The latest acquisitions made by the Vienna Convention Bureau at the Vienna Tourist Board will generate up to 50,000 bednights for Vienna and contribute € 30 million to Austria’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) will hold its 16th Congress at the Austria Center Vienna from September 8–11, 2013. The congress will provide an opportunity for over three thousand delegates to discuss the latest findings in organ and tissue transplantation. The society last held its congress in Vienna in the year 1995. During the selection process, a team of
surgeons from Vienna and Innsbruck won out in the face of competition from Barcelona. The Austrian team was more convincing mainly due to Vienna’s attractiveness as a venue and to a modern, innovative congress format. Professor Ferdinand Mühlbacher of the University Clinic of Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna, explains the return of this congress: “Austria has established an
international reputation for itself in the field of organ transplantation. This is expressed not only in the high number of organ transplants, but also in the excellent results obtained. Besides, transplantation research in Austria is at the head of this field with a host of innovations and multicentre studies.
Close collaboration between Austrian transplantation centers and a very attractive, innovative concept for the 2013 congress persuaded the Council of the ESOT, the European Society for Organ Transplantation, to choose Vienna as its congress venue. Vienna also hosted the Congress of the International Transplantation Organization in the year 2004, a congress which many of delegates
remember to this day, not only for its scientific content, but also for its excellent general conditions.”
Hard-won success after twelve-year competition
A long selection process was necessary before the World Lung Cancer Congress could be secured for Vienna. The Vienna Convention Bureau and the Austrian acquisition team headed by Professor Robert Pirker of the 1st University Clinic for Internal Medicine have been working on this project since 1999. On its third attempt, Vienna’s bid was finally accepted by the board of the international
association with an overwhelming majority. The decisive reasons for its decision were not only an excellent bid book and an acquisition team that included internationally renowned lung cancer experts, but also massive support from the surrounding provinces coupled with Vienna’s reputation as a top congress venue. As a result, at the end of August/beginning of September 2017, more than 8,000
specialists will be discussing the latest advancements in the field of lung cancer. There are also plans for public campaigns designed to inform the local populace about risks and prevention .
“These two large-scale events will generate at total of around 50,000 bednights for Vienna and contribute some 30 million euros to Austria’s gross domestic product,” explains Christian Mutschlechner, Director of the Vienna Convention Bureau at the Vienna Tourist Board. “Once again, the tried and tested cooperation between the organizers, the congress centers involved and the Vienna Convention Bureau played a decisive role here. This was particularly difficult in the competition for the World Lung Cancer Conference, which required all those involved to exhibit remarkable perseverance.
However, their mutual support for one another also helped tremendously. It has not yet been decided where the conference will be staged: both the Austria Center Vienna and the Messe Wien are currently under consideration.”
