Conference pre-registration is CLOSED.
Please print your confirmation of registration from your login page, and bring it along to the conference. If you would still like to register for the conference, you can do so in Cape Town at the CTICC as of 28 November. Banquet tickets and the Special Release conference wine can also be purchased on this date at the registration desk.

Fees

Prices quoted in South African Rand (ZAR / R). Click here for currency conversion.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why should I register now and not in Cape Town?

Firstly, it’s cheaper to register in advance, and the earlier, the better! Secondly, you'll save time. Queues at the CTICC for pre-registered attendees move quickly, while other queues might not.

2. How do I fill out the form?

Once you have read all these FAQ, log in, enter the conference registration process and fill out your form electronically. You will be redirected to a University of Pretoria secure server for the registration process - this is verified by the "https" in the URL in the address bar.

3. I feel nervous submitting credit card details over the internet!

We understand this completely and that is why we have a secure payment system supported by a reputable bank with which we have our account. Payment will be through a secure server, signed by Verisign, and all information is 128-bit encrypted, which is indecipherable to third parties. Credit card information is NOT saved on our database. When payment is being processed, you will be redirected to our payment gateway (a maroon-coloured page). Please be patient while authorisation is requested, as this may take some time. Once the transaction is complete, you will be returned to the conference page and informed of the outcome of your transaction.

4. Why can't I email or fax the form?

Our registration process and database management system requires that the form be filled in online.

5. How do I know that my payment has been approved and that my registration is accepted?

You will receive email-verification from the website as well as our bank informing you of your registration acceptance and credit card payment respectively. You can also login on the conference webpage where your registration details will be displayed.

Please PRINT your receipt of successful transaction for presentation at the registration desk. You will have the option of printing this directly after your transaction, or later from your login page. Alternatively, you can print it from the registration confirmation email you will receive.

6. Members get a better rate. How can I join the Society?

Fill out the membership application at: http://www.marinemammalogy.org/membership_info.htm

7. I was a member in 2006; may I come to the conference as a member?

No, sorry. You must be a member for 2007. This means that your last issue date (which you can check in your personal member profile) must be October 2007 or later. You will be asked to enter your SMM Member ID on the registration form. This information can be found by logging onto the members only pages of the SMM website: Once logged in, click on "Update Profile". Your Member ID is listed after the field "ID" at the top of the page and the date of the last journal issue you will receive is listed after the field "Last Issue Date" at the bottom of the page.

8. I am an SMM Student member from a developing country as defined by the World Bank; do I qualify for any assistance?
   List of developing countries AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAngolaAnguillaAntigua & BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBelarusBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBorneoBosnia & HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCape VerdeCentral African Rep.ChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, Democratic Rep. of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCzech RepublicDjiboutiDominicaDominican Rep.East TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)FijiFrench GuianaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGhanaGibraltarGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island & Mcdonald Isl.Holy see (vatican city state)HondurasHungaryIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Rep. ofIraqJamaicaJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Rep. ofKorea, Democratic People's Rep. ofKyrgyzstanLao people's Democratic Rep.LatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLithuaniaMacedonia, (former Yugoslav Rep.)MadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, rep. OfMongoliaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk islandOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian Territory, occupiedPanamaPapua new guineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPuerto RicoReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint HelenaSaint Kitts & NevisSaint LuciaSaint Pierre & MiquelonSaint Vincent & The GrenadinesSamoaSao Tome & PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSlovakiaSolomon islandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia & the South Sandwich Is.Sri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard & Jan MayenSwazilandSyrian Arab Rep.TaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad & TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks & Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited States minor outlying is.UruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis & FutunaWestern SaharaYemenYugoslaviaZambiaZimbabwe

Yes, we are pleased to announce that we have secured funding that will allow you a R350 reduction on your registration fee! PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ONLY APPLIES TO STUDENTS THAT ARE SMM MEMBERS.

BEFORE you fill out the registration form, you will need to prove your citizenship status by scanning your passport picture page and emailing the file to the Registrar. Make sure it is legible, or this will delay your registration! Save the scan as a jpeg and make sure it is 300 dpi at the original size. Include your SMM Membership status and Membership Number in the email. Give us 72 hours to verify your information and update our database, and then you will be able to go ahead and register at the reduced rate (this will automatically be reflected when you register).

