where you can and fascinating way to dis-
visit the Sanctuary of Apollo, cover the hidden gems of the
the Treasury of the Athenians Greek culture and heritage.
and the museum. Enjoy the ride!
The museum contains mas-
terpieces of ancient Greek
sculpture, such as the bronze
"Charioteer of Delphi" and the
famous athlete Hagias. It is
also worth visiting the spring
of Castalia and the sanctuary
of Athena Pronaia. On the
way back to Athens, a short
stop is usually scheduled at
the charming mountain vil-
lage of Arachova, built on the
southern slopes of Parnassus
and well known for its at-
tractive hand-woven carpets,
rugs and quilts, as well as for
its local wine and cheeses.
53
54
MARATHON:
A walk through history
There are some places that leave their imprint behind.
No matter how many years go by, they continue to radiate
a certain brilliance. Marathon is such a place.
Chosen by the ancient Greeks to become a permanent
part of history, it is a place of civilisation, courage and
daring that tells of the course followed by the Greek
people across the ages and through eternity.
Certainly a visit to Marathon calls for an early start,
when Nature is just coming alive and the sun begins
to warm the paving stones. Marathon is a flashback
in time, a journey to the past and present of Athens, as
the monuments and natural beauty tell the whole story
of the capital of the city-state. Marathon got its name
from the son of Epopeus who was banished by his fa-
ther and came to this area – 42 km northeast of Athens
– a suppliant.
A fertile, half-moon-shaped valley, it is protected by
the hills of Vrilissos and the mountains of Diakria and
touches the sea at Marathon Bay. It is one of the most
fertile valleys, where fruit trees and grape vines are cul-
tivated.
DAYTRIP
The route from Athens to the village passes through
planted fields, vineyards, olive groves and lush hillsides
on Attica's east side. The wondrous peaceful beaches
rest the eye while the body enjoys the sun and clear
waters. The most popular beach is at Schinias, which
served as the venue for rowing and canoeing competi-
tion during the 2004 Olympic Games.
Back to the future
The Marathon area is of great historical significance,
as it was the site of the famous battle of the same
name that took place in 490 BC. Ten thousand Athe-
nians and a thousand Plataeans pushed the Persians
to the sea, where they boarded their ships and re-
treated. The Greeks owed their victory over the Persian
army to military genius Miltiades. Immediately after
the battle was won, a soldier named Pheidippides was
sent to Athens with the news. He ran all the way to
Athens and managed to say, "We have won," before he
collapsed and died.
55
56
That was the first marathon, and it is this
same route that today's marathon runners
follow. The 9m-high tomb was erected at
the site of the battle in memory of the 192
Athenians who had lost their lives fight-
ing; there were originally 10 columns on
top of the burial mound to represent the
10 tribes of Attica. The tomb was discov-
ered in early 1884 by Heinrich Schliemann.
The Rhamnus mystery
The archaeological site of Rhamnus lies
near Marathon and findings at the site in-
dicate the area was inhabited during the
Neolithic age. Its name derives from the
word "rhamnus," a shrub variety (buck-
thorn) found throughout the area. In an-
cient times, Rhamnus was known for its
port and its castle. There are remains of
two temples at the site: the Great Temple
dedicated to Nemesis, the goddess of di-
vine retribution, which is considered the
most important sanctuary of this specific
goddess in all of ancient Greece; and the
Small Temple dedicated to Themis, the
goddess of justice. Both temples were
built in the 5th century BC.
There are also remains of the ancient the-
atre, the fortress and several grave sites.
Besides the archeological sights, visitors
are rewarded with the marvelous views
toward Evoikos Bay and the surrounding
lush green landscape.
Marathonas Archaelogical Museum
Though well-known to visitors, it is a rather
small museum featuring important find-
ings from various historical periods. It is
located next to the Middle Helladic cem-
etery of Vrana and houses artifacts from
the prehistoric age through the Roman pe-
riod. The artifacts from the Neolithic period
discovered in the Cave of Pan at Oinoi, the
funerary stelae and the votive inscriptions
from the sanctuaries of Marathon are espe-
cially noteworthy.
DAYTRIP
Each one warrants special protective
measures so that the ecosystem is not dis-
The most notable finding is the "Mara- turbed. Specifically, the Schinias wetlands
