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EASST4s-2024: Making and doing transformations Amsterdam, 16-19 July 2024
Welcome to EASST-4S 2024
 

Dear EASST-4S 2024 conference delegate,

This email welcomes you to Amsterdam and aims to assist you in reaching the city of fast bikes and picturesque canals and, within it, the reception desk of EASST-4S 2024 in Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam), Hoofdgebouw (Main building), De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam.

What to pack for Amsterdam

  • Your presentation files on a USB or other portable device (or just the USB stick, no files, if you’re planning to write it all during your journey 😉)
  • Video adapters (if you need to use an 🍏 to deliver a presentation)
  • Plug adaptors for European standard electrical sockets (if you come from an alternative-socket-land like the UK/US/Australia/Switzerland etc)
  • Your water bottle (maybe write your name on it, for losing purposes?)
  • Rainwear, umbrella (if you don’t bring any, it will rain)
  • Sunscreen (for skipping sessions at the campus square)
  • Insect repellent (if you think you're too small to make a difference try sleeping with a mosquito the night before your presentation)
  • A fashionable, yet sturdy outfit to enjoy the Forest Festival on Thursday evening
  • Sensible shoes for biking (you might rent one, eventually everyone does)

Where is Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam)?

Note: There are several universities in Amsterdam, please make sure you come to VU Amsterdam and don’t mix it up with the various locations of the University of Amsterdam.

If you are coming from your accommodation, do consider renting a bicycle. The traffic can be challenging - especially with the mix of in/experienced cyclists, but after a day or so you’ll be riding like a local (well, at least that’s what you’ll think).
If you’d prefer to use public transport rather than a bicycle, trams and busses take you there.

If you’d prefer to use public transport rather than a bicycle, trams and busses take you there.

We recommend that you plan your trip via the transport app 9292 or if you only use local public transport via the GVB app Gappie. Enter “Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam” as your destination. You may also wish to buy a transport multi-day pass from OVP or IAmsterdam: see https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/travel-stay/getting-around/public-transport/pay-for-public-transport. You can find further Travel information under Conference info on our site.

The VU campus is a 12 minute walk from the Amsterdam Zuid station that can be reached by direct connections from many nearby train stations (Hilversum, Utrecht, Almere, Leiden, etc). Please note that as the south exit is closed due to construction work, it is important to head for the main exit to get to VU. If the Amsterdam Zuid station feels like too far a walking distance, look up how to take a tram or bus that drops you off on campus.

If you are coming from Schiphol Airport there is a direct connection by train to Amsterdam Zuid station. Aim at trains with final stations Utrecht, Eindhoven, Enshede, Maastricht (not Amsterdam Central). All these trains stop at Amsterdam Zuid (first stop after 6 minutes). Bus No 341 also comes from the airport (direction Station Amsterdam Zuid) right to the conference venue (the stop is called De Boelelaan/VU), the ride takes about 25 minutes. axis can be pre-booked or hailed at the airport (use the official taxi stand, you can find out more on the airport website. Platforms like Bolt and Uber also work in the Netherlands (labour unions not being what they used to be).

Please note that there’s construction work going on at Amsterdam Zuid station, so not all elevators/escalators may be accessible and working and some metros will run less frequently. This is one of the reasons why we recommend dropping your luggage at your hotel before coming to the VU.

Make use of the pre-conference check-in afternoon on 15 July

If you do arrive on Monday, 15 July (the day before the conference actually opens), go to your hotel first, leave your luggage there, freshen up and then figure out the best way to reach VU Amsterdam, Hoofdgebouw (Main building) no earlier than 15:00 when we open pre-conference check-in for three hours. The reception desk will be located on the ground floor of the main building. Come in, register, get your badge (name tag), your food vouchers and the rest of your delegate pack (see more below). That way you are all set for the opening day without having to share the queue with (literally) thousands of jetlagged, exhausted, weather-soaked delegates grappling to get registered before the first sessions start. You can breeze right past them (at measured pace), whistling a jaunty tune. 

If you arrive on 16 July (or any day thereafter)

Again, we recommend dropping off your luggage first at your accommodation, if at all possible, but the schedule that morning may be too tight for that. Registration desk opens at 08:00 CEST (Central European Summer Time) and the first session starts at 10:30. If you know you have payment issues (we will have emailed all those who do, either for conference or membership), please come straight to the NomadIT office in Forum 2, first floor of the Main building to sort out the discrepancy, otherwise you’ll have to queue three times. 

