Dear Colleagues
On behalf of the International Association for Ambulatory Surgery (I.A.A.S.) and the Australian Day Surgery Council (A.D.S.C.) I wish to extend a warm invitation to you to join us ‘down under’ for the 8th International Congress on Ambulatory Surgery. The Congress will take place from the 3 – 6 July 2009 in the beautiful city of Brisbane where the sun shines 260 days a year.
In July the average temperature is 21C/70F, a perfect climate for visiting Australia’s northern state of Queensland. In fact a holiday in Queensland during Australia’s ‘winter’ is one of the most popular holiday escapes for Australians living in our cooler southern states.
Brisbane is a modern, dynamic and emerging city. It is easy to get around and truly affordable with a wide range of accommodation options from five star international hotel chains to budget tourist class.
Our international airport operates 24 hours a day and is the second busiest in Australia with 21 international airlines operating 217 flights per week. Our official Travel Managers are the internationally well known HRG (Hogg Robinson Group) who will be able to assist with all of your accommodation and travel needs.
The Congress will take place at the award winning Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, conveniently located in the leisure, arts and entertainment precinct. The Centre is ranked among the leading convention centres in the world by the International Association of Congress Centres.
Brisbane has many city attractions and is also a great place from which to explore some of the nearby places of interest such as Australia Zoo – home of the Irwin family and the late Crocodile Hunter, rainforests, the Great Barrier Reef, sailing, whale watching, theme parks and more. Give yourself some time to arrive early or stay late and join one of the post tours visiting some of the true highlights of Australia.
While soaking up the exciting atmosphere in Brisbane, we will be joining with colleagues from around the world to ponder the ‘Destiny of Day Surgery’. Where are we heading and what does it mean for our professions? How will technology influence our systems and procedures? Will there be a place for paper in our offices? What role will robotics play and where do we fit in? Nursing in the future, what skills are needed and how will responsibilities change?
Alone we can’t answer these questions but collectively we can help shape our professional futures. Bring plenty of enthusiasm, ideas and knowledge and we will provide the Congress framework to enable you to get the most out of your participation.
We look forward to hosting all of our local and international colleagues in beautiful Brisbane in 2009.
Yours sincerely
Dr Hugh Bartholomeusz
President