Information for Participants

Below, you find diverse useful information for participants of the EMNLP-IJCNLP 2019. More information will be added as soon as it is available..

Updates on Conference Organization

October 19, 2019

We are delighted to let you know that over 1,700 people have registered for the conference. This is already the largest IJCNLP ever and one of the largest EMNLP’s ever. We look forward to welcoming you at the venue!

For your convenience and to avoid any issues with affected areas during the conference, we have made the following special arrangements:

1. Apps by the Hong Kong government reporting the latest situation and by the MTR (i.e., the public train service) giving up-to-date train schedules will be made available for download.
2. We have assigned a local information officer to update the conference website with the latest information about the city.
3. We still have some guestrooms available in the hotels in Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi and Tsuen Wan. Please note that they do go fast and participants are advised to book ASAP.
4. We provide free circular shuttle service between the Airport Regal Hotel and AWE (the conference venue).
5. We provide return shuttle bus service between hotels in Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi, and Tsuen Wan to AWE everyday. The schedule will be announced shortly. Please note that participants must book their shuttle in advance (HKD100 per day) via our hotel page or directly here.

6. We provide free shuttle service for the social event on the evening of November 6, 2019:

   • From AWE to Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL). Student helpers will hold up boards to guide participants to the shuttle at the end of the Conference day.
   • After the event, there are two routes of shuttle bus services: (a) HKDL -> Airport -> SkyCity Marriot Hotel; (b) HKDL -> Hotels in Kwai Chung, Tsuan Wan, and Tsing Yi.
7. There are many food service establishments at the airport, but their access is normally restricted to travelers with valid flight tickets. We have obtained permission from the authority for free access to the airport by EMNLP-IJCNLP 2019 participants simply by presenting their conference pass.

We hope you will have a pleasant stay in Hong Kong!

October 9, 2019

Regarding recent events in Hong Kong, we would like to update prospective attendees with information regarding safety and transportation. We are committed to the conference proceeding as planned, in what we expect to be the stability and broad safety of the conference venue area and Lantau Island more generally, and the conference has (like many registrants) non-refundable commitments to the conference proceeding as planned.

While we recognize that there may be periodic local disruptions in the central area, most of Hong Kong proceed with their work and normal lives, and in the many months of protests so far, tourists have consistently remained safe and except for a few hours over 4 months, the airport (and conference venue area) has proceeded on a normal schedule. If in the unlikely event of significant public transportation disruptions, we plan to arrange conference-dedicated bus transport from key hotel areas in both Kowloon and the major Lantau Island hotels, and several of these remain within easy walking distance, and our exciting social event at Hong Kong Disneyland is quite close to the conference venue. In addition, taxis and car-sharing services (e.g., Uber) remain readily available as usual. Many thousands of flights a week from around the world continue to arrive in Hong Kong on their normal schedule.

We will actively keep prospective attendees updated regarding security measures, transportation, food, etc.

August 23, 2019

The conference organizing committee has been working hard to welcome you on Nov 3–7 in Hong Kong. We fully expect EMNLP-IJCNLP 2019 will proceed as planned.

• HK International Airport has been back to normal operation for some time;
• The conference venue, Asia World Expo (AWE), is near the airport. AWE, as well as Disneyland, the social event venue, are both located on Lantau Island. They’re remote from currently affected areas in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories;
• Information on accommodation near the conference venue will be provided;
• We’re continuously observing the local situation and will keep you up-to-date on this website.

Visa Information

Since visa applications can take almost two months or more to be approved, we advise that you apply as soon as possible. If you require an invitation letter for your visa application, please send an email to the Local Organizing Secretariat with the following information and a copy of your passport:

• Your full name as it appears in your passport
• Your work address
• The name(s) of any accepted papers
• The email address of the embassy that will handle your request

It is understood that such an invitation is intended to help delegates to raise funds to obtain a visa and does not imply a commitment from the conference organizers to provide any financial support or scheduling of presentation.

To find out whether you need a visa for Hong Kong, check here.

Travel Scholarships & Student Volunteer Program

EMNLP 2019 seeks student volunteers who will receive a free registration to the main conference, tutorials & workshops. In addition, we also plan to offer scholarships to students as well as non-students with a demonstrated financial need. For more details, please refer to the Joint Call for Travel Scholarship and Student Volunteer Applications. After reading the policy in detail to determine your eligibility, you can fill out the application form and include a CV through softconf here, by making a new submission. If you have further questions, please contact us at emnlp-ijcnlp-2019-volunteer-scholarship@googlegroups.com.

Important Dates

Application deadline	Thursday	September 12, 2019
Notification of acceptance	Thursday	September 26, 2019

Note. Award recipients must register by the early registration deadline of October 1, 2019.

Note. All deadlines are calculated at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Savings Time (UTC -7h).

Childcare Grants

Following the family-friendly policy of ACL, EMNLP-IJCNLP 2019 is happy to announce Childcare Grants offered to participants with young children. Grants of up to US$400 per family are available for attendees who incur extra childcare expenses during their conference travel.

Here is the full policy, and please fill out the application form here.

