Ale 2015 Bulgaria

26-28 August, 2015

3 DAY EVENT

SOFIA

AGILE PROGRAM

UNCONFERENCE

About ALEALE is a community of like-minded people who want to work, talk and have fun together to create a better Agile and Lean community in Europe.

ALE network…

… has over 2700 people on LinkedIn (and still growing!)
… is about practitioners, not listening to thought leaders
… is completely non-profit
… has sustained itself for over four years without any need of formal structures or management

ALE members…

… do stuff, make something and take action.
… learn from the experience of other industries too, not just IT

If that sounds interesting please feel invited to visit ALE LinkedIn and website.

ale berlin

Since 2011, volunteers from the ALE network are organizing un-conferences in order to meet old and new friends, exchange opinions and learn.

So far, the event was held in Berlin (2011), Barcelona (2012), Bucharest (2013) and Krakow (2014).

This year it is hosted in August in beautiful Sofia.

Interested, help us by joining one of the sofas, or register for the best un-conference of 2015.

If you’re still not sure, then see the impressions from ALE2012 and ALE2013.

JOIN US!Come and sit on one of our sofas*. There’s enough place for everybody, who would like to contribute and make ALE2015 great event. If you’re interested in helping organizing ALE2015 please join ALE Sofia 2015 Google group and the sofas!

Financial Sofa

Interested in being a part of the financial (or Money) Sofa? Contact Dimitar The financial (or Money) Sofa is looking for your help! Despite it’s great name, the goal of this sofa is collecting money, not spending it. We’re looking for people who can help us in looking for sponsors and managing finances during whole process (till September). If you don’t have time to join the sofa, then you can always share our sponsorship page.

Program Sofa

Interested in being a part of the Program Sofa? Contact Krasimir The Program Sofa is looking for your help!

Marketing Sofa

Interested in being a part of the Marketing & Communication Sofa? Contact Dimitar

Venue Sofa

Interested in being a part of the Venue & Participants Sofa? Contact Dimitar

Fun Sofa

Interested in being a part of the Fun? Contact Dimitar

Kids & spouse Sofa

Interested in being a part of the Kids & spouse Sofa? ContactMaya

REGISTERWe want to keep the prices as low as possible. Therefore everybody, including organizers and speakers will be paying the entrance fee. If you wish to save, then register as soon as possible. Full conference registrations are refundable only if submitted in writing on or before August 19, 2015.

If you’ve already registered, please let know your friends by adding logo (small, medium, large) to your web page.

Code of ConductAll participants at Agile Lean Europe 2015 are required to agree with the following code of conduct to help us achieve a safe and positive event experience for everyone: Unacceptable behaviour includes intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning conduct by any participant at our events or online communities including Twitter and other online media. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, age, sexual orientation, race religion, disability, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact and unwelcome sexual attention. If a participant engages in behaviour that violates this code of conduct, the event organisers will take the appropriate action, including warning or expulsion from the event with no refund. If participants have any concerns, inform a member of Agile Lean Europe 2015 staff who will offer support in contacting the appropriate security and ensure required assistance is given.

€210 +20% VAT

till August 19th

All prices are NET. Please note that 20% VAT will be added to your invoice! Prices can change at any time, especially as a result of exchange rates changes.

ALE 2015 unconference is a networking event for people from all over the world. Therefore we’re limiting number of seats per country.

What's included in the price

- Three days of inspiring talks, networking and thoughts sharing
- Possibility to meet and have fun with fantastic people
- Free entrance for your family and special Kids & Spouse program for them
- Lunches and coffee breaks
- Great time in Sofia
- Everything our great sponsors provide

What's not included in the price

Hotel and transport
Weather guarantee
Your engagement to make sure it will be the best event ever

SPONSORSThe yearly ALE event is an internationally very visible and popular platform around all topics of Lean and Agile. So its a perfect option for you to get on board as a sponsor. Get in contact with Dimitar Bakardzhiev , if you are interested! You can also download ALE2015 sponsorship package

You can also support our event by joining one of co-organizers sofas and by adding our logo (small, medium, large) to your web page.

About Sofia!

What to see

Aleksandâr Nevsky Cathedral

Boyana Church

Saint Nicolas Russian Church

Make your way back to the city and ask the taxi driver to drop you at Sofia’s centrepiece: the Aleksandâr Nevsky Cathedral.

Get in a taxi and head straight out of the city to the wealthy suburb of Boyana in the south west. From here you should make for Boyana church , a 900-year-old private chapel hidden in a copse. Its frescoes are dazzling and the views over Sofia are beautiful.

Wander towards the centre of the city down Tsar Osvoboditel, pausing to take in the charming bauble-capped Saint Nikolas Russian church on your way.

The National Museum of History

Rotunda of St. George

National Archaeological Museum

The National Museum of History has the most impressive collection of national treasures and is the largest museum in Bulgaria. Through more than 650,000 artifacts – Thracian gold and silver, pottery, icons, art & jewelry, mosaics – it tells the story of the European civilization from the dawn of times to the modernity. With focus on the 1300 years history of the Bulgarian state, the museum is a must-see attraction to visit while in Sofia.

Make for the Rotunda of St George – the oldest monument in Sofia. This early Christian red brick rotunda hidden in a courtyard dates from the fourth century, when it was a pagan temple. It is itself a potted history of the city, housing layers of frescoes dating back to the 10th century.

