As the New South Wales (NSW) Government announces a proposal to improve the State’s organ donation rates, Australia’s number one convention bureau, Business Events Sydney (BESydney) has secured the high profile 12th Congress of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement for the harbour city. The 2013 Congress will be the first time the event is held in Australia and it is expected to attract over 400 delegates to focus on all aspects of organ and tissue donation and procurement.
The announcement of Sydney’s successful bid for the congress is particularly timely given that the ultimate aim of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement (the association behind the event) is to increase the supply of high quality organs and tissues to match demand – the same outcome the NSW Government proposal[1] hopes to deliver.
“Securing the event for Sydney is a huge success and I eagerly anticipate the outcomes of the congress for the future of organ donation and transplantation. NSW could improve its transplant rate significantly and this congress will bring the field’s leading academics, doctors, researchers, government and professional organisations together to debate, discuss and innovate. I am hopeful the event will lead to sustainable improvements to the system both locally and worldwide,” comments BESydney Ambassador, Professor Jeremy Chapman OAM.
BESydney assisted Professor Jeremy Chapman with a bid for the event to be hosted in Sydney. Professor Chapman is a renal physician with a special interest in transplantation, currently base at Westmead Hospital. In the past, he has worked with BESydney to secure the 9th International Donor Registry Conference (IDRC) and WMDA Working Group Meetings for the city in 2012 and was Chair of the XXII International Congress of the Transplantation Society in 2008, which attracted 4,200 delegates to Sydney.
Recent research commissioned by BESydney quantitatively proved that hosting business events, such as the 12th Congress of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement in Sydney, can have a valuable impact on local professional practice, policy development, as well as the wider community[2].
“The findings of the Beyond Tourism Benefits research support the belief that the social legacy of the 12th Congress of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement will be impressive and far exceed the estimated $1.5million contribution to the State’s tourism economy,” says Lyn Lewis-Smith, BESydney’s Acting Chief Executive Officer.
“The research revealed that 72% agree congresses resulted in the implementation of new knowledge, techniques or materials into the professional practice of the congress destination, whilst 67% believed this implementation had also benefited to local community. Similarly, 46% agreed that their congress raised both public and government awareness of sector-specific issues in the conference destination.”
Lewis-Smith concludes, “Professor Chapman has been a strong advocate for business events, with a deep understanding of their ability to stimulate discussion and foster international collaboration. It is a privilege to work alongside a leader in this field.”
[1] The proposal recommends changes to the current organ donation regulations that would see organ donors wishes upheld by family members. At present about 50% of NSW organ donors requests are vetoed post mortem by grieving families.
2 Beyond Tourism Benefits: Measuring the social legacies of business events, 2011, University of Technology, Sydney (report can be found at http://www.businesseventssydney.com.au/about-us/publications-and-resources/research-studies/)
