Dubai pre-departure newsletter - MUST READ

Our Dubai Global Immersion is just around the corner!

This newsletter contains a lot of information, please take the time to read it before departure. We have included some travel preparedness tips and guidance as well as a reminder of some outstanding items from previous communications.

Full trip itinerary now available

Your itinerary for the Dubai Global Immersion is now live on IB Connect. A detailed PDF of the itinerary can be found here, however, visits may change time or location at short notice, so we would recommend referring to the IB Connect itinerary for the latest version.

How to view the itinerary via IB Connect App:
Open the App > Go to Events > Choose Events I'm Attending >View All

How to view the itinerary via IB Connect web browser:
Open IB Connect > Go to the Dubai Group > Choose the Events tab > Choose "The Future of Cities – Dubai 2023" > Scroll down to see the Agenda

Please register for the cultural activities

You have been automatically registered for all company visits and talks as these are mandatory.

We expect that many of you will also want to join the free cultural activities that are planned, but we encourage you to sign up for these yourself – you can find them listed at the bottom of this email.

There is room for everyone on these activities, but this is so that the events get added to your IB Connect calendar and to give us a good indication of numbers.

Pre-Departure Reminders and Actions

Communications during the week

We will exclusively use IBConnect for daily updates and non-academic communications during the trip. Please expect to check it daily while we are in Dubai as that's where we'll update with any changes or important information.

We strongly recommend downloading the IB Connect app now to familiarise yourself with the platform ahead of travel (Apple store / Google Play).
 

Health & Safety Briefings

Review the pre-trip health and safety briefing if you did not attend, as a reminder of what to pack and what to expect. Please remember to pack appropriate clothing for visits to religious and cultural sites (scarf / long sleeves etc).

All relevant documents are saved in the Documents folder on the IB Connect group page.
 

Travel Documents

Make sure you pack your travel documents (including any visa paperwork if applicable). We advise you have a digital copy of important documents in an easy to access place, e.g. saved on your phone.

• All passengers travelling to the UAE are no longer required to present a COVID‑19 vaccination certificate or perform PCR tests

Insurance

You will be covered via Imperial travel insurance for the duration of the trip, though you may wish to take out your own personal cover in addition, or if you are extending your stay.

Hotel check-in

Hotel check-in is available from 15:00 on Sunday 26 March. The hotel will endeavour to make some rooms available earlier where possible, but this is not guaranteed. You are welcome to use the hotel luggage storage facilities until your room is ready.

Room sharing, upgrades and extra nights

The rooming list has now been finalised. Roommate preferences have been honoured wherever possible, and Emma has been in touch with you separately to discuss any issues or pair you up with other participants if needed.

Everyone who requested single room upgrades and/or extra nights should have been contacted for payment by the Legacy Ventures team. If this is not the case, please email emma.davies1@imperial.ac.uk urgently.
 

Airport Transfers

We will arrange two airport transfers for group arrivals on Sunday 26 March:

• 1st pick-up for those arriving between 07:20 and 07:45
• 2nd pick-up for those arriving at 08:45

Emergency contacts and dietary requirements

We have been in contact with those of you who still need to provide emergency contact details – please action this immediately if you are yet to do so.

If you haven’t already listed any specific dietary requirements on your traveller registration form, please do so before 09:00 GMT on Friday 24 March.

Clocks Change on Sunday!

Note that clocks change in the UK this Sunday 27 March, making sunrise and sunset 1 hour later. If you are arranging any meetings across time zones next week, you can use this handy calculator to work out the time zones including the daylight savings change. https://ibconnect.imperial.ac.uk/click?email_links_id=1452&member_id=1003565653


Download these Apps:

• IBConnect
• Microsoft Authenticator - this will allow you to verify your MS Account using a code or biometrics instead of text/call. This is a must-have if you plan to get a local sim card/e-sim.

What to do in an emergency

Emma and Jon will arrive on 24 March, and can be reached by phone, IBConnect, Teams, Whatsapp and should be contacted in the event of pre-trip emergency.

• Emma Davies – Student Life Manager: +44 7594 511228
• Jon Milnthorpe – Director of Student Life: +44 7874625076

Other relevant contact details will be provided during our welcome briefing.

If you miss your flight, please book on the next available flight to Dubai and notify Emma.

Important details to keep safe:

Opportunities for you during the trip

Instagram Takeover

We’re pleased to say that we will have the chance to take over the Imperial College Business School Instagram stories on Saturday 1 April! We appreciate that this will be a travel day for many of you, but you can create content throughout the week and will need a couple of hours free to upload. We will be looking for 1-2 volunteers who can provide the following:

• 7-8 stories posted on 1 April
• Content for a Dubai Future of Cities reel
• A gallery of images for a grid post

Please email ibglobalexperiences@imperial.ac.uk ASAP if you are interested, so we can put you in touch with our social media team.

Student Hosts for Company Visits

Thank you to those who have already been in touch about acting as a host for company visits. Hopefully you have heard from Arianna Saccani about next steps.

We are looking for a few more students to act as IB hosts during our company visits and for panel sessions. This is a great opportunity to grow your network by creating connections and visibility with senior executives in Singapore.

As student host:
• We expect you to be the Master of Ceremonies (MC) for the session
• Arrive to the venue promptly to greet our local speaker(s), thank them for hosting us at their facilities/taking the time to speak to us, and introduce yourself as an IB ambassador
• Introduce the speaker(s) and company to the cohort (we will provide bios)
• Kick off the Q&A session with some of your own pre-prepared questions and facilitate the Q&A with the wider group.
• Provide the speaker with our IB branded thank you gift (we will provide this)

If this is of interest to you, please contact ibglobalexperiences@imperial.ac.uk and we will be in touch.

Final Comments

Remember that we are all ambassadors for Imperial College Business School and should behave appropriately for the duration of the trip. If you have a name badge or programme badge, please do bring this along and ensure you are in business attire wherever appropriate, to reflect the Business School’s professional image.

If you have any final questions, please email ibglobalexperiences@imperial.ac.uk and we will get back to you as quickly as possible

Otherwise, we wish you all safe travels and we’re looking forward to seeing you in Dubai!