ICEF South AsiaProvider Information Pack

Venue: Shangri-La Colombo, 1 Galle Face, Colombo 2, Sri Lanka
Event Date: 13:00 Monday, February 16- 18:30 Wednesday, February 18,  2026.

Please scroll down for detailed timings, including registration and evening receptions.

We are pleased to offer you preferential rates at the Shangri-La Colombo, where the event will take place. 

Single rooms start from USD 125 + taxes. Breakfast is included within the rate.

A deposit equal to one night’s room and tax will be charged to the individual’s credit card at the time of reservation.

Rates are available for bookings from February 13 to February 21, subject to room availability. For bookings outside this period the regular room rates become applicable.

Please note that the booking link expires on 25 January. Rooms cancelled after 18:00 local hotel time on January 15, 2025 will be subject to 100% of stay room charge, plus applicable service charge, tax and fees.

Check-in & Check-out

Check-in time is after 14:00 and the latest check-out time is 12:00.

The information below is advisory, we recommend you check your own visa requirements with your local embassy.

All travellers visiting Sri Lanka are required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) via the official website https://eta.gov.lk 

For any visa-related questions, please contact visasupport@icef.com

Taxis
There is a designated area outside the arrival terminal for taxis, particularly those affiliated with the Airport and Aviation Services (SL)LTD. These taxis have counters in the arrival lobby and porch and can be identified by the signage.

A separate area is designated for ride-sharing services like Uber and PickMe, as well as other taxi services.

Train / subway
Bandaranaike International Airport does not have a train station directly within its premises. However, the nearest train station is a short distance away, and travelers can access it via taxi or tuk-tuk. From there, trains can be taken to various destinations, including Colombo Fort, which is a major transportation hub.

We recommend bringing your material with you or consider using local suppliers.

Package arrival date: From Saturday 14 February 2026 onwards. The venue is unable to store any items received before this date, as a result they may not be accepted.

Package preparation: Please bear in mind that you will have a maximum of 38 pre-scheduled meetings when calculating the amount of promotional materials to send. 

Shipping label: Please use this label on all packages so they are easily identifiable onsite.

Courier: Please contact a courier of your choice and remember to include a proforma invoice. Inspections of deliveries with incomplete documents can take up to four weeks. Please note that ICEF nor the venue can take responsibility for approving shipments with customs. 

Sustainable alternatives: To reduce the use of paper, you can also upload up to five documents, three videos and up to eight photos into your Marcom eSchedule PRO profile and make them available to agents prior to, during, and for four weeks after the event. Please also consider using local suppliers to cut down international shipping. 

Wifi: Please be aware that although wifi will be provided, we recommend downloading your event materials, presentations and videos directly to your device for your meetings. This helps reduce GHG emissions and ensures the network traffic is not overloaded.

If you’d like to make an impression at your dedicated table here are some suggestions to help you stand out:

• Branded table cloth
• Reusable table top roller banner
• QR code to your website/brochures/offers
• Sustainable giveaways for your potential partners
• No need for business cards – delegates can scan your v-card on the reverse side of your badge
• Laptops – power is provided at each table so you can show your meeting partners your videos and presentations 

Please note that only organisations with a display table may bring a pull up banner. We are unable to facilitate any form of pull up banner in the meeting hall space. All branding must be kept to table top items only.

*Not applicable to accompanying persons/guests

You will receive access to our online meeting scheduling tool, Marcom eSchedule PRO, approximately 5 weeks prior to the event, allowing you to send personalised meeting requests to targeted contacts based on source country or type of programme.

If you are using Marcom eSchedule PRO for the first time, we recommend that you visit the below links to make the most of the platform: 

• Getting Started 
• Scheduling Meetings – Useful Hints & Tips
• Video tutorials

Scheduling meetings during the event

To make the most of your participation, meetings can be scheduled once the event has started, up to one hour before the requested meeting time. 

We recommend that you leave Marcom eSchedule PRO open throughout the event and regularly refresh the page to keep an eye on the latest meeting requests that may come through. 

Please note that you will not be provided with a printed copy of your schedule at the event.

You will be able to collect your badge and welcome bag from the ICEF hospitality desk located in the Shangri-La Ballroom from 13:00 on Monday 16 February from 08:00 on Tuesday 17 February.

As this is an invitation-only event, anyone not wearing a badge may not be admitted into the event area. Please also understand that for the same reason, we cannot allow non-registered family, friends or staff to enter the meeting hall.

Please note that Hotel Security may conduct baggage screening on your arrival to the hotel.

If you change your representative at the event it is important you inform your account manager of this in advance before arriving, otherwise you may experience delays at registration.

Join us on the first day of the event for a programme of seminars and presentations providing up-to-date information about the latest market trends and issues relevant to international education and student mobility. 

You can find out more via the seminar tab on your schedule soon and on the event website.

Meeting and Display tables will be accessible as of 08:00 am on Tuesday 17 February. 

Each meeting table will be covered with a tablecloth, will have access to an electricity outlet and table signage will be provided. The size of the table will be confirmed as soon as possible.

Please note that only organisations with a display table may bring a pull up banner. We are unable to facilitate any form of pull up banner in the meeting hall space. All branding must be kept to table top items only.

Monday 16 February

• Refreshment break – 16:00 – 16:30

Tuesday 17 February and Wednesday 18 February

• Refreshment breaks- 11:00 and 16:00 (30 minutes)
• Lunch – 13:00 – 14:00

Please contact us should you have any special dietary requirements.

Welcome Reception: Monday 16 February, 19:00-21:00 in the Shangri-La Ballroom.

Sponsored by Infinite Group

Dinner Reception: Tuesday 17 February, 20:00-22:00 in the The Lawn Marquee, followed by an after-party in the Shangri-La Ballroom 22:00-23:30

Sponsored by  EBIXCASH World Money

The dress code for both receptions is smart casual. Please note that participants not wearing their event badges will not be admitted. Please register your attendance by clicking the green “Yes, I will attend” button on your MySchedule page.

If you are attending as an accompanying person without a meeting schedule your attendance at both receptions will be automatically registered.

To ensure that we are able to provide the best experience for all attendees, we would like to draw your attention to two sections in our event terms and conditions. Section 11 specifically prohibits participants from organising any side event (be it hospitality, seminar, or tour), which entices attendees to leave during the programme. Should you wish to organise an event outside of programme times, where attendance is linked to the ICEF event, then ICEF must be notified in advance and approval must be received in writing.

Additionally, section 12 mandates that any event, seminar, party, reception or tour organised before or after an ICEF event, with the intention of attracting or inviting event attendees, must be applied for and authorised no less than three months in advance.

• Time zone: Colombo is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT/UTC (UTC+05:30).
• Currency: The official currency is the Sri Lankan rupee (LKR).
• Electricity: The standard voltage is 230 V, and the frequency is 50 Hz.
• Plug type: The power plugs and sockets are of type D, M & G. Visitors may need to bring their own adaptors.
• Climate: Colombo has a tropical monsoon climate with distinct wet and dry seasons.. Colombo is hot and humid throughout the year, with average temperatures ranging from 26.4°C (79.5°F) to 27.8°C (82.12°F).

If you have any questions prior to the event, please do not hesitate to contact us by email.

We look forward to welcoming you to Colombo!