thon Youth (Ephebe)," an impressively in- (430 hectares) and hilly areas around the
tact statue found by fishermen in 1925. It Kynosoura peninsula and Drakonera are
is bronze, 1.24 m tall, and thought to be of fully protected. The wetlands constitute
the Praxiteles school. The museum is open a habitat for species of wild birds, such as
daily, except Mondays, 8:30 am – 3 pm. egrets and hawks, as well as many other
species of birds. It is possible to take part
The Marathon Run Museum in a variety of activities here, such as bicy-
This is the second spot that makes a visit cling, bird watching and short excursions
to Marathon a true history lesson. It was to nearby areas.
opened in 2004 and presents the com-
plete history of the Olympic Marathon
Race from 1896 in Athens through 2004,
when it was again held in Athens and in
which 220 athletes from 55 countries par- How to get to Marathon
ticipated. Most of the photographs, post- From the centre of Athens,
ers and drawings have been provided to follow Vasilissis Sofias Avenue,
the museum by the International Olympic which branches into Messogion
Committee from the Olympic Museum Avenue. Marathon Avenue be-
Lausanne. The Marathon Run Museum is gins at Stavros Aghias Paraske-
open daily, except Monday, 9 am – 9 pm. vis and continues to Marathon.
At the Marathon intersection,
Marathon Lake Lake Marathon Avenue leads to
A dam was constructed at the point where the lake.
the torrents of Charadros and Varnavas
meet to shore up the lake and collect rain
water. This is how the artificial lake of Mar-
athon was formed; following necessary
treatment, its waters flow to the Athens
reservoirs through underground adque-
ducts. It is the largest permanent source
of potable water for Athens and Piraeus.
The Marathon Dam is particularly impres-
sive as the artful construction and Pende-
likon marble cladding make it the only one
of its kind in the world. Marathon Lake is
a place of incomparable beauty, enriched
by the pine forest and picturesque lanes;
there is also a quaint café near the dam.
Schinias-Marathon National Park
This is one of the 25 fully charted protected
areas of Greece. The Olympic Rowing and
Canoeing Centre was located here and the
tomb of the fallen warriors from the Battle
of Marathon was included in its designa-
tion. The national park is divided into eight
zones, one marine zone and seven land-
based zones. 57
58
China National Acrobatic Troupe
JAMES BLUNT
James Blunt returns to Athens
March 7 to round off his latest tour
with a performance at the Faliro
Pavillion. James Blunt (born James
Hillier Blount, February 22, 1974) is
an English singer-songwriter whose
debut album, Back to Bedlam, and
single releases – especially the
number one hit You're Beautiful –
brought him to fame in 2005.
His style is a mix of pop, rock and
folk. Along with vocals, James Blunt
performs on a variety of instru-
ments, including piano and guitar.
He was nominated for five Grammy
Awards in 2006. Blunt subsequently
released his second album, All the
Lost Souls, in 2007; this album was
certified gold within its first week
of release. Enjoy James Blunt live in
Athens.
AC/DC China National Acrobatic Troupe
AC/DC
AC/DC, famous worldwide for
their magnificent shows and their
sold-out appearances galvanising
crowds in big stadiums everywhere,
are bringing the Black Ice World
Tour to Athens. Black Ice World Tour
is the first worldwide tour of the
electrifying hard rock band, AC/DC,
since 2001, while it is the first time
in their long- running career they
will appear in Athens. Exactly seven
months after the start of Black Ice
World Tour, on 28 October in the
Wachovia arena at Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania, we welcome AC/DC
on 28 May at ΟΑΚΑ in Athens.
CULTURE
SPRING
CULTURAL
HIGHLIGHTS
For more than three decades, the
Young brothers have enjoyed the
highest level of success. With songs
such as Back in Black, Hell’s Bell,
Highway to Hell and For Those
About to Rock, the most important
guitar duo in the history of rock has
succeeded in becoming a permanent
part of the musical subconscious of
millions, regardless of their music
preferences. Their basic characteris-
tics are their unique energy and ec-
centric Rock N Roll stage presence
-- huge bells, inflatable Rosie, loud
canons and, of course, the band’s
trade mark, the school uniform of
restless Angus Young.
59
60
BODIES...THE EXHIBITION
The human body - a fascinating experi-
ence!
BODIES...The Exhibition showcases meticu-
lously dissected real human body specimens
that have been preserved through an inno-
vative process and respectfully presented,
giving visitors the opportunity to view the
