The annual scientific meeting is to be held at the Bournemouth International
Centre. This is the first time for many years that the conference has been organised
internally by the Society giving us the opportunity to introduce changes to the
benefit of delegates and exhibitors alike.
For the delegates:
we have reduced the fees for members who register early to less than
the cost in 2001
a new Day Registration rate has been introduced
the Annual Dinner is now complimentary to delegates who attend the
entire meeting
the St Jude Postgraduate Day is free to members
the St Jude Wet Lab is increased to 40 places and is entirely free to
trainee members
the exhibition will also have a new look with some exciting
innovations.
Exhibitors have been very generous with sponsorship with St Jude supporting the entire Postgraduate Day and
Aortech the programme production. These monies will enable the society to offer
more in the way of scholarships for trainees and young consultants in
the future. The highest ever number of abstracts (248) were submitted
for selection; 48 have been accepted - 30 as oral presentations and 18 as
interactive posters. In addition to posters being displayed in the exhibition hall
they will also be computer projected at the interactive sessions allowing easy
zooming in and out by the chairmen.
We have two symposia:
The living and the dead - a trauma symposium
Suspension of Surgeons
Prof Carpentier from Paris is the guest
of honour. As well as delivering the National Heart Research Fund Lecture he
will chair sessions and speak at the St Jude Postgraduate Day. Other
distinguished speakers include Professor Demetrios Demetriades from Los Angeles,
Sir Donald Irvine, President of the General Medical Council and Professor
Averil Mansfield from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The Business
Meeting is often strangled leaving little time for those burning issues. So for
the first time ever it is presented in two sections totalling 31/2 hours - the first session is on Sunday evening
immediately before the Welcome Reception; the second on Wednesday morning. The
complimentary black-tie dinner is at the Bournemouth Pavilion and is within staggering
distance of the hotels and conference centre. The hotels (which can be booked
through Bournemouth Delegate Reservations) are all within walking distance of
the BIC.
Bournemouth is an ideal base from which to extend your stay - tour the beautiful New Forest with the UKs premier hotel, the Chewton Glen, or visit historic towns and cities such as Winchester, Salisbury and Romsey. All in all, it promises to be a really good meeting. Please make sure that you support your society to the full by coming along to Bournemouth in March.