9. May I bring a spouse/partner to the conference?

With pleasure! An SMM member may bring a spouse/partner, but you will need to complete your own registration FIRST, and email your spouse’s conference website login name and password and email address to the Registrar. Within a week, your spouse’s registration page will reflect their status, and they can then proceed with their registration.

In order for your spouse to be able to utilize the early registration discount (expires 31 August), you need to ensure that you register yourself and send the email to the Registrar by 23 August.

The last date that spouse detail emails will be accepted is 23 October.

Student SMM members may bring a spouse/partner at the spouse rate, NOT the Student Member rate.

Everyone registering MUST fill out a separate form. One person, one form!



10. I just want to bring someone to the icebreaker and/or banquet.

They are most welcome! There is a field on the form for extra tickets. Please note that your own icebreaker ticket is INCLUDED in your registration fee. Don't check the box for an extra ticket unless you need one for a guest. If you buy extras, there will be NO REFUNDS.

11. Students get a really good rate. How can I register as a student?

Become a member of the Society (see FAQ no.7 for an application). Be sure to include proof of student status – the Society cannot process your student membership without this.

12. What are the registration deadlines?

Early registration deadline is 31 August. Advanced registration deadline is 02 November. After 02 November, all registrations will have to be done at the CTICC.

13. What if I have to cancel?

For cancellations before 22 October, the Society will refund your fees, subject to a R350 handling fee. After 22 October, there will be NO REFUNDS. Refunds will be made in the same way that payment was received. Cancellations need to be submitted in writing.

14. How do I pay?

You pay securely online using Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club. Registrations at the CTICC are acceptable in cash (ZAR) or one of the above credit cards. If you absolutely cannot pay online then we will accept a bank transfer, however this will cost you more as you need to pay for both our bank fees as well as yours. You need to check with us before you do a bank transfer, as we need to send you an invoice and banking details.

15. Can I fill out my form and pay later?

No, sorry, registrations will not be processed without payment in full.

16. Can I come to part of the conference?

Yes, but you will have to register at the CTICC and pay daily fees. Prices can be found in the table at the top of this document.

17. What will appear on my badge?

Your first name and surname. No honorifics. The name of your institution and country. These fields will be obtained from your user profile from the website. If you have a specific preference regarding the name on your badge, ensure you enter it on your user profile.

Sample badge:

	Jenni Smith
	Marine Research Co.
	South Africa



18. What do I get for my money?

Your registration fee covers:

• One Icebreaker ticket
• Admission to all spoken presentations (including the special evening sessions), sundowner poster sessions, the video evening and tea/coffee breaks
• The conference programme book and an abstract book/cd (depending on the outcome of a poll to be taken during online registration
• A commemorative and collectible SMM Biennial conference coffee mug!

When filling in your registration form online you will have the opportunity to buy:

• Your OWN Banquet ticket
• EXTRA Banquet ticket(s)
• EXTRA Icebreaker ticket(s)
• Special conference wine: Whalehaven Special Release Red (R50) or White (R50)

Your registration fee does NOT include t-shirts and accommodation, these you will be able to order/request via the Important Info and Accommodation pages on the webpage.

During “foraging breaks” you will have access to various restaurants for meals – however, this is NOT included in the registration fee.

19. Can I do more than one transaction?

Yes, you may return to the form for another transaction; however, only certain options will be available after initial registration. Therefore, you can make one transaction for official expenses (such as conference registration fee), and a subsequent separate transaction (with a different credit card if you prefer) for personal expenses (such as wine orders). You will then receive two separate receipts (please remember to print and bring all receipts pertaining to conference registration and other purchases).

Therefore, during the FIRST transaction you will REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE (and pay your registration fee), partake in the Abstract CD poll, and purchase wine, ice-breaker and banquet tickets. After successfully registering, you may choose to return to the registration form to purchase additional “conference extras”.

20. I would like to offset the carbon emissions of my flight to Cape Town.

Excellent! Thank you for your concern for the environment! This year you will be able to do this by visiting the info desk in the registration foyer. We will calculate your impact and you can buy trees to that value, which we will use to green a poorer suburb in Cape Town. You will be given a sticker for your name badge that will show your contribution to this important cause. Please encourage your colleagues to do the same!

21. What if I'm still confused?

Email the Registrar

22. And if I need to rectify a mistake?

Email as above, but note that the payment of choice for fixing mistakes is dark chocolate or a local brew from your country. Payable in Cape Town!

23. OK, I’m ready to go! Where will I find the form?

If you've read and understand all of the above, please log in and follow the onscreen instructions.