beauty and complexity of their own organs
and systems.
For visitors of all ages, BODIES...The Ex-
hibition displays real human bodies and
allows people to view themselves as never
before. More than 200 organs and full body
Bodies
Depeche Mode
specimens are on display in nine galleries
showcasing the complexity of the body's
many bones, muscles, nerves, blood ves-
sels and organs.
BODIES...The Exhibition is a stunning
display of human anatomy, arriving in Bu-
dapest following its huge success in cities
such as New York, London, Washington,
Mexico City, Amsterdam and Prague.
More than 11 million people have already
had a chance to discover all there is to
know about human anatomy.
AC/DC
The exhibition opened in Athens on 7 Feb-
ruary and will run until 10 May at Tech-
nopolis.
ART-ATHINA 2009
Athens International Contemporary
Art Fair
May 21-24, 2009
Launched in 1993 by the Hellenic Art Gal-
leries Association, Art-Athina stands
today as one of the longest-running con-
temporary art fairs in Europe, attracting
over 10,000 visitors annually. Art-Athina
has witnessed a burgeoning growth in
the number of art collectors, art dealers,
curators, artists, critics and other art en-
thusiasts from around the world visiting
the event, establishing Athens’ reputation
as a vigorous, vibrant art scene.
James Blunt
The fair will welcome a showcase of se-
lected international galleries, a wide
range of international collectors and art
professionals through the VIP guest pro-
gramme, distinctive parallel events, talks,
exhibitions and art projects. Newly relo-
cated next to the seashore in the Faliro
Bay, Art-Athina presents a unique oppor-
tunity to discover and enjoy international
contemporary art in Greece.
John Williams
CULTURE
CHINA NATIONAL ACROBATIC
TROUPE, Badminton Theatre
11 – 22 March
DEPECHE MODE
An acrobatic show for the whole family!
12 May, Terravibe
The China National Acrobatic Troupe was
Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy
founded in 1950 under the patronage of
Fletcher are coming back to conquer the
the Prime Minister Zhou Enlai and was
universe with the Tour Of The Universe
the first acrobatic troupe created after
2009.
the establishment of the New China. Its
repertory consists of 100 different pro-
Depeche Mode lead the pop electronica
grammes which include air acrobatics,
scene with their stimulating perfor-
vocal creations and magic. It is one of the
mances and songs like Personal Jesus, I
most powerful troupes of China, consist-
Feel You, Enjoy The Silence, Blasphemous
ing of two acrobatic troupes, a circus, a
Rumours, Photographic and many more.
magic studio, as well as two affiliated
With the 12th album to be recorded, De-
performing companies. In March 2009,
peche Mode has had a glorious 28-year
the magnificent troupe will again visit
career during which they have sold over
Greece for 12 performances at Badminton
75 million records. One of the world’s big-
Theatre with a new show full of colour, Rene Aubry
gest and best live acts, Tour of the Uni-
breath-taking acrobatics and magic vir-
verse 2009 will undoubtedly be the musi-
tuosity.
cal highlight of summer 2009.
THE MOSCOW STANISLAVSKY
Reach out and touch faith.
BALLET AND ORCHESTRA
3-12 April
RENE AUBRY AT THE PALLAS
The Stanislavsky Music Theatre of Mos-
THEATRE
cow, after a series of successful perfor-
5 May
mances at the Royal Festival Hall of Lon-
René Aubry is a French composer born in
don, comes to Athens to present Don
1956. He is a multi-instrumentalist known
Quixote, one of the most celebrated clas-
for blending classical harmonies with
sical ballets of all times and full of spec-
modern instrumentation. Aubry has com-
tacular choreographies, dancing virtuos-
posed for choreographers such as Carolyn
ity and Spanish temperament. It will be
Carlson, Pina Bausch and Philippe Genty.
performed at Badminton Theatre from 3
He has also scored for films and released
to 12 April.
many of his own albums. He will be in
Athens at the Pallas Theatre on 5 May for
JOHN WILLIAMS GUITAR RECITAL
one memorable performance.
12 March The Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet and Orchestra - Don Quixote
John Williams will present a guitar recital
with works by Antonio Vivaldi, Domenico
Scarlatti, Enrique Granados, Isaac Albéniz,
John Williams, Agustin Barrios Mangoré,
Ennio Morricone, Stanley Myers, John T.
Williams, Peter Sculthorpe and tradition-
al Irish music. Williams is the Grammy
Award-winning, Australian-born British
classical guitarist who is included among
the foremost ambassadors of the guitar.
He will be in Athens on 12 March at the
Athens Concert Hall.
61
62 food