Around the corner from the Rotunda you’ll find the National Archaeological Museum – easy enough to stumble on because of the smattering of stone relics that litter its fringes. The facade of the museum belongs to a 15th century Ottoman Empire mosque, and its interior holds artefacts from the many empires of old that have occupied the city.

National Theatre Ivan Vazov

The Saint Sofia Church

Head to the very centre and pause for a drink in the sun outside the gilded Ivan Vazov National Theatre

The Saint Sofia Church is the landmark that gave Sofia its name, and this angular 6th century landmark has a simple elegance that is a neat contrast to the dramatic Aleksandâr Nevski Cathedral.

What to do

The Free Sofia Tour expects its guests twice a day every day. The best attraction in Sofia according to TripAdvisor users. Approved by Tourist Service Municipal Company at Sofia City Municipality. The sightseeing tours of Sofia are organized by guides from a non-profit organization. Every tour is both fun and educational, the perfect introduction to the city and its thousands of years of history. The local drink rakia is a fermented fruit distillate that comes in several varieties, all equally potent. With an average alcohol content of around 40 per cent – and maybe double that for the popular home brew – it is alarmingly drinkable. A glass with salad is a typical (and rousing) start to any evening.

What to eat

Sofia can propose a considerable variety of traditional or exotic culinary delights.

Bulgarian cuisine, yet keeping in mind that there are many Oriental elements in it; long-time viable custom has affiliated them to the national kitchen, or – to the common culinary tastes on the Balkans. Any guest of the capital would hardly miss to enjoy the superior Shopp salad [shopska salata] prepared of fresh vegetables and white cheese – that is the most prominent dish of the Sofia region,

And if this is to add the authentic household atmosphere of some restaurants with folklore program, it means indeed lasting memories.

Shopp Salad / [Shopska salata]

[kavarma]

stuffed grill - [Meshana skara]

stuffed peppers [palneni chushki]

Tarator

Banitsa

musaka

The admirers of French, Italian, Armenian, Turkish, Chinese, Indian or Russian cuisine won’t be left disappointed either: in some restaurants the foreign tidbits are cooked by guest-chefs of high rank. To the relief of Orthodox Jews a luxury restaurant of casher food is also available in Sofia. There are also 17 specialized fish restaurants most of them offering dishes of fresh sea fruit exclusively. Please check bellow: Sofia Guide

Around Sofia

Public transport:

Sofia Urban Mobility Centre (tel: +359 7001 3233; www.sofiatraffic.bg) operates Sofia's trams, buses and trolley buses, which currently have no night service. Tickets are sold in kiosks at the major bus stops and newsagents, and must be validated on board using the metal punchers near the windows. Passes or transit cards, valid for one day, five days or one month, are also available. Karta (coupons of 10 tickets) are valid on trams, buses, metro and trolley buses. These electronically-stored value smart cards enable users to top up and then swipe the card for each journey at the entrance to the vehicle. The Metro system (www.metrosofia.com) has two lines and runs until midnight. Line 1 connects Obelya to Tsarigradsko Shose, and has links to the airport, while Line 2 runs between Obelya in the north and Dragalevtsi in the south. Day passes, which are valid on trams, buses and trolley buses, are also available from Metro stations, kiosks and shops.

Taxis:

For many years Sofia’s taxi drivers had a reputation for ripping off travellers. While most are now honest, it still pays to be vigilant. Official taxis operate using a meter and are yellow, though there is also a fleet of green, eco-friendly Toyotas driving around the city too. Always check the meter is running when you get in a taxi. Taxi ranks are located at strategic points throughout Sofia, and you’ll be able to hail one anywhere near the city centre. A tip of 10-15% is common practice. If you want to book a taxi, the most reputable firm is OK Taxi (tel: +359 2973 2121). Alternatively, use Yellow 333 Taxi (tel: +359 2931 1952).

Driving:

Negotiating Sofia's interweaving paths of pedestrians, cars, trams and buses during rush hour can be tricky. However, once away from the city centre, traffic runs quite freely along wide, open Bulvards. Street names outside the centre are almost exclusively in Cyrillic so, even with a map, orientation can be difficult for drivers who only read Latin script. Parking in the city centre is limited to two hours in designated Blue Zones, which are found on Ploshtad Narodno Sabranie, Ploshtad Alexander Batenburg and Ploshtad Alexander Nevski. Parking vouchers are usually sold on the spot by parking attendants, though you can also pay in shops or by SMS (tel: 1302) if you are with a local phone operator. There is now also a Green Zone for parking, which costs 1 leva for four hours. Unsurprisingly, Green Zone spots are not so centrally placed. SMS number for Green Zone is 1303

Car hire:

Cars can be hired by visiting drivers over 18 years old, on presentation of a passport and valid driving licence (held for at least two years). A credit card number is requested and a valid international insurance policy is also necessary. Full insurance is advised. International providers in Sofia include Avis (tel: +359 2 945 9224; www.avis.com), Europcar (tel: +359 2945 9266; www.europcar.com) and Hertz (tel: +359 2945 9217; www.hertz.com).

Bicycle hire:

Sofia Bike (tel: +359 8855 23630; www.sofiabike.com) rent out bicycles and run cycling tours of the city from April until November. Bikes can be hired out for three hours or by the day. Discounts are available for longer rentals. Although Sofia is relatively flat, few cycle paths currently exist. Evlogi Georgiev Bulvard and Vitosha Bulvard both have marked cycle lanes, but more central and suburban routes are due for competition in the coming years.