Important Dates

Application deadline	Thursday	September 19, 2019
Notification of acceptance	Thursday	September 26, 2019

For those who are bringing their children to the conference and are looking for local childcare services, the following links may be of use:

• https://www.babysitter.hk/en/
• http://www.rent-a-mum.com/
• http://dreamcare.com.hk/temporary-nanny/

Attendees are responsible for making their own arrangements for childcare and will be reimbursed after the conference upon receipt of necessary supporting documentation.

About Hong Kong

Discover a diverse modern metropolis steeped in unique blends of Eastern and Western traditions – only Hong Kong! For tourism information, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Tourism Board or view videos at the Hong Kong’s Youtube Channel.

Below are some third-party apps that may be helpful for planning your stay:

	Search KMB \amp; LW in App Store KMB & Long Win bus route information
	Search MTR mobile in App Store MTR route map, fare information, train schedule
	Search City bus \amp; New World First Bus in App Store City bus & New World First Bus information
	Search Myobservatory in App Store Personalized weather services
	Search Discover Hong Kong - Island Walks in App Store Tourism information
	Search: OpenRice Hong Kong in ITunes/App Store Dining Guide

Accommodation and Transfer

EMNLP-IJCNLP 2019 provides a list of recommended hotels remote from the protesting areas. We advise participants to book one of these hotels. Some hotels are close to the venue. For hotels closer to downtown, coaches will be provided.

For Student Participants
Students that participate in the conference can also apply for accomodation in a shared room at the Rambler Garden Hotel at a reduced rate.

Transfer
Information on how to book the hotels is found in the beginning of the list of recommended hotels. If you already booked a hotel but still need transfer, use our online transfer booking form.

• Coach schedule (To Airport and Regal Airport Hotel, to social event, and hotel transfer)
• Transportation arrangements (special fare for airport express)

Conference Venue

EMNLP-IJCNLP 2019 will be held at the Asia World Expo in Hong Kong, China.

Workshops and Tutorials (Nov 3-4)
AsiaWorld Expo: Meeting Rooms 201-203 (2/F)
Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel: Grand Ballroom and Meeting Rooms

Main Conference (Nov 5-7)
AsiaWorld Expo: Meeting Rooms 201-203 (2/F)
AsiaWorld Expo: AsiaWorld-Summit (Hall 2) (G/F)

Please refer to the following Google map for more information on conference venues, accommodations, restaurants and attractions, and transportation information:

Access to the Venue
Visiting AsiaWorld-Expo is easy. It is strategically integrated with the Hong Kong International Airport, with a built-in Airport Express railway station, as well as other transportation facilities. You may come to AsiaWorld-Expo by your preferred transportation means:

• MTR: Take the Airport Express line to AsiaWorld Expo Station, which is about 2 mins ride from Hong Kong International Airport. A single trip fare is HK$ 6.0.
• Bus (route S1): Take Bus Route No. S1 at Tung Chung Station to AsiaWorld Expo, which is about 20 mins ride. A single trip fare is HK$ 3.5. This is a circular line running from Tung Chung Station to Airport and back to Tung Chung Station with stops at Hong Kong International Airport and AsiaWorld Expo.
• Bus (route X1): Bus Route No. X1 is the express bus running from Tung Chung Station to/from AsiaWorld Expo. However, it will be operated in specified period only. We will update the operation date once available.

Meal Information

The following catered events are included in your registration fee:

• Two coffee breaks per day on all five conference days.
• Canapés at the welcome reception on Monday, November 4th, for registered main-conference participants.
• A buffet dinner as part of the social event on Wednesday, November 6th, for registered main-conference participants.

For lunch, participants may order lunch boxes or visit one of the nearby restaurants (PDF, 84MB).

Welcome Reception

Catch up with your colleagues at the Welcome Reception in the conference venue, AsiaWorld Expo.

• Monday, November 4th, 2019, 18:00-20:00
• AsiaWorld Summit (Hall 2) and East Concourse, AsiaWorld Expo

Social Event

Enjoy a magical night and meet the Marvel Heros at Hong Kong Disneyland! The social event will take place in Tomorrowland, Hong Kong Disneyland.

• Wednesday, November 6th, 2019, 16:00-23:00
• Tomorrowland, Hong Kong Disneyland

Each participant registered for the main conference will get an entrance ticket to Hong Kong Disneyland that allows entering the park on or after 16:00. You can go everywhere in Hong Kong Disneyland. After the Night Parade (around 20:00), the park closes for the public and all EMNLP-IJCNLP 2019’s participants gather at Tomorrowland. Standing buffet will be served, and all the rides in Tomorrowland including Hyperspace Mountain, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!, Iran-man Experience Rides, and Orbitron will be opened exclusively for EMNLP-IJCNLP’s participants only.

Right after all sessions ended on the day, coaches will also be arranged to take participants to Hong Kong Disneyland and coaches will also be arranged back to the conference venue AsiaWorld Expo after the social event.

Oral, Poster, and Remote Presentations

In case you have a talk or poster at the main conference, or you plan to give a remote presentation instead, see our instructions for presenters.

Conference App

There’s a companion app for the conference published on the Guidebook platform. If you already have Guidebook on your device, click on “Find Guides” and search for “EMNLP-IJCNLP 2019” or scan the QR code below. If you do not, click here to get set up.

Lost and Found

The following picture shows lost-and-found items from the conference. In case you are the owner of any of these, please get in touch with Samuel Tam.