PSA Offshore 2020

Main Conference Program - Edinburgh & Belfast

Thu 14 May	Depart Australia
	Delegates depart Australia for Edinburgh.
Fri 15 May	Arrive Edinburgh
Afternoon	On arrival at Edinburgh Airport you will be met and transferred by coach to the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to relax and recover from your travels. The pre-conference group will arrive at the hotel mid-afternoon.
Evening	Welcome Reception and Dinner Catch up with old friends and make some new ones at the first formal function of the main conference. Enjoy some Scottish hospitality with dinner and drinks in the hotel this evening.
Overnight Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh Meals: Dinner
Sat 16 May	Edinburgh
Morning	Conference opening, His Excellency George Brandis
Afternoon	The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy a range of optional tours. Edinburgh's city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site so there is much to explore. Up until the 17th century, Edinburgh’s walled defences confined the city to just 57 hectares. With threats lurking beyond the walls, the city’s growing population had only one option; build up. The result was a city choc-a-bloc with fickle housing and narrow alleyways. The walls may be long gone, but the city’s higgledy piggeldy roots are still evident today, giving Edinburgh a unique charm that’s all its own. Scotland is the home of golf with many of the world’s top-rated courses within an hour drive of Edinburgh. Organised optional rounds of golf will also be on offer providing opportunities for you to enjoy a round or two during your stay.
Evening	This evening is at leisure (dinner at own expense).
Overnight Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh Meals: Breakfast
Sun 17 May	Edinburgh
Morning	Conference sessions.
Afternoon	The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy a range of optional tours. A visit to Edinburgh Castle is a must. Perched on top of an extinct volcano, the Castle and its Esplanade offers unparalleled views of Edinburgh. Once inside you can explore some of the oldest and most important buildings of the city, including St Margaret's Chapel, The National War Memorial and the Half Moon Battery. The regal Crown Square is a real highlight, where you will find the magnificent Grand Hall and Scotland's Crown Jewels - including the famous Stone of Destiny.
Evening	This evening is at leisure (dinner at own expense).
Overnight Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh Meals: Breakfast
Mon 18 May	Edinburgh
Morning	Conference sessions.
Afternoon	The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy a range of optional tours. There is alot going on underneath the city of Edinburgh and a number of tours available will include The Real Mary King's Close - a warren of hidden streets that has remained frozen in time since the 17th Century; or Blair Street Underground Vaults, an underground world hidden underneath the streets of the city centre, full of goulish and gory tales of the residents who lived here hundreds of years ago! An optional visit to Edinburgh Teaching Hospital will also be offered.
Evening	Enjoy a typically Scottish group dinner this evening at The Caves, a truly unique venue that makes up the sub-structure of the 18th Century South Bridge. Today, after over 100 years of being lost, the hidden Edinburgh vaults were rediscovered and the original stone vaults of the Old Town Edinburgh have been magnificently restored with great regard for preserving the authenticity and history of this venue, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. And for those attending the 10 Club Dinner, a special Royal venue awaits.
Overnight Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Tue 19 May	Edinburgh
Morning/Afternoon	Today is free to enjoy a range of optional tours. Tour options include a visit to St Andrew's, the home of golf and the oldest university in Scotland. See St Andrews Cathedral & Castle and also visit Kingsbarns Whisky Distillery. Or take a tour to the famous Kelpies and The Falkirk Wheel or the world heritage site of New Lanark - an exceptional example of a purpose-built 18th century mill village, set in a picturesque Scottish landscape near the Falls of Clyde.
Evening	Gala Dinner at Mansfield Traquair Aptly referred to as “Edinburgh's Sistine Chapel”, Mansfield Traquair is an awe-inspiring hidden gem. Admire the grand neo-Romanesque architecture and the truly exquisite murals of Phoebe Anna Traquair that adorn the interior walls of this building while enjoying a sumptuous meal of Scotland's finest produce. Get decked out in your best wizarding outfit for our Harry Potter themed event this evening.
Overnight Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Wed 20 May	Edinburgh to Belfast
Morning	We travel from Edinburgh to Belfast today, travelling by coach to Cairnryan and then taking the ferry to Belfast. There will be a stop in the town of Ayr for lunch.
