RANZCO continues to innovate its congress program meaning there’s something for everyone to look forward to at its 54th congress in Perth this month.
RANZCO is always searching for ways to improve the experience at its annual congress. A hybrid online/in-person format has become the norm, and now organisers are shaking it up again with a truncated schedule and no Congress Dinner. The Perth time zone is also expected to cater nicely for the body clocks of eastern seaboard delegates – and there’s plenty of buzz around the Opening Plenary where retired vet Dr Craig Challen will discuss his role in the famous Thai cave rescues in 2018.
This year’s 54th RANZCO Congress is taking place 20-24 October 2023 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. In the latest update from RANZCO (13 October), there are 1,781 delegates (344 of which are exhibitors). A total of 141 booth spaces five trestle tables will be occupied by 60 organisations.
With most delegates traversing Australia’s vast interior, RANZCO is hoping they will capitalise on the opportunities on offer. Perth’s scenery, the desire to see friends and colleagues and attractions such as the ANZEF Cape-to-Cape trek are among the drawcards to entice ophthalmologists to the west.
“The Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, multitude of social venues and excellent climate present a range of exciting opportunities we will be harnessing. From early morning activities to the Welcome Reception, there will be plenty of opportunities to get some vitamin D,” organisers tell Insight.
“As the majority of delegates come from the east coast, the time difference means they are up at the crack of dawn and we always see high attendance at the hosted breakfast sessions. And this year, for those looking for a bit of health and wellbeing to start the day, this means getting to those activities will be easy. For those attending as virtual delegates, the time zone difference between home and the congress is a factor to consider.”
A feature of more recent congresses has been the hybrid format, brought about by COVID-19 lockdowns. This year, RANZCO is offering a full day’s viewing of live streamed content and it has chosen concurrent courses that will appeal most broadly to the online audience. Video cameras will capture every session – with the content available on-demand shortly after the congress concludes.
“There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into making a congress hybrid,” organisers say.
“From the recording, reviewing and hosting, we need to ensure content is secure on our dedicated congress platform. There are a lot of AV, live stream and production technicians scurrying around ensuring that all goes to plan. It includes testing links, feeds, cables and connections multiple times.”
Key presentations
Delegates can expect the learning and education to roll into the lunch breaks. The Exhibition Hall will host the Education Hub and Senior & Retired Fellows Lounge. Additionally, there will be films and posters, with the option to view either hardcopy or e-posters.
There’s also an impressive list of keynote speakers this year (detailed on the following page). Challen’s Opening Plenary presentation is highly anticipated, something Scientific Program Committee chair Dr Elsie Chan is excited about.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming Dr Craig Challen, SC OAM and 2019 Australian of the Year to talk about the story of the Tham Luang rescue that highlights the universal nature of leadership skills and risk management strategies,” she says.
Meanwhile, incoming Scientific Program Committee co-chair Dr Clare Fraser believes the neuro-ophthalmology sessions will stir plenty of discussion. “This will feature Professor Neil Miller from John Hopkins Hospital, Wilmer Eye Institute, contributing his wisdom on how to approach the neuro-ophthalmic patient.”
Congress format changes
A departure from the traditional congress schedule will be its conclusion on the Monday, instead of the typical Tuesday.
Before COVID and then continuing after, organisers noticed a steady decline in the delegate numbers on the Tuesday, and managed to condense this year’s congress without a material effect to the content.
“The proof of the pudding will be in the eating though – so Perth will reveal if this consolidation is here to stay,” the organising committee notes.
The social functions are also being revamped, with the focus on the Welcome Reception (Friday), Graduation and Awards Ceremony and President’s Reception (Saturday) and, notably, no Congress Dinner.
“These changes are again in response to what we’ve been seeing from previous congresses. Previously, the Congress Dinner was the social event … however, we’re seeing a shift away from formal sit-down events to more casual and interactive experiences. So, this year we’ve thrown everything we have at the Welcome Reception,” organisers explain.
“The Graduation and Awards Ceremony and President’s Reception will always be a central part of the congress. It is the culmination of many years of blood, sweat and tears for our