Your delegate pack

When you check in at the reception desk you will receive:

  1. Your name tag (badge with lanyard)
  2. A booklet containing maps of the campus area, floor plans, your catering vouchers and the Forest Festival ticket. Please keep this booklet safe! It contains all the consumption vouchers for snacks, coffee (or other drinks) and lunch throughout the conference. The vouchers are in the amounts of €2, €4 and €8 and you can decide how to use and combine them (feel free to flout tradition and eat lunch/have snacks whenever, as the catering points will be open far longer than just the timetabled break times - see page 6 of the voucher booklet). There are various food and drink stalls in different locations at the conference venue where the vouchers can be used – please refer to the booklet for a map of the options. Some food stalls and the VU restaurant also accept card payments. N.B. Please also ensure you keep the Forest Festival ticket (included in the catering vouchers booklet) with you on Thursday 18th – the ticket will get you your entrance to the festival, as well as your coupons for food and drinks at that venue. Your entry to the forest festival is included in your registration. If you want to bring a partner or a friend to the Festival who is otherwise not registered to the conference, then please come to the NomadIT office in Forum 2 in the main building. We have a limited number of extra Forest Festival vouchers available for €70.
  3. Your conference cup: your pack includes a reusable conference cup for coffee or any other drink you wish to get. If the cup breaks, you can exchange it for a new one at the reception desk (handing over the broken one); if you lose your cup, you can buy a new one at one of the coffee stands.
  4. OPTIONAL - Printed programme - only ask for it if you really need one, as we are only printing a limited number! We otherwise encourage you to use the online programme on your phones/devices, as that is more accurate and easily searchable, anyway. 
  5. OPTIONAL - Orange ribbon to prevent being filmed. There will be a film crew at the conference capturing material for promotional videos. If you do not want to be filmed, please ask for an orange ribbon and tie it to your badge, making sure it’s visible.
  6. OPTIONAL - If you don’t have access to Eduroam, request a local wifi user code.  

Conference venues

We are using two adjacent buildings: the Main Building (Hoofdgebouw) and the NU building (Nieuwe Universiteitsgebouw), abbreviated as HG and NU in room references. 

Room numbers in our online programme, as well as the printed programme will indicate the building, the floor, the wing, the room number. So for example in HG-2A00, ‘HG’ indicates the Main Building (Hoofdgebouw), the 2nd floor, in wing A, room 00. For Auditorium, Aula, Aurora and Forum rooms, follow the signs on the ceiling. 

In NU-3B05, ‘NU’ indicates Nieuwe Universiteitsgebouw, 3rd floor, wing B, room 05. For the Theatre rooms in NU, follow the signs on the ceiling.

Conference volunteer team and conference office (NomadIT)

There is a team of helpful volunteers, familiar with the programme, the venue and the surrounding area that you can turn to when in need of assistance. The volunteer team members can be identified by their white t-shirts carrying the EASST-4S 2024 logo. The beating heart of the conference will be the Reception desk on the ground floor of the Main Building (HG), run by volunteers.

All financial arrangements must be dealt with in the conference organisers' (NomadIT) office in Forum 2, Floor 1, easily accessible from the Reception area by stairs and elevator.
 
Reception desk and NomadIT office hours:

  • Mon 15 July  15:00-18:00
  • Tue 16 July   08:00-17:30
  • Wed 17 July  07:45-17:00
  • Thu 18 July:  07:45-17:00
  • Fri 19 July:    07:45-17:00

Feedback to organisers:
The conference will have many actors and many moving parts. Not everything may go according to plan, or some things may go outside the realm of all plans. If you'd like to offer feedback on how things could be improved at the conference (if that's feasible) or at future conferences, please email improve@easst4s2024.net to offer your constructive feedback.

Panel start times

Panels have been staggered across all sessions, with half of the panels starting 30 minutes later than the other half, to give elevators, stairs, hallways, and coffee distribution points some respite from the full delegate number. Please check the start times of sessions on a panel’s page to ensure you are not too early/late. 

Those presenting
Presenting at conferences often creates stress for participants – we assure you that there is no need to be worried, as our student team will be around to help you sort out the technology and NomadIT will be hovering over them to troubleshoot tricky tech. Please go to your panel rooms 15 minutes before the session starts, to upload/download and check your files. Mac users should ideally also use a USB drive, as presenting from the desktop computer that is in the room is by far the most reliable option. If you are planning to use your own Mac computer, do bring the special Mac adaptor along; if your panel takes place in the NU building, please arrive early to test it, as not all adaptors have the required security levels.

Those convening/chairing
Please arrive early for the start of your panel as your colleagues will want to upload their presentations and our team member will be ready to help you connect your device to the data projector etc.

Strict time-keeping is crucial to any good conference, and is one of your responsibilities - please ensure each presenter gets their fair share of the time, and do not overrun the breaks. In the interest of those who wish to listen to specific papers, please try to keep to the division of sessions/papers that is indicated in the printed programme, even if there are further withdrawals. We have placed a laminated sheet in each room with some 'Guidelines' on chairing which we recommend reading.

Timing of papers/sessions
Sessions are 90 mins long with up to five papers per session, some fewer. It is up to the convenors of each panel to decide how much time they want for discussion, how long papers can be (we recommend 10 mins if there are five papers) and if they want papers or slides pre-circulated. 

Making and doing sessions, Wednesday 10:30-18:00

The STS Making and Doing Program aims to give visibility to scholarship that relates to our fields of study and action in generative ways, without adhering to the dominant image of impact. It highlights  scholarly practices for producing and expressing STS knowledge and expertise that extend beyond the academic paper or  book.

