Member Article

International Surgical Week 2015 to be held in Manchester

Representatives from two leading surgical associations have combined for an important medical conference - ‘International Surgical Week’ - scheduled for 20-25 April 2015 at Manchester Central.

The event involves the amalgamation of meetings by the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA) and the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI) in an arrangement suggested and brokered by Visit Manchester and Manchester Central.

It is estimated that ‘International Surgical Week’ will attract between 2,500-3,000 delegates and generate up to £5.9 million to the local economy.

The initial bid to attract the E-AHPBA to Manchester was led by Prof Ajith Sirwardena, Consultant Surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary and Professor of Hepatobiliary Surgery at the University of Manchester.

Professor Sirwardena said: “I’m delighted that together with colleagues we have secured this influential conference in Manchester. This will be the first time that the European-African HPB Association has its annual meeting in Great Britain and this is a great honour for the city of Manchester.

“Having the conference here affirms the quality of research being undertaken in Manchester and the wider UK. Being able to co-locate the conference with the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI) provides unique opportunities for cross-disciplinary sharing of knowledge and will create one of the largest surgical meetings.”

The ASGBI Chief Executive, Professor Nicholas Gair, said: “The ‘Team Manchester’ approach has been crucial in bringing these two prestigious events together, as one local point of contact has enabled negotiations between the City and our sister society in Europe to be seamless. The co-located conferences will be an exciting event in the 2015 surgical calendar, and we are looking forward to utilizing the many quality facilities offered by such a vibrant city.

Paul Simpson, managing director of Visit Manchester, said:“International Surgical Week’ will be a landmark event for Manchester and a clear example of the innovative thinking that the city is known for”

“Manchester’s enviable reputation for medical research and first-class healthcare provides a direct link to the work of the conference and gives the opportunity to develop a rich scientific programme which engages with the local community.”

“During ‘International Surgical Week’ the city is set to gain from an influx of high-spending international visitors. As such, I hope that this event receives widespread participation and support from Manchester’s leadership and communities.”

Angie Robinson, Chief Executive of Manchester Central, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting such a prestigious and ground-breaking international conference. A city centre location, excellent transport links and more than 2,500 hotel rooms within a five minute walk, are all factors in helping to make Manchester Central the ideal international congress destination.

“International events have a significant impact on the economy. Alongside our city partners, we are firmly focussed on attracting more of them to Manchester.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .