With less than a week to go information is flying in thick and fast as final programmes – especially for the Global Village spaces and networking zones – are finalised.
Keep on checking back on the conference programme to see more – and even when you arrive at the conference check out the programmes posted in the networking zones for events that did not make it into the final programme.
In what promises to be an exhilarating, but also exhausting, conference it is great that at AIDS 2018 there will be a Positive Lounge for people living with HIV.
Positive Lounge at AIDS 2018
The Positive Lounge has existed for several past conferences and is a space where people living with HIV can gather to relax, refresh and recharge themselves during what can be a physically exhausting conference week. It will be open from 8 in the morning until 7 in the evening from Monday July 23rd.
In Amsterdam, the theme for the lounge is based upon Tulips/Two Lips and spaces have been constructed around this concept.
If you are a person living with HIV the space provides nutritious snacks, quiet spaces for people to rest and relax, as well as spaces for you to meet with others living with HIV from around the world. The lounge has also integrated ipads for people to express what you like about the lounge and what you want to see in the future.
Breaking news
The perfect curtain raiser for the No Pants No Problem party has been announced. PrEP17 is a FREE event (with a pay bar) at Club CHURCH (Kerkstraat 52) on the same night as NPNP (Thursday the 26th) but starting at 19.00 and finishing at 22.00 – so perfect timing to carry on to NPNP which opens the doors at 21.00 . Getting from Kerkstraat to NPNP at the Markantine is a 10 minute bike ride – or 20 minutes if you take the number 10 tram from opposite the De La Mar theatre just off Leidseplein (direction Westergasfabriek) to the Bloemgracht (3 stops) and then walk.The PrEP team organisers have also said they will be organising group travel from this event to NPNP .See their Facebook Events page for more information.
Prep is definitely going to be one of the HOT topics of the conference. For anyone who needs to know what PrEP is there is a blog posted by the Amsterdam Youth Force here.
And some more news from the U=U team…
The U=U team have put together this flyer to remind everyone of the main U=U events and happenings.
Also check out the AIDS 2018 March site which has all the details you need to get involved in the event.
Click here to see the clip from from Eid Kamanyire an #hivadvocate and Chairman of the Uganda Moslem Community of the Netherlands (UMCN). As a member of the African diaspora communities he especially fights for #zerobarriers to #hivtreatment and #hivprevention among #migrants Join him and many others on his march #towardszerotogether on Monday, July 23rd at 1pm on Amstelveld. A great way to kickstart @aids_conference AIDS 2018
Finally, for this blog – check out an important reminder that I had overlooked…
‘Large’ bags especially any with wheels will not be admitted to the main conference site – even if they do match your gloves and shoes! The type of bags that will be admitted are below .
For more information read here as well as to get the list of prohibited items.
It is not unusual for the conference to have security checks at the main doors and this conference has implemented a bag and prohibited items policy that limits the size, type and contents of bags that may be brought into the venue.
This security measure is to ensure public safety and make it easier for all guests to gain access to the event.