Essence
of Greece!
You can sense there are hidden treasures inside as you cross the threshold: products of the
Greek soil, still unfamiliar to many, but with a centuries-old culture behind them that bears
witness to the course of the Mediterranean diet through time. A single visit will not be
enough, however.

Mastiha Shop
(Panepistimiou 6 και Kriezotou, Athens, 210-3632750)
Known throughout the world as the resin tear of the mastic tree from the famous island of
Chios, mastiha proves its value day after day. At the Mastiha Shop, you will find a full range of
mastic-based products – from toothpaste to nougat to taffy. The well-known Chios Mastiha
liqueur and Mastiha Ouzo are stocked, along with spoon sweets from Chios. In addition to
foodstuffs, you will also find a variety of beauty products, as the therapeutic and beautifying
properties of mastiha are widely recognised. Soaps and hand-, face- and body-creams are
available in vintage packaging nostalgically recalling days gone by.

"I Symbetheri" (The In-Laws)

(Stournari 14, Athens, 210-3836661)
For Cretans, the secret to good health lies in the products from their rich native earth. Their
diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, greens, produce, legumes, dairy products (espe-
cially feta, graviera and mizithra cheeses), virgin olive oil and bread. Their dishes are spiced
with wonderful aromatic herbs, such as oregano; they make sweets from honey and grape
must syrup and drink excellent Cretan wine. All of Crete's products come directly to this
shop, where you will also find rusks ideal for making the Cretan dakos, pure goat's cheese,
Cretan honey, spoon sweets and herbs, as well as kaltsounia cheese pies and Sfakia cheese
and honey pies.

Mesogaia
(Nikis 52 and Kydathineon, Plaka, 210-3229146)
Neo-Greek grocery stores have become a part of life in Athens, and one of the first to open was
Mesogaia. Here you will find so many excellent products, you won't know which to try first:
olives and olive paste, homemade jams and spoon sweets, pasta, organic olive oil, rusks, bis-
cuits, Drapetsona halva, homemade ice cream, cheeses and delicious bread that arrives fresh
from Evia every morning. You will be impressed by the excellent service provided by a staff that
is well versed in how the products are made and you will really feel that you know what you're
buying and eating.

