FUDCon LATAM 2017 - Panamá
Local Team
Description of the City
More information available on Wikipedia
More information available on this video (author: Autoridad de Turismo)
More information available on this other video (author: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines)
Panama City (Spanish: Panamá) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal Panama City is the political and administrative center of the country. Panama has been for 8 years one of the top 5 places for retirement in the world according to International Living Magazine.
Panama City is also an important hub for international banking and commerce. It has an advanced communications service, Internet use is widespread. It is important also because:
- Panama City was chosen to be the American Capital of Culture for the year 2003, what adds an incredible cultural center for our ambassadors.
- Panama City hosted the seventh version of the Summits of the Americas for the year 2015 that brought together leaders of the region to reflect on the difficulties faced by the peoples of the hemisphere, what adds an incredible political center for our ambassadors.
- Panama City will host World Youth Day in 2019, which is an event emphasized in the unity and presence of numerous different cultures, what adds and incredible spiritual profile for our ambassadors.
Weather and Climate
In Panama City the daytime temperatures are always around or slightly above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and the thermometer drops at night no lower than around 22 to 24 degrees Celsius (71 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit).
Nevertheless, the city experiences different seasons. Not four seasons as like in the northern parts of the world, but is has a dry season which runs from late December to late April. And a real rainy season which runs from May to early December. In this period, large amounts of rain fall in Panama City.
Airports, Lodging and Venue
Airports
Tocumen International Airport
Tocumen International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen) (IATA: PTY, ICAO: MPTO) is an international airport located 15 miles (24 km) from Panama City, Panama. In 2006, it underwent a major expansion and renovation program in order to modernize and improve its facilities. It is currently the only airport in Central America with two runways for use and is also the largest airport in the country.
Tocumen Internation Airport is a regional hub for commercial flights heading to and from The Caribbean, South America, North America and Central America. Also, the European cities of Madrid and Amsterdam are served.
Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport
Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert") (IATA: PAC, ICAO: MPMG) is a public airport located 1.5 km (0.93 mi) west of the center of Panama City. It is located on the site of the former Albrook Air Force Station.
Albrook International Airport serves local flights and international flights coming from Costa Rica and Colombia.
Air Panama offers daily flights to many cities in Panama from Albrook Airport. Its corporate headquarters are located on the airport property.
Lodging
Hotels
The price of staying in hotels depends on the category. The price range may vary from $25 to $250 per night.
Due to the category, location and price, we recommend on these two options:
- Lodging Complex (City of Knowledge)
- $76 per night
- Air conditioning
- Hot water
- Cable Television
- Telephone
- Free Wi-Fi Access
- Garden view balcony
- Housekeeping service
- Valuables safe-deposit box
- Common use kitchenette (microwave, fridge, coffee maker)
- Shared used of sitting room
- Washer and dryer machines
- Free bus service within campus
- 24 hour campus security
- More information here
- Country Inn & Suites Panama City
- $105 per night
Apartments
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Venue
Option A: Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá
More information on their website
Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP) is the second largest university in Panama. It is a university comprising six faculties in seven campuses nationwide. The main campus is a 60-hectare piece of land located in Panama City, the country’s capital city. It is the state institution with the highest hierarchy in terms of higher scientific-technological education in the Republic of Panama.
The delivery to the nation of professionals is given without interruption as of the 1981. Promotion. To date, this High House of Higher Studies has graduated 55,008 professionals who with their knowledge, skills and abilities contribute to the development of the Republic of Panama .
The synergy created with the government, private and social sectors of Panama, allows the UTP to maintain an up-to-date academic offer and contribute efficiently to the country's technological and social development. On the other hand, the link developed with prestigious academic institutions, research, organizations and companies from other countries, ensures their successful insertion in the globalized world.
Its educational offer, evidences the institutional growth. Currently, 127 courses are offered at the different levels, as follows: 4 PhDs, 69 Masters and Postgraduates, 1 Teaching staff, 21 Bachelor's degrees in Engineering, 21 Bachelor's degrees with intermediate technical qualification, 4 other Bachelor's degrees, 1 Bachelor's degree in Technology and 6 careers Techniques. As for demand, it has increased from 5,735 students in 1981 to 21,443 in 2015. It has a teaching staff of 1,549 teachers, 32% full-time and 1,852 administrative staff.
UTP is a national leader in engineering research; Serves as a reference center and expertise in technology.
Option B: Universidad Interamericana de Panamá
More information on their website
Universidad Interamericana de Panamá offers continuing education, undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture, business administration, engineering and information technology, hotel management, human resources, law, maritime administration and tourism, and psychology.
UIP provides students an opportunity to enroll in dual-degree programs with other Laureate International Universities network institutions, including master’s programs with the Institute for Executive Development.
Universidad Interamericana de Panamá is accredited by the National Council on University Evaluation and Accreditation of Panama.
More than 10,300 students are enrolled at Universidad Interamericana de Panamá (UIP), which was founded in 1994 and merged with Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología (ULACIT) in 2014. UIP develops students’ personal and professional skills through a variety of programs on its two Panama City campuses.
Option C: City of Knowledge
More information of their website
Just a few minutes from downtown Panama City, City of Knowledge is strategically located across from the Panama Canal. Some 120 hectares and more than 200 buildings of what was once the Clayton military base are now home to a booming international community established for the purpose of business, academic, scientific, and humanistic collaboration. The objective is human and sustainable development based on knowledge.