Stands will be staffed from 12:00-15:00 (optionally from 10:30-17:00), while the films start at 12:00. The stands are in three locations: Main building - main hall on the ground floor, first floor Foyer, around Aula; and NU building ground floor Atrium, and NU building second floor hallway. The film screenings take place in Theaters 2, 5, 8 and 9 in the NU Building.

Events and meetings

We recommend reading through the conference timetable on the website already now, starring all events and meetings, as well as panels, that you wish to attend. You can do that by logging into the EASST-4S 2024 from the Login link in the upper right corner and navigating to the timetable. Once you’ve starred your ‘event menu’ for the conference, clicking on the star next to the button for participants will filter the day's view to show just the things you've starred! If you wish to add such items to your calendar, so as to get reminders, you can do that by using the blue calendar icons on the right side. 

Please note that some meet-ups require signing up - check the event details in the timetable.

Book Exhibit

In the first floor foyer space, delegates will be able to chat to the following publishers: Bristol University Press, Combined Academic Publishers (representing University of Minnesota Press, Duke University Press, University of Toronto Press), Mattering Press, The MIT Press, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Palgrave Macmillan, Polity Press. 

We also encourage you to have a look at the offers and news from our advertiser presses, affiliated journals and blog on the exhibitors page.

Printing service

With 3300 of you around, the conference office is unable to print papers etc for you. Fortunately there’s a printing company on the premises: Repro VU print services, located in the main building, room KA-30, on the lower ground floor, open from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00. Files should be delivered as PDFs via flash drive or email to print@vu.nl. Delivery time is a few hours for larger orders, small orders can be made directly. All credit cards accepted. For further information, see https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/more-about/print-services or email repro@vu.nl.

Certificates of attendance, receipts of payment

Some funding bodies and institutions require proof of attendance at an event from the delegate they have funded. We do not automatically print these for all delegates, since many do not require them and the papers are easily crumpled/lost on the homeward journey. Every attending delegate can download a signed, headed PDF stating their involvement in the conference (panels convened, papers presented) from the login environment on our website, after the event is over. Login, head to the conference and it will be stated clearly. If, however, such a PDF really is not acceptable to your administration, please come to the NomadIT office during a quieter moment to request a printed and pen-signed certificate, and we will be happy to supply one. Same goes for Receipts of payment.

Security

VU Security department provides additional security during special events. See: https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/more-about/security-at-vu-amsterdam. In case of an accident, fire or other unsafe situation on campus, please call +31 (0)20 5982222.

Ethics

The Conference Code of Ethics and the procedure for contacting the Ethics Committee for the event can be seen here: https://www.easst4s2024.net/ethicsandprivacy/. Here you will also find information about how to contact the ombuds in case you want to reach out to them regarding concerns you have about conduct during the event.

WiFi

If you have Eduroam from your home institution, please use your Eduroam credentials, as Eduroam wireless internet is available at VU, see instructions here: https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/more-about/eduroam-and-wireless-internet. For those without Eduroam access, wifi user codes will be available at the reception desk.

Special rooms for delegate use: ‘quiet rooms’, childcare/feeding rooms and working rooms

Parents with children: for feeding a baby or getting one to fall asleep, you may use the building’s designated breastfeeding room (HG-0E10), but please come to the NomadIT office (Forum 2, first floor, main building) to gain access. Alternatively you can go with your child to one of the seminar rooms also set aside for this for the duration of the conference: HG-09A33 in the main building and NU-2B01 at NU.

Quiet rooms: NOT to be used for working (for a quiet workspace, the University Library may be your best option)!: HG1A53 is the designated quiet room at VU, meant for those who need to overcome anxiety, to meditate or simply sit in quiet contemplation. Please come to the NomadIT office (Forum 2, first floor, main building) for directions.

In addition, we have set aside a room in both buildings that can be accessed directly (the door will be open): HG-10A36 in the main building, NU-4B01 in NU. 

Work rooms: For doing some work on your laptop, please head to HG-12A36 in the main building (won’t be available on Friday),  NU-5A71 in NU (available all conference days), or the University Library.

Allergies

All the food we are providing is vegetarian. There will be two Halal distribution points. The restaurant (lower ground floor, main building) has vegan options and will have a special counter for those with special Dietary requirements (e.g. gluten allergies, etc) which may not be catered to by all the other vendors.

Contact details

Making use of your portable device

Conference news will be posted via daily direct mails. You may wish to like/follow the EASST and 4S social media accounts where the conference hashtag is #EASST4S2024. As per the conference communications policy, discussions on social media are not monitored afnd the Organizing Committee will not be responding to posts. If you have a concern, we’ll be happy to hear from you. Please come to the registration desk and we’ll see what we can do to help you.

We recommend navigating the conference with the online programme; there is also a summary PDF available but that may not reflect most recent updates/changes.

A final thought, before you go to pack your bags. There will be three thousand and some people around at all times. This will mean little space, a lot of movement, a fair amount of noise and confusion -  and all of that may fry our nerves. Please let us try to be kind to one another, to volunteers, organisers, cleaners, caterers, fellow participants. After all, it is the joy of coming together that makes this into a party. 

Safe travels, see you soon!
EASST-4S 2024 co-chairs, organizing committee and conference admins
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