IWT'09 will be held in the same week of the Brazilian most famous popular party: Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese).  In São Paulo there is a huge Samba schools parade in the Anhembi Sambodrome (projected by Oscar Niemeyer) similar to what happens in Rio de Janeiro city. The 2009 parade in São Paulo will occur from February 20th - 21th. The special group parade, which includes the most important Samba schools, will occur at February 20th, just one day after IWT ending. Samba schools are very large, well-financed organizations that work year round in preparation for Carnival. Parading in the Sambadrome runs over two entire nights and is part of an official competition, in which a single samba school will be declared that year's winner. 

What about São Paulo? São Paulo is the capital of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The city is the largest in Brazil and fifth in the world by population and is located in the South East of the country. It is also the richest city of Brazil. The name means Saint Paul in Portuguese. The city has a population of 10,886,518 which makes it the most populous in Brazil. São Paulo is a major cultural centre. The city has an ethnically diverse metropolitan area, with heavy Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, African, Jewish, Arab and Japanese influences. The city is known for its varied and sophisticated cuisine, ranging from Chinese to French, from fast food chains to five star restaurants. There are approximately 62 different types of cuisines in São Paulo, and more than 12,000 restaurants. Other venues such as bars, pubs, lounges and discos cater to a variety of music tastes.

São Paulo is home to the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and "Pinacoteca do Estado" art museums, a symphonic orchestra (São Paulo State Symphony (OSESP - based in the Sala São Paulo theatre), and a Formula One Grand Prix racing circuit (Interlagos).

Official touristic information can be found in City of São Paulo web site and in Tourism and Events Company for the City of São Paulo. The guide Stay another Day is very usefull to plan how to spend one more day on the city and in its neighborhoods. More information about tourism in Brazil could be found here: http://www.braziltour.com/site/en/home/index.php. 

São Paulo has three airports. There are two major airports in the São Paulo metropolitan area: São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU, for domestic and international flights) and Congonhas, (CGH, for domestic flights). The city has 61,3 km of underground railway systems (34.6 km fully underground) (the São Paulo Metro, locally known as the Metrô), with 4 lines in operation and 55 stations.