Vigo-the host city Vigo is located in Galicia (NW Spain). Galicia is a pleasure for senses. Its wonderful beaches, rural and sea landscapes that have not match, a fine temperature and excellent gastronomy turn Galicia into an ever more visited region. The main tourist attractions are the Rías Altas and Bajas, the coastline in Finisterre and cities of great beauty like Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Vigo. ( www.turgalicia.es/ ) Vigo is the most densely populated city in Galicia, the nucleus of a metropolitan area which is a point of reference in the Galician-Northern Portugal Euroregion, due to its economic potential and its dynamic commercial, social and cultural life. ( http://hoxe.vigo.org/ )   The southernmost of Galicia’s rias, the Ria of Vigo is extensive and fertile. The ria is a downed tectonic valley of 172 square kilometres with estuarine circulation. The city is located in its midst, facing the towns of Cangas and Moaña on the other shore. The Cíes Islands, which constitute a part of the National Park of the Atlantic Islands, complete a landscape that enjoys a mild climate throughout the year. The annual average temperature of 15oC gives us an idea of the weather that prevails from the Rande Strait to the Cíes Islands. The more than 2,000 hours of annual sunshine also exceeds the Galician average. And the rainfall, of slightly over 1,499 litres per square meter, contrasts with the more than 2,000 litres that fall in Compostela. A climatic bonanza that, along with the city’s own dynamic nature, attracts a floating population of 500,000 people.   Vigo was inhabited by castro dwellers and Romans. It experienced attacks by sea from English pirates and also had to fight on land against the French. The arrival of the Catalans boosted the city’s industrial development, which has not stopped growing since it was founded. At the end of the 16th century, the town had 868 residents, which rose to 15,000 at the end of the 19th century. The second half of the 19th century was a time of continuous growth for the city, favoured among other things by increased trade with America.  At the beginning of the 20th century, Vigo’s liberal middle class took over the mechanisms of economic power. New industries were set up while communications improved and new plans were created to expand the city. In just over ten years the population doubled (there were 30,000 inhabitants in 1910).    The Port of Vigo is the most important logistics platform and node for cargo transfer of all its geostrategic hinterland, playing an ideal position in the axis of the Atlantic Arc respect the European and American continents, to capture and receive as well as to distribute the whole maritime commercial flow North-South. Over 750,000 tons of fresh fish annually make The Port of Vigo one of the main fishing ports in the world. It is not only a case of fresh seafood, but of its great business activity, its refrigeration capacity of over 650,000 cubic meters, and its strategic location for the key markets of Italy, Portugal and France, which consolidate The Port of Vigo as the “First fishing port for human consumption in the world”. ( http://www.apvigo.com/ )               Vigo is surrounded by the sea, and in a land that provide the finest seafood in the world. Its gastronomy is based on good quality seafood (clams, mussels, cockles, oysters, crabs, spider crabs, barnacles, lobster, cuttlefish, squid and octopus), on traditional recipes such as filloas (similar to omelettes), fish, several kinds of cheeses (tetilla, requesón...), a tasteful white wine (albariño) and so on.   Registration Fees The registration for CIAC’09 in Vigo is now open at online registration Price for the workshops: 80 Euros (€) Price for the Symposium: - To those registered up before 30 January 2009: 350 € - From that date (30 January) to 30 June 2009: 400 € - Students (upon certification of this status): 200 € Official Symposium Dinner: 80 €  The registration fees include: materials, open access to conferences and scientific sessions, abstract book, coffee breaks and one T-shirt. In case of cancellations, the 50€ administrative fee will be retained. The cancelled participants will also be responsible for any costs of refunding the remaining component of the registration fee. The fee for accompanying person will be 100€, covering the welcome reception and the conference dinner. Form of payment: see the registration form enclosed.   General Information Hotels The conference secretariat has compiled a list of hotels of different styles and categories (see website). Reception and delivery of materials Material will be provided on Sunday (September 6) from 16.00 to 20.00 and Monday from 8.00 to 10.00 h in the registration desk located at the Caixanova Venue. Lunch The Secretariat of the Congress has compiled a list of restaurants near the congress venue of different types and categories for lunch between 13, 30 and 15, 30 hours (check web site). Social events:   - Welcome Reception at the Vigo’s Town Hall on Monday, 7 September. Buses departure from Centro Cultural Caixanova (Congress Center).  - Official Symposium Dinner: Friday, 11 September in Hotel Pazo Los Escudos. Buses departure from Centro Cultural Caixanova (Congress Center), 20.30 hours.   Other activities:  Wednesday, 9 September  1. Tour to Santiago de Compostela  2. Tour to Bayona, La Guardia, Tuy and Valença do Miño (Spain & Portugal)  3. Tour to National Park of the Galician Atlantic Islands Price per person: 60 € (minimum group 25 persons) 4. Dive at Ria de Vigo (maximum 11 persons): Price per person:  120 €