Posted by: IADMS Student Committee 

The annual conference is fast approaching and it’s time to start making plans. This year the exciting city of Wanchai, Hong Kong will be on the map as the second Asian location for the meeting to be held. Here are a few things we’ve been thinking about in preparation for heading to the tropical paradise in a cosmopolitan city, which happens to have the highest density of 7-Eleven shops in the world AND the world’s largest collection of skyscrapers… 

Accommodation
If you’re looking to meet up with other student members AND cut some costs why not find a roommate on our student forum. Don’t forget that you need a current membership to access the forums! This can be a great way to get to know other members and will mean you have company finding your way to/from the conference. If you’re in the UK and are looking for a roommate, you might also want to join the Dance Science Study UK Facebook group and share a post there, we’ve met loads of great new people this way!  

Travel
Getting between the airport and the city…
You might want to start thinking about your travel plans for when you arrive in Hong Kong. This way, instead of feeling flustered when you arrive you can take in the sights and sounds of Hong Kong! 

The airport express is the fastest way to get between the airport and the city, reaching Hong Kong Island in around 24 minutes. Airport Express allows free in-town check-in services for major airlines; passengers are also able to take a free shuttle bus from Kowloon and Hong Kong stations to major hotels. More information on the free shuttle bus here. 

Getting to the conference venue…
Planning your route between where you’re staying and the conference venue ahead of time will also help you to make the most of your time in Hong Kong. If you’re presenting or hoping to make it to the conference for a particular session or workshop, you don’t want to be worrying about how to get there. 

The quickest and most efficient way to get around Hong Kong is traveling via the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system. It covers major districts in Hong Kong, which includes stops at the boundary with Mainland China (Lok Ma Chau Station and Lo Wu Station). The Academy is located roughly mid-way between the Admiralty and Wanchai MTR stations, although it is slightly closer to Admiralty (take exit D signposted to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts). 

Another option is to use the bus. Buses in Hong Kong are comfortable, plentiful and mostly air-conditioned. They are popular for watching the great views from the top deck of the double-deckers. 

Bus route guide for the conference venue:
A) A12, 18, 18P, 18X, 40M, 590, 720, 720A, 722, 780, 788
B) 2, A12, 18, 18P, 18X, 70, 104, 260, 307, 309, 590, 720, 720A, 720P, 722, 780, 788, 930A, 930X, 967X, 969X 

Connecting with other students
The IADMS annual conference offers a unique opportunity to connect with peers and professionals who specialise in dance medicine and science. Here’s our top tips on how to make the most of this opportunity…  

Top tips

• Attend the student social – this is a great way to meet other students before the conference even begins!
• Attend a roundtable – this can be a great way to meet other students and professionals in your area. There is also the student roundtable, an opportunity to discuss key issues with students in dance medicine and science
• Check out the student networking session – this session brings together professionals from a wide range of dance medicine and science disciplines and gives you an opportunity to meet peers in your research area and to get to know the professionals in your area too.
• Networking – put yourself out there and try to talk to as many new faces as possible. The IADMS conference is a great place to make new connections and to talk to professionals who are as passionate about dance science as you are!
• Introduce yourself to the Student Committee - we’re really friendly and love getting to know other young people who share our passions :) 

Getting the most out of the conference
In addition to connecting with other students and professionals you want to make sure that you get the most out of what’s on offer at the conference and in the city of Hong Kong. 

Top tips

• Attend a variety of sessions not just your main area and try to sit down with the conference schedule before you go and plan out the sessions you want to check out
• Be brave – ask questions during the sessions and get involved!
• If you don’t fancy asking questions during the formal sessions, attend a roundtable. The roundtable is a great opportunity to engage in discussion with a smaller group of people on a more specific topic.
• Make the most of your breaks – use this time to try to get to know new faces at the conference and to talk to new people.
• Make the most of any free time to explore the city – this is one of the perks of being a part of an international association! 

Student Events
Getting involved with student events can really help you to make the most out of your time at the conference and the events we have on offer mean that you can get to know some new faces before the conference even begins! 

Student social
Our student social is a great way to meet other students before the meeting begins and to network with Dance Medicine and Science students from across the globe! This years’ student social will take place the Wednesday before the conference begins to give you a chance to meet up in person before attending the conference. 

Other student events and sessions include our student and young professionals networking event, the student roundtable and presentations on The future of dance medicine & science: An IADMS student survey and Building your career: how to establish and foster a mentor-mentee partnership in your interest area 

Little things…
Something as small as having the right travel charger can be the key to making your trip a success. 

Travel chargers – The electric power is 220 Volt, 50 Hertz. A power converter is necessary to avoid damage to computers designed specifically for 120 V. Hong Kong uses a Type G electrical plug that has three rectangular blades in a triangular pattern and has an incorporated fuse (usually a 3 amps fuse for smaller appliances such as a computer and a 13 amps one for heavy duty appliances such as heaters). Check out this website for info on what type of adapter you will need. 

Watch this space! More details to come on our student events in our upcoming blog posts :)