4th European Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance

Venue and Other Useful Information
Conference Location	Black Horse House The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AH	Black Horse House Aerial view of Reading University of Reading Great Hall Reading Minster Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens Part of the Whiteknights campus
University information	The University was established in 1892 as an extension college of Christ Church, Oxford. In 1904, a local family (The Palmers of Huntley & Palmers biscuit manufacturers) donated the London Road site and continue to support expansion. Milestones in the university’s history include: only university to receive a royal charter between 1919 and 1939, first British university to integrate an industrial Research and Development group on campus, first university to win a Queens’s Award fro Export Achievement, twice receiving the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education. The main university campus, Whiteknights was purchased in 1947 and is the former country estate of the Marquis of Blandford. The site, some 130 hectares, encompasses conservation meadows, a rare trees collection and a large 4.5 hectare lake and there are several listed buildings on the site. You can find more information on the university website.and can download a “self-tour” guide here.
Conference Accommodation	Details of the conference accommodation are still being confirmed.
Conference Dinner venue	The venue for the conference dinner will be announced soon.
General information	Reading is at the heart of an attractive area of the Thames Valley and is the county town of the Royal county of Berkshire.. It is a long inhabited and well domesticated area that sits at the junction of several major transport routes, both rail and road. As such, Reading serves as a major hub for commuter traffic into and out of London.
Getting to	By plane Reading is well served by London's collection of airports. For travellers coming directly to Reading, the most convenient (in reducing order of convenience) are: Heathrow Airport is about 40 minutes drive straight down the M4 (westbound) motorway. Alternatively it is linked directly to Reading rail station by the RailAir express bus service running every 20 minutes or so and taking about an hour and, indirectly, by the Heathrow Connect train service (change at Hayes). Luton Airport is about 50 minutes drive away via the M1 (southbound), M25 (westbound) and M4 (westbound) motorways. Luton Airport Parkway connects the airport to Kings Cross station every 35 minutes, the tube to London Paddington station and then follow the directions below. Gatwick Airport is about an hours drive away via the M23 (northbound), M25 (clockwise) and M4 (westbound) motorways. There is a through train service to Reading from a rail station in the airport terminal complex, running twice an hour and taking a hour. Stansted Airport is about 90 minutes drive away via the M11 (southbound), M25 (anti-clockwise) and M4 (westbound) motorways. By train you will need to catch a Stanstead Express train to London Liverpool Street station, the tube to London Paddington station, then follow the directions below. By train Reading is served by inter-city and regional train services from many different directions, including through services from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, Swansea, Winchester and York as well as the airports described above. From London, you should travel from London Paddington station and catch a train whose first stop is Reading (there are several of these an hour), the travel time will be about 30 minutes. There are other stopping services from both Paddington and London Waterloo, but these take so much longer it isn't normally worth considering them. Train times can be found on the National Rail Planner. By bus National Express serve Reading with express bus (UK English:coach) services from around the country; advanced ticketing is necessary. Note that they serve a stop called Reading Coachway which sounds grand but is actually a drafty bus stop near M4 J12 with the only amenities being a nearby MacDonald's restaurant and a supermarket. You will need to catch a local bus or taxi (if you can find one) to take you into Reading. Buses to the station in the city centre are quite frequent during the week. By car Reading is served by the M4 motorway (US English:freeway) which runs from London to Bristol and South Wales. It is about an hour's drive from central London. The best junction to use for central Reading is junction 11 and then follow the signs.
Climate in conference month	Temperatures in the UK in November range from around 40C at night to 100C by day. The days are generally dry and crisp, but a jacket or jumper will be required for the evenings.
Currency and exchange rates	Click here for up to date currency exchange rates
Time zone	In November, the UK operates in UTC/GMT.
Dialling codes	Click here to find the International Dialling Code
Other useful links	Tourist information website for city http://www.readingtourism.org.uk/ http://wikitravel.org/en/Reading_(Berkshire) Seasonal events happening around that time. Airport parking and airport hotels - car parking at Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Manchester and all major UK airports