We have taken particular care in organising the ESC Congress as we are aware of the stringent competition with other congresses in light of economic difficulties. The result is that in Barcelona there will be 500 hours of ESC peer sessions, over 100 hours of industry sessions, European Board for Accreditation in Cardiology (EBAC) and European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) accreditation, and a bigger exhibition than ever, with over 13,000 square meters. We have received a record of almost 10,000 abstracts, 99 abstracts for Hot Lines (HLs), 98 for Clinical Trial Updates (CTUs), and we are hoping to attract 30,000 attendees.
The Congress will also include the following features : a unique possibility to “meet and read with the experts”, “meet the trialists” immediately after the “Hot Line” presentations, to attend the highly acclaimed “Focus Sessions” with live transmissions and practical take home messages, or the “Basic Science State Of The Art” and the “Translational Track” with the latest breaking news of emerging clinical implications.
This year, the highlight is “Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: from Cell to Man to Society”. Consequently, we have organised 50 separate sessions in a special prevention track and the Spanish Society of Cardiology will run a public awareness event on prevention in the city of Barcelona.
The person responsible for this complex, modern and innovative scientific architecture is Professor Fausto Pinto, FESC, a Portuguese colleague who has built all of this with the consolidated experience of the ESC Congress Programme Committee and with the help of the ESC Congress Division.
ESC Congress 2009 is not just a scientific meeting. It is a gathering of the ESC family, where the members of the family come to follow science, but also for the pleasure of meeting each other and exchanging ideas, results, concerns etc. It is the place where every cardiologist wishes to go, because they know they will meet their friends in a truly European cardiological atmosphere. This year, there will be a new area dedicated to the National Society stands with ample space to meet, relax, and switch from English to your own language!
As every family should, the ESC would like to pay tribute to those who unfortunately are no longer with us. In Barcelona, there will be two new special lectures in honour of distinguished scientist Ketty Schwartz and Philip Poole-Wilson, a former ESC President and a great friend.
This year, the ESC is focusing on all members of its “family”. We are proud to announce a new initiative - European Heart for Children - originating from my wife, which will be carried out mainly by the partners of Board members and of the ESC leadership. It is a humanitarian action focused on those ESC countries where treatment of congenital heart disease is problematic. The idea is simple and straightforward: several medical missions will be conducted in a given country to show the medical and political community that it is possible to treat children with congenital heart disease. Thereafter, taking advantage of the training programmes of our Society, we will encourage the local doctors and allied professionals to be trained in the more advanced countries as we continue our missions. The final step will be to help these countries both financially and professionally, and to establish a small unit for the treatment of congenital heart disease. The project is endorsed by Association for European Paediatric Cardiology (AEPC) and will be conducted in partnership with other associations already operating worldwide, such as Bambini Cardiopatici del Mondo, founded by Dr. Frigiola and Fondazione Anna Maria Sechi.
We look forward to seeing you in Barcelona!
Roberto Ferrari, ESC President