City of Knowledge is a management platform that focuses on boosting the innovative and competitive capacities of the users who share the Campus. Integration, dynamic networking, and joint efforts facilitate the transference of knowledge.
This allows for an unusual concentration of innovative firms, international organizations focused on development, as well as academic and research institutions, resulting in a lively and successfully collaborative community. In order to strengthen these dynamics, City of Knowledge provides access to a series of benefits and services aimed at the needs of its users.
Local Transportation
More information available on Wikipedia
More information here on Visit Panama
Panama has an extensive and efficient, form of public transportation consisting of colorful painted buses colloquially known as diablo rojo. There is also a bus terminal near the airport which together with the airport serves as the main transport hub for the rest of the country.
Panamá will have a citywide metro system initially 14 km long, stretching across the city for next year. This new metro system along with the Metrobus propel the city and country toward Panama's goal of entering the first world.
Flight Costs
- These values may vary -
Countries inside CentralAmerica
Some countries can travel by bus
- Costa Rica = us$70 (bus)
- Nicaragua = us$90
- El Salvador = us$120
- Guatemala = us$150
Info about Ticabus transportation Here
Countries Outside CentralAmerica
- Miami = us$400
- Venezuela = us$400
- Colombia = us$450
- Ecuador = us$470
- Mexico = us$700
- Santiago de chile = us$850
- Belo Horizonte = us$ 920
- Rio de Janeiro = us$950
- Buenos Aires = us$1.000
- Madrid = us$1.300
- Curitiba = us$1010
Country Visa Information
Panama, require passport, there are some countries that no require Visa to come in:
Countries that enter Panama with tourist card
Canadá, Estados Unidos, México, Belice, Antigua y Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Granada, Jamaica, San Cristóbal y Nevis, Santa Lucia, Trinidad y Tobago, Guyana, Venezuela.
Touris card can be bought at Panamenian airport at US$ 5.
Countries that not Require tourist Visa to visit
Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Paraguay, Brasil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia.
Countries that require tourist Visa
Ecuador, if you do not have a US visa, if you have US visa an have visited US on the last 1 years you don't need Visa. Check you local travel agency.
If your country is not here, please visit info
Brief description of on the ground resources and their experience with FUDcon/other large events.
More info about the Convention Center Here
This is one of the most active sections in the City of Knowledge. With an auditorium that can seat 500 people and the most complete technological platform in the region for interactive development of new forms of learning in its Digital Classroom, the City of Knowledge Convention Center has plenty of possibilities for holding your event, meeting, seminar, graduation ceremony, congress, fair or videoconference, among other things.
Even if Panamá hasn't held a FUDcon event ever, they have held events like last minidebconf, Flisol and SFD. Also, like all CentralAmerica countries are really near, we can count with almost all LATAM (CentralAmerica and top of SouthAmerica) people resources, gather for help for a really small us$ amount. Will be an excellent oportunity to gather a good number of contributors.
Auditorium
The auditorium may be used as a single space or as three, because it can be divided into modules. It covers a total of 465 m2 (5,005 square feet) and can seat approximately 500 people. Rental of this auditorium includes central air conditioning, telephone access, Internet, basic furniture, and cleaning service.
Videoconference Room
This room is equipped with a Tandberg 6000 educator. VC speed is 128 to 384 kbps, with ISDN.IP communication. This room seats 90 people.
Meeting Room and Offices
As part of the comprehensive services and supplementary spaces at the Convention Center, we have a small meeting room for 10 people and three individual offices for support during events.
Dining Room
We can provide you with tables and chairs for your congress or seminar, as well as a fully equipped kitchen so that a catering team may work without any problems.
Notation of internet connectivity options for both hotel and conference venue.
Ciudad del Saber has excellent telecommunications, IT and educational technology services, including an intelligent high-tech center with the required capacity for teleconferences, distance learning, fast internet connections, and other services.
Outline of proximate restaurant locations.
There are small restaurants and convenience stores close to the convention center around 3 blocks from it.
There is a small bowling place around 3 blocks from convention center and Villas.
Ciudad del saber is at 10 min from Ciudad de Panamá's downtown. So all kind of foods can be found.
Pros and Cons of the proposed location.
Pros
- As Panamá is in the middle of LATAM and is a financial center, travels, hotels and services are really cheap to be a more atractive destination.
- All CentralAmerica countries have easy access to Panamá; so most of them can travel by bus, will help to decrese the traveling budget and help to bring more people to FUDcon.
- Ciudad del Saber has a huge list of aliances that can represent a benefit to our community. This list includes all Panamá universities, several governamental agency, Alliance Française, Smithsonian Research Institute, Science and Technology for Development Iberoamerican Program, Latin American Social Sciences Institute, National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions of Mexico and others. See complete list here
- We can count with the support of cidetys - International Center for Technological Development an Free Software support (English link here)
Cons
As Panamá is in the middle of LATAM, maybe bring people from the bottom side of SouthAmerica will be too expensive.
Possible Attendees
| # | Name | $$$ | Vegetarian | Size | Share Room? | Comments | Hotel Booked | Extra Line for Badge | Country | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abdel Martínez | S | Panama | Ambassadors, QA, LATAM Treasurer, ex-FAmSCo | ||||||
| 2 | José Reyes | S | Panama | Ambassadors | ||||||
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