Today marks the beginning of the world’s premier pig health conference. Dublin will extend a warm welcome to nearly 3,500 pig health experts and practitioners to its shores, where the 24th International Pig Veterinary Congress & the 8th European Symposium of Porcine Health Management (IPVS & ESPHM) will take place. Preparations are currently well underway in the RDS. The event will be hosted in its magnificent halls which offers space for hundreds of presenters and breakout sessions over the course of three days.
The Congress will begin on Tuesday the 7th and continue until Friday the 10th. Each day will see thousands of delegates, (from over 71 countries) and a presence from some of the most prominent companies in the industry who will enjoy the spectacle of the bi-annual congresses joining forces.
The joining of IPVS and ESPHM offers its delegates a scientific programme which they won’t find anywhere else in the world, including workshops, clinical clubs, tours, symposiums and some of the world’s most renowned speakers in the field. Experts in PED, PRRS, New and Emerging Diseases, and Management and Reproduction will relish the opportunity to share their research and knowledge with their international counterparts. With over 50 exhibition stands, 120 oral presentations, well over a thousand papers submitted and about 24,000 cups of coffee being served.
In a recent interview, Pat Kirwan of the Local Organising Committee said ‘We’re delighted to be welcoming the international pig veterinary community to Dublin for this special congress. Having joined forces with ESPHM, it’s been an exciting journey to get to this point and it’s fantastic that we stand here now with the largest number of delegates, the record amount of abstracts submitted and the biggest industry involvement than either of the two associations have ever had in their history. As organisers, it’s our job to translate that enthusiasm and engagement into the best congress possible.’
The congress will also be used as an opportunity to showcase Ireland as a tourist destination to this international group. Leopardstown Racecourse is hosting a race night followed by an open air concert featuring Aslan, with a gala dinner at the RDS rounding off the congress. This is alongside the social evenings hosted by the congress sponsors, and a range of tours and activities for those delegates wishing to experience Dublin and beyond.
‘Networking and sharing knowledge is always the key aspect of any congress, and the social programme is a fantastic way to facilitate that, while also showing off what makes Ireland truly unique’ said Joaquim Segalés, President of ECPHM and Vice-President of IPVS. ‘We’ve seen with the numbers of people attending, as well as the enthusiasm we’ve seen from the industry, that Ireland is an extremely appealing destination for international delegates’.
RDS is one of the few venues that can make events such as IPVS possible, the event industry as a whole is continually growing in Ireland and this particular congress and the thousands of tourists it attracts are going to be worth in excess of €7.05 Million to the Irish economy. The events industry collectively has a huge contribution to the Irish economy and IPVS is one of the largest association conferences in Ireland this year.
Make sure to look out for Mucky, our famous little piggy who travelled the four corners of Dublin to make it to the RDS in time. You can find him and view his travels on Twitter @IPVS2016 or with the hashtag #PigInTheCity
