The Summer Meeting 2016 - pre-congress information

Welcome to the page for all your pre-congress information. Here you will find details to help plan your trip to the Summer Meeting in Eastbourne, and links to helpful websites.

To get a flavour of the town and the venue, watch the video at the foot of the page.

Venue

The Summer meeting will be held at Winter Garden, Eastbourne.

Winter Garden, Compton Street, Eastbourne, BN21 4BP

News

August 2016 - Please note the venue opening times, and catering arrangements:

Friday 19th - 5:00pm
Saturdays and Sundays - 10am
All other weekdays - 9:15am
On Friday 19th the bar will be open from 5pm serving hot and cold drinks and a range of snacks including sandwiches. On all other days the Bistro (serving a range of hot and cold food and drinks) will be open from 10am to 7pm, and the bar (serving hot and cold drinks and bar snacks) will be open from 7pm until the end of play).

**In line with all our hotel venues, food and drink purchase outside the venue may not be consumed on the premises. A bar and cafe is available for purchasing refreshments**

July 2016 - We are pleased that Potters Resort will be sponsoring the GCH Fox Championships Pairs competition. Participants on Tuesday evening will therefore be competing for the Potters Resort Trophy. They will be joining us at the congress, and you can talk to them about the holidays they have available, plus they will be bringing some other mind sports for you to play during your 'down time'.

- Please note that from 1st August 2016 the EBU20A type of system card will no longer be permitted in EBU events. If you currently use that type of system card please switch to using the EBU20B type at the Summer Meeting. If you do not have a suitable, fully completed card at the congress then you will be asked to complete one before you play (and may have boards removed if you are not able to start on time while you complete your card). We therefore encourage you to come prepared.

May 2016 - We have added two training sessions on the use of EBUScore. These will be on Friday 26th August:
10am - an introduction to the basics of EBUScore for those unfamiliar with the software (or the Jeff Smith suite on which it is based).
2pm - for more experienced users, and will address the scoring of more complicated events and look at more advanced ‘troubleshooting’.
Each session will be free to those who are part of an EBU affiliated club, but places must be booked in advance via the EBU Competition Department – 01296 317203/219. When booking please let us know the club you are representing. Places at the sessions may not be available to those who do not register in advance.

March 2016 - The format for the Really Easy Congress is available, along with the timetable for those events. See here for more details.

March 2016 - The schedule for the full congress is now available here, along with the entry form and event leaflet.

October 2015 - The main schedule in 2016 will be the same as it has been in recent years, with one of two variations - see below. It will therefore start on the evening of Friday 19th August with the Swiss Pairs, and finish on Sunday 28th August with the Swiss/4 Star Teams, and one-day Swiss Pairs events.

The intention is for all session times to be the same - the midweek sessions will therefore have a 'regular' start at 7:45, and an 'early start' at 7:00. We believe that the train schedule will allow those who start at 7pm an opportunity to easily travel back to London after playing.

The changes to the events are:
There will be a one-day Swiss Pairs on the first Sunday. There will be no one-day event on the first Saturday.
There may be a change to the format of the Really Easy Congress. These changes are yet to be confirmed, and will be announced as soon as possible.

Comments board

We have a comments board at the foot of this page. Please use it to provide tips on where to park or stay; ask others to recommend their favourite restaurant; or tell everyone about your favourite competition. Join us and help other everyone enjoy the Summer Meeting as much as possible. Please see this page if you need help using the comments board.

Finding a partner for the event

Please use the comments board at the foot of the page to find a partner for the event. We can also usually match people up during the congress. Please visit the EBU desk at the congress to add your name to the list of those looking for a partner or team mates.

Accommodation

No accommodation is available at the venue, and due to the abundance of hotels within easy walking distance of the venue there is not a 'host' hotel. You are free to make your own accommodation arrangements depending on your personal budget and circumstances. Our research suggests prices are cheaper than in Brighton - in some instances 30% cheaper for like-for-like options.

Eastbourne listings on Hotels.com
Eastbourne listings on Lastminute.com
Eastbourne listings on Expedia.com
Eastbourne listings on Ebookers.com
AirBnB - for private rentals of houses, apartments or single rooms
Travelodge - Eastbourne Willingdon Drove (2 miles to the venue); Travelodge - Hellingly Eastbourne (8 miles to venue)
There are three Premier Inn in the Eastbourne area: Eastbourne Town Centre (1/2 mile to venue); Eastbourne (4 miles to venue); Eastbourne Polegate (6 miles to venue)

All searches are for a double occupancy room for the duration of the congress - in some instances you may need to resubmit the search parameters.

Brighton University Halls of Residence in Eastbourne:
Brighton University has accommodation available in Eastbourne. It is just 1 mile from the venue, and nine nights in a single, en-suite room with a shared kitchen and lounge is just £225*. Alternatively, if booking for a shorter period (fewer than 5 nights), rooms are £38/night*. There is also free parking and wifi for residents. There is a maximum stay of nine nights. You can book here.
* - correct at the time of writing.

Alternatively you may wish to consider staying in a nearby town, and using public transport, or your car, to get in to Eastbourne. As parking is cheap this is certainly a practical option.

For information on accommodation from the local Tourist Board contact

Eastbourne Information Centre, Cornfield Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4QA
Tel: 0871 663 0031
www.visiteastbourne.com
or
Eastbourne Hospitality Association, Kestrel House, Marine Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7AU
Tel: 01323 726756

Car travel and parking

The Winter Garden on Google Maps routeplanner.

Parking is available in many places in Eastbourne. Some free on street parking is available - see here (areas marked in white have no regulations in place).

There is a discounted rate at an NCP carpark just five minutes from the Winter Garden - Trinity Trees NCP at the junction of Trinity Place and Compton Street. You can park here for £2 for 24 hours. Please note that the carpark closes at 9pm, so if you are not staying overnight you will need to move your car before the start of the evening session. On street parking is free in many places in the area around the Winter Garden after 6pm. For instructions on how to receive the discount on your parking rates, see here. The 'discount tickets' will be available via EBU staff at the EBU reception at the congress. The tickets are valid for use throughout the congress, so we would recommend you collect a ticket on arrival at the Winter Garden, rather than when you are leaving, to avoid any delays should you need to leave unexpectedly.

Information on other car parks in Eastbourne is available here.

Public transport

Buses

Information on bus travel around East Sussex is available via this interactive map.

National Express buses serve Eastbourne, from Victoria Coach Station every evening. The quickest journey takes 2:50. Alternatively you could travel with them to Brighton - which run approximately every hour from London - and then get a connecting bus to Eastbourne.

Trains

Southern Railway
Thameslink Railway

Eastbourne Railway station is half a mile from the Winter Garden.

During the week of the congress the final train to London from Eastbourne is likely to depart around 23:05 (22:59 on Sunday) (though please check with the service provider for any changes nearer the time). If you use the 'early start' option for midweek events you should be able to catch the final train. You are unlikely to be able to catch the final train if you play in the Weekend Challenge Events or start at the 'regular' time in a midweek event.

The last train to Brighton each evening is at 23:56.

Taxis

720 Eastbourne & Country Taxis Ltd

Eastbourne Taxis

Information on taxi services from Brighton's main station can be see here