Afternoon	The ferry arrives in Belfast early evening where you will transfer to the waiting coaches for the short drive to the Hilton Belfast.
Evening	Belfast Pub Night Tonight, immerse yourself into Irish culture in Belfast which is renowned for its traditional pubs. Head out early this evening to the Cathedral Quarter to enjoy some of Belfast’s best, starting off with a hearty Irish Stew and other Irish specialties, after which you can venture out armed with pre-issued drink vouchers which can be exchanged for drinks at The Duke of York, The Harp Bar, The Dark Horse and The Friend at Hand. At The Dark Horse, pass through one of the original doors from The Game of Thrones, recently acquired and installed into this bastion of history. The Harp Bar is Belfast’s home of live music and The Duke of York has outstanding murals, street signage and Belfast memorabilia. Whiskey fans will delight at The Friend at Hand with the opportunity to enjoy a tasting from one of the finest collections of Old Irish Whiskey.
Overnight Hilton Belfast Meals: Breakfast, dinner & drinks
Thu 21 May	Belfast
Morning	Conference sessions.
Afternoon	The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy a range of optional tours. Belfast is a compact city with many attractions an easy walk or short taxi ride from the hotel. Some of the outstanding attractions you may wish to visit are: Titanic Belfast, the world’s largest museum dedicated to the RMS “Titanic” is the centre-piece of the waterfront redevelopment which opened in 2012, marking the100th anniversary since that tragic night when the ship sank on its maiden voyage. The multi-award-winning museum is built on the slipways where the famous ship was built and was rated in 2016 as Europe’s leading visitor attraction. Game of Thrones which is filmed in Belfast and Northern Ireland, with unique filming tours available providing fans with an opportunity to visit a number of locations and spectacular sights where the filming was done. Or take a black taxi tour and see the world famous Catholic & Protestant Murals that paint a picture of Belfast’s colourful and raw history. See what life was like living in Belfast during its troubled past and sign your name on the world-famous peace wall that divided Belfast’s communities for over 45 years. An optional visit to Belfast Ulster Hospital will be offered.
Evening	Civic Reception at Belfast City Hall You will be welcomed by the Lord Mayor of Belfast this evening to a Civic Reception at the Belfast City Hall. The City Hall opened its doors in 1906, at a time of unprecedented prosperity and industrial might for the city and remains an extraordinary beacon of success and civic pride for Belfast today. The rest of the evening is at leisure (dinner at own expense).
Overnight Hilton Belfast Meals: Breakfast, Reception drinks
Fri 22 May	Belfast
Morning	Conference sessions.
Afternoon	The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy a range of optional tours. Perhaps take a guided tour within the walls of Belfast’s infamous prison, Crumlin Road Gaol. Explore the jails cells, execution chamber, and graveyard as you learn about the prison 150-year history. Hear the stories of the murderers, suffragette, loyalist and republican prisoners who were jailed here and learn about the births, executions, hunger strikes and riots that have taken place within the prison walls. Free guided tours of Stormont are also available, which is home of the Northern Irish Assembly, with its classic symmetrical architecture and stately setting in the Stormont Estate. Or visit Belfast Castle with its elevated setting and magnificent views of Belfast.
Evening	This evening is at leisure (dinner at own expense).
Overnight Hilton Belfast Meals: Breakfast
Sat 23 May	Belfast
Morning/Afternoon	Today is a full day at leisure to enjoy a range of optional tours. For those not going on to the Ultimate Ireland post conference tour, you might like to spend a day visiting some of Northern Ireland's most scenic attractions including the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Spanning a chasm some 25 metres deep, its construction once consisted of a single rope handrail and widely spaced slats, which the fishermen would traverse across with salmon caught off the island.
Evening	Gala Dinner at Titanic Belfast Enjoy an evening of celebration dinner in the world's largest museum dedicated to the RMS Titanic. Dine in the Titanic Suite which is inspired by the RMS Titanic's opulent interiors and features a replica of the liner's Grand Staircase!
Overnight Hilton Belfast Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Sun 24 May	Depart Belfast
Morning	Depart Belfast. A transfer will be provided to Dublin airport for those flying directly home on afternoon flights. Delegates continuing onto the post-conference cruise will be taken to Dublin Port to join the cruise.
Meals: Breakfast

Main Conference Program - Edinburgh & Belfast

PSA Travel (Impact Organisation)