"Pantopoleion tis Mesogiakis Diatrofis", (Mediterranean Diet General Store)

(Sofokleous 1 και Aristidou 11, Athens, 210-3234612)
The Mediterranean diet has become famous throughout the world for its beneficial ingre-
dients. This traditional Mediterranean Diet General Store offers everything on which its
reputation is based: olive oil from Crete, award-winning organic wine labels and rusks, pies,
sauces, jams and rare cheeses, as well as organic beer from the Piraiki Brewery. Browse the
shelves stocked with sundry jars. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask a member
of the staff standing by to give you a guided tour of everything Greece has to offer.

63
64 food

"Ola ta Kala" Grocers (A Bit of Everything)

(Gianitsopoulou 1, Esperidon Square, Glyfada, 210-8981051 και Kifissias Ave. 238-240, Kifissia, 210-8089908)
This well-known grocery stocks the best organic products in Greece: fresh milk, cheeses, pasta, sauces, the finest varietal wines,
spoon sweets and jams. You will also find organic olive oil from the Aghia Triada monastery in Chania, mushrooms from Evia,
tuna from Alonissos, masourakia (baklava) rolls from Chios, tomato and olive sauce and ouzo from Mytilene, salmon and trout
from Galatista and a variety of homemade savouries sold in bulk, such as dolmadakia gialantzi and fish-roe spread taramosala-
ta made from white fish-roe paste. It is a true journey of pleasure.

Green Farm
(Dimokritou 13, Kolonaki, 210-3614001)
Enjoy organic products from select farms in Greece and Europe at this shop. All goods are cultivated according to strict Euro-
pean guidelines and with a passion for top-quality agricultural products. Their stock includes everything you need for complete
organic dining: fruit, vegetables, nuts, milk, cheeses, pasta, various kinds of bread and biscuits. You will also find a large variety
of organic wines, oils, olives and herbs, as well as deli meats, fresh meat, legumes, fish and frozen goods. In brief, it's an organic
supermarket of European standards!

Lesvos Shop
(Athinas 33, Omonia, 210-3217395)
This is the pride of Lesvos, offering the valued products of this island's famed cuisine. Cheeses (ladotyri, kalathaki, melichloro),
homemade pasta, spoon sweets, honey, olive oil, ouzo (the better known Plomari, Ouzo 12 and Varvagianni brands), wines and
even cosmetics for the face and body. The shop also stocks all kinds of Lesvos syrup-soaked sweets, a large variety of olives, all
kinds of raki and country sausages, pastourma and many types of trahana (frumenty) and egg noodles. The list would not be
complete without the infinite number of sweets and biscuits made by the renowned Women's Cooperatives of Lesvos.

"To Perivoli tis Ikologias" (Eco-garden)

(Andr. Metaxa 13-15, Exarcheia, 210-3847766)
Here you'll find a garden for small and interesting producers bringing the best products from all over Greece: seasonal fruits,
fresh vegetables, legumes and a wide variety of herbs. There are also many types of olives, nuts (walnuts, almonds and hazel)
and a line of local taste treats. They also take orders for organically produced fresh meat, fruits and vegetables.

Delitopia
(Thetidos 15, P. Faliro, 210-9886444)
This small delicatessen is a new addition to the natural product market, stocking jams and sweets made by Yiam, Statir and
Arkadiani, specially made salads by Yannis Baxevanis, excellent cheeses and deli meats (Greek and European), fish products and
extra-virgin olive oils, home-baked bread from wood-fired ovens in Evia, handmade soaps and pastries. Homemade cookies
with white chocolate and orange are particular favourites.

"Thymari tou Strefi" (Strefi Hill Thyme)

(Kallidromiou 51Α, Exarcheia, 210-3300384)
This beautiful grocery brings select products from all over Greece, including excellent deli meats, cheeses and sweets made by
women's cooperatives. Many agricultural cooperatives also have their goods on offer, including herbs, legumes, rusks, spoon
sweets, olives, nuts, wines and various types of olive paste.

