MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR SEPTEMBER 2013

Do you want to descend 100m underground to explore the LHC caverns? Visit the laboratories where amazing new discoveries are made? Meet the people who try to answer fundamental questions about our universe? If the answer is yes, then you are in for a treat. CERN is opening its doors to the public in September, in what is expected to be its biggest OpenDays weekend ever.

There are estimates for more than 100.000 visitors, given the publicity that CERN has received in the past years. Obviously, this amount of people is extremely difficult to manage in a single day, therefore the organizers have decided that the CERN facilities will be open to the general public for two days. In addition, the opening hours have been extended by one hour, in comparison to Open Days 2008, from 9am to 8pm.  These changes aim to improve the visitors’ experience, as it will be easier to avoid long queues, provide better access to parking facilities and visit more attractions. However, places for underground visits are limited because of the new safety standards. An online booking system will be launched in August and you will be able to make your reservations, free of charge, with a maximum of four tickets per reservation. The tickets will become available in batches, so that everybody will have the chance to get one.

The industrial and business partners, the sponsors and the local authorities have the opportunity to visit CERN on Friday 27. First, a welcome speech will be delivered by the members of the directorate, followed by a guided tour to both surface and underground facilities. Then, a buffet luncheon will be given in the Globe. More than 1250 people are expected on this day.

The organizers have developed a rich and varied programme that aims to educate as well as entertain the attendees. It includes visits to the laboratories, lectures, performances, and other activities. In addition, there are seven underground visits points that include the LHC experiments, beam acceleration, and the beam dump system.

Finally, a big party will be held on Monday 30, marking the end of OpenDays 2013. More than 15.000 people are expected to attend the event, which is called “Bosons and More”. The music programme will be quite diverse . As for the catering of the party, there are plans to represent the cuisines of every CERN member state.

 In order to further promote OpenDays 2013, the organizers have conceived the “Hands Project”, where the handprints of everybody who contributed in some way to the success of the LHC will be collected for further use in an artistic project. The idea is to underline the fact that great accomplishments are a product of collective work and collaboration.

In fact, the OpenDays weekend is based on collective work and mutual cooperation, as the contribution of volunteers is essential for its success. Almost 2.000 people are needed to occupy positions of guides, safety and information personnel, manage the sales points, deal with parking issues and logistics. They will undergo appropriate training beforehand. Obviously, lunch packs and drinks will be supplied and special attention will be paid to make their participation to OpenDays 2013 pleasant and satisfying. The volunteers will receive exclusive JPO2013-branded clothing as a reward for their work. Everybody can sign up to volunteer and an online application system has already been set up. This is your chance to play a key role in this exciting event!

The exact programme of OpenDays 2013 will be released soon and the online reservation system will become available in August. Check the event’s website http:// cern.ch/opendays2013 for more information and updates.

Mark your calendars - this is going to be an amazing weekend!