Conference Venue

In the last few years Naples has become one of the favorite destinations for all those Italian and foreign tourists who love spending their holidays in cities of artistic interest. Unlike cities in which art is stored in museums and daily life happens on the streets, Naples's distinctive mark is its folklore: people living and working among the artistic beauties of the city. Buildings, churches, streets, ancient fortresses and castles in the sea, as well as natural caves and places impregnated with mystery and mysticism, all of which makes Naples unforgettable in the minds of all travelers.
Naples is not only art and culture. During its long history, Naples achieved several scientific and technological accomplishments, such as the first steamboat in the Mediterranean Sea (1818), built in the shipyard of Stanislao Filosa al ponte di Vigliena, near Naples, and the first railway in the Italian peninsula (1839), which connected Naples to Portici. Meanwhile, Naples could count on a very large and efficient merchant navy. Moreover, the first railway tunnel in the world was built there. Among the other achievements, one worth mentioning is the first suspension bridge in Continental Europe (1832), the first gaslight in Italy (1839), the first volcano observatory in the world, l'Osservatorio Vesuviano (1841), the first and actual archaeological excavations in the world (in the ancient cities of Pompei and Ercolano), the first faculty of Economics in Europe and the first faculty of Astronomy in Italy . The first suspension bridge, built in iron, the "Real Ferdinando" on the river Garigliano and it was built in the Reali Ferriere factory and Weapons factory in Mongiana. The rails for the first Italian railways were built in Mongiana, near Naples, as well. All the rails of the old railways that went from the south to as far as Bologna were built in Mongiana.
Naples is noted for its numerous higher education institutes and research centers. Naples hosts what is thought to be the oldest state university in the world, in the form of the University of Napoli Federico II, which was founded by Frederick II in 1224. The university is among the most prominent in Italy, with around 100,000 students and over 3,000 professors in 2007. It is host to the Botanical Garden of Naples, which was opened in 1807 by Giuseppe Bonaparte, using plans drawn up under the Bourbon king Ferdinand IV. The garden's 15 hectares feature around 25,000 samples of vegetation, representing over 10,000 plant species.
Besides arts, history, culture, technology and education, Naples is famous in the world for its inimitable food. Traditional Neapolitan cooking is very rich and complex, with many simple but complete foods, such as pizza, as well as elaborate and tasty dishes.

Naples and its surrounding are a magical place where colors, flavors, culture and history are intertwined in a charming mix of knowledge, joy and fun.

Map of Downtown Naples (Click on image to enlarge)

The Royal Continental Hotel and Meeting Centre is located on Naples’ waterfront. It’s easy to lose yourself between the sea and the symbols of the city: opposite the hotel, you’ll see the legendary Castel dell‘Ovo and the Borgo Marinari, just a few minutes walk away is the Piazza del Plebiscito and a little further, the Maschio Angioino.
Royal Continental Hotel is one of the largest meeting centres in Naples. An auditorium for up to 530 people and 16 modular meeting rooms, as well as 397 rooms including 13 business suites, a spacious restaurant with 550 seats, the Roof with panoramic views and seawater swimming pool, free Wi-Fi, a fitness centre and massages on request.
Royal Continental Hotel is located in one of the most beautiful places in the world: Naples’s waterfront. From its balcony and its terraces you can admire a unique spectacle: the Vesuvius, the hill of Posillipo and the Bay Islands, Capri, Ischia and Procida. A set of excellent facilities will make the stay of conference participants as unique and special.
The area around the Royal Continental Hotel is a purely tourist area and it is surrounded by restaurants and pizzerie where people will appreciate the goodness and quality of Italian food and, in particular, of Neapolitan cuisine.

Detailed floor plans of the convention centre can be found here (Click on image to enlarge)

All of Europe’s principal cities are located within two-hour flight time and the whole of continental Europe is within four hours of Naples. Serving the city of Naples and the popular Amalfi Coast, Naples International Airport is a key regional hub. It was the first Italian airport to be privatized and run by GESAC, a subsidiary of British BAA (British Airports Authority), the company that manages the airports of London. The Naples International Airport is located in the suburb of San Pietro a Patierno, around 4 km from Naples city center. It is the largest airport in southern Italy, with around 140 national and international flights arriving or departing daily.
The Naples Alibus Airport Shuttle transports passengers between Naples Capodichino Airport, the Central Train Station and Naples Molo Beverello Port. Stopping only at these three locations, it is a cheaper alternative to taking a taxi and more convenient then using the city buses. The Naples Alibus Airport Shuttle runs daily with departures every 20 to 30 minutes. Alibus Airport Shuttle connects Airport of Naples to the city centre in 30 minutes. UnicoAlibus tickets purchased on board the Alibus are €4.
Naples' streets are famously narrow (it was the first city in the world to set up a pedestrian one-way street), so the general public commonly use compact hatchback cars and scooters for personal transit. However, Naples has an extensive public transport network, including trams, buses, funiculars and trolleybuses, most of which are operated by the municipally owned company Azienda Napoletana Mobilità (ANM). Three public elevators are in operation in the city – one within the bridge of Chiaia, one in via Acton and one near the Sanità Bridge. The city furthermore operates the Naples Metro, an underground rapid transit railway system which integrates both surface railway lines and the city's metro stations. Suburban rail services are provided by Trenitalia, Circumvesuviana, Ferrovia Cumana and MetroNaples. Tickets, named Ticket integrato Campania (TIC), are valid for 90 minutes on all forms of transport within the city, cost €1.50, and can be purchased at Tabacchi (tobacco shops) or newsstands. A daily pass is €4.50.
Transportation in Naples is also Art. The Art Stations of Naples Metro are some stops of Naples Metro, in which special attention was paid to making the environment beautiful, comfortable and functional. With the construction and expansion of numerous metro lines the municipality of Naples developed the project Stations of Art (also known as Hundred Stations Plan), with which it was intended to entrust the planning of metro stops to well-known contemporary artists and architects. The Art Stations, distributed along the lines 1 and 6 of the Metro network, include more than 180 pieces of art created by 90 international authors and by some young local architects, allowing them to combine different architectural styles. On November 30, 2012, the Toledo station was eliged as the most beautiful of Europe by the Daily Telegraph.

Underground and Railways Map (Click on image to enlarge)