The 2013 International Union of Phlebology (UIP) XVII World Congress, hosted and organized by the American College of Phlebology (AC P), in conjunction with the American Venous Forum, will be held in Boston, MA , Sunday, September 8 through Friday, September 13, 2013, at the Hynes Convention Center. Planning for this meeting commenced in 2009 prior to the UIP World Congress in Monaco, when a bid for the right to host the 2013 UIP meeting was developed and accepted by the UIP General Council. Since 2009, planning has proceeded under the direction of the Congress President, Nick Morrison, Vice President of the UIP, the AC P Executive Director, Bruce Sanders, and the Scientific Chair, Dr. Mark Meissner.
The 2013 UIP World Congress will be held in combination with the AC P Annual Congress, usually held in November, but moving to September for 2013. Because of the combined meetings, it is anticipated that attendance will be in excess of 2000 delegates, making the meeting the largest in the history of the UIP, and in fact one of the largest international Phlebology meetings ever. As the Scientific Committee, a superb group of internationally acclaimed physicians, has already been hard at work, it is also anticipated that the scientific quality of the meeting will meet or exceed that of previous UIP meetings, even with the excellent standard set by the Monaco UIP 2009 chief organizers, JJ Guex and Eberhard Rabe.
The meeting will be held in the Back Bay section of Boston at the Hynes Convention Center, which is an extremely convenient location with a wide range of hotels, shops, and restaurants within easy walking distance. An extensive list of leisure activities will be available for conferees, their partners, guests, and families, as Boston is uniquely American and one of the most “walkable” cities in America.
The Scientific Program organization is well underway. Each day will begin with “Masterclass” discussion sessions in the morning featuring the leading international experts on various topics. Later each morning the prime and stand-alone Abstract sessions will take center stage and will feature the latest clinical and basic science research from all over the world, covering every venous/lymphatic-related issue-imaginable.
The first Call for Abstracts announcement is expected to be in the summer, 2012. Each abstract will be scored in a completely blind fashion by several reviewers in order to give fair consideration to all submissions. Cash prizes will be given for the highest scoring abstracts. Additionally, each morning session will feature a Keynote Address by an internationallyrecognized speaker. Poster sessions will also be featured prominently, as authors are invited to present short oral presentations (in English), refereed each afternoon, with prizes for top posters awarded along with the honor of presenting the poster during the awards session.
The afternoon sessions will be concurrent and will feature such important subjects as Lymphatic Dysfunction, Vascular Malformations, Superficial Venous Insufficiency, Clinical Research, Deep Venous Thrombosis/Obstruction/Insufficiency, Venoactive Drug Therapy, Compression Therapy, Venous Hemodynamics, Latest Treatments for Deep and Superficial Venous and Lymphatic Disorders, Neurologic Disease-Associated Venous Disorders, and Critical Research Analysis. Just as duplex ultrasound plays such a critical role in the diagnosis and management of venous disorders, it will also play a prominent role in Boston, along with other imaging modalities. Vigorous debates (“Controversy of the Day”) are also planned on controversial topics such as saphenous sparing versus saphenous ablation for superficial venous insufficiency, obstructive venous outflow associated with multiple sclerosis, best treatment for iliofemoral and infra-inguinal deep venous thrombosis, and board certification in phlebology.
Also, for the afternoon sessions, work has already begun to provide simulators and models attended by experts to provide conferees the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a variety of diagnostic and treatment modalities for deep and superficial venous problems.
A special first-time feature will be the morning Plenary Sessions being simultaneously translated into Spanish. Furthermore, national or regional vascular societies will be invited to organize a program in the afternoons in their own language.
Official UIP business will be conducted during the meeting and will include meetings of the UIP Executive Committee, Consensus Working Group meetings, and UIP General Council meetings during which elections will be held for the UIP President, Vice-Presidents, and other offices. During the UIP Official Session on Monday morning, reports of at least four UIP Consensus Documents will be presented, along with welcoming reports from President Scuderi and from other UIP officers.
For the Social Program, the Opening Ceremony will take place Sunday evening and is promised to be short on obligatory speeches and long on dazzling entertainment. Likewise, the Gala will be held on Thursday, September 12, 2013, and we are doing our best to come close to the spectacular Gala event in Monaco in 2009. Off-site sponsored evening and Wednesday afternoon (free time) programs are an important part of all UIP World Congresses, and with its plethora of truly beautiful and fantastic venues, Boston will be no exception.
Sponsorships for the UIP 2013 World Congress Boston are currently being accepted, without which it would be impossible to even hold such a meeting. Many industrial partners have agreed to different levels of sponsorship - currently there are five planning to sponsor at the Platinum or higher level.
So why should you plan to attend the XVII UIP 2013 World Congress in Boston and bring your family and staff along? From children to adults and from the basic science researcher to the practitioners in the trenches, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone in September 2013 in Boston! On behalf of the President of the International Union of Phlebology, Angelo Scuderi, the AC P President, John Mauriello, the AC P President-Elect (President in 2013), Mel Rosenblatt, and myself, you are invited to be part of what is expected to be a fantastically educational and social event.