Athens Central Market

Also known as Varvakeio Market, this area is enclosed by Athinas, Evripidou and Sofokleos streets. There is a central vegetable,
meat and fish market there selling all of the Greek family's favourites. Fresh meat, fish, vegetables and fruit arrive every day and
Athenians will wander through looking for items that cannot be found elsewhere. It is worth strolling through the area's streets
to see what products are available and to choose fresh and nutritious goods from among the outdoor stalls.

What to take back with you

You will find so many things you'd like to buy that you will not be able to choose. We suggest some of the more delectable Greek
products: virgin olive oil from Crete or Kalamata, wines from the islands, pistachios, dried figs, egg noodles, mountain honey,
spoon sweets and olives. You don't have to buy large quantities; you'll be back soon!

65
 CITY OF ATHENS
66 THEATER

ARTS Exhibition Athens Video Art Festival

Dear Industry Collegue

We are delighted to welcome leading experts

from across the globe to Athens to explore
airport city concepts. The Athens
International Airport City is designed in line
with the Greek classical principle of ‘human
scale’ and is committed to offering attractive
Dance Festival Technopolis hosted hundreds events services and facilities in an appealing business
from May 1999 to present such as: environment. Let us all share our experience at
Visual Art - Photography - Technol- this conference and discuss all that’s new in the
ogy - Sculpture -Conferences - global airport cities context, capitalising on our
Seminars, International Festivals - potential and creating value for our customers,
Concerts - Theatrical and Dance airport users and neighbouring communities.
Events- Business Forums -
Educational Programs - Let me invite you to participate as a conference
Product presentations delegate, a sponsor or an exhibitor and contribute
to maximising this event. Do not miss the
BABEL Comics Festival Concert Alkistis Protopsalti
opportunity of boarding this flight in Athens!

Sincerely yours,

Testimonials
The Host of ACE 2008
“We had a wonderful time hosting Airport
Cities in Dallas/Fort Worth and have got
nothing but great feedback from it.”
Jeffrey P Fegan, CEO,
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
“Technopolis” of the City of Athens provides:
Access to the disabled, Coffee bar, 20 WC, nearby parking.
Dr Yiannis N. Paraschis
Chief Executive Officer, Athens International Airport S.A.
The Delegates The Sponsors
“Thank you for the organisation of this great “I wanted to express my sincere
conference. It was well set up, very congratulations and thanks for the vision
informative and professional and yet still and foresight Insight Media and Dr Kasarda
informal enough to actually enjoy!” have shown by staging this conference &
Simon Kloppenburg, Advisor Airport exhibition.”
Development, Curacao Airport Holding NV Gregory J Erne,
Chief Investment Officer, REDICO

Operating hours: Weekdays and Weekends 10.00-22.00. Conference and Sponsorship and session
(Operating hours may be modified without notice)
registration information speaker information
Access:
Trolley: Line 21 (from Omonia Square), Emma Dean Andrew Hazell
OASA Busses: 035, 049, 811, 815, 838, 914, B18, ?18, 731, 031.
Train: Station “Thision”.
Metro: Station "Keramikos".
CITY OF ATHENS Events Manager
emma@airportconference.com
+44 (0) 208 831 7505
Events Director
andrewh@airportconference.com
+44 (0) 208 831 7518
67
Contact:
Technopolis City of Athens, 100 Piraeus Str., 11854 Gazi, Athens
CULTURE TO THE NEIGHBOURHOODS
Tel: 210-3461589 and 210-3467322, Fax: 210-3413228
http://www.cityofathens.gr/dimotikoi-foreis/texnopolis-dimoy-athinaion
Mail: info@athens-technopolis.gr
Íikitaò Êaklamanis
www.airportconference.com
68
www.breathtakingathens.com

ATHENS
FOR YOU
Athens is well known for always living up to its visitors' expectations regardless of their age
and preferences. Athens has lots of proposals for family holidays, youth adventures and children's
fun, whether you come with your family or on your own, whether you are young or not so.
Find out more and plan a tailor-made holiday.

CITY OF ATHENS just click www.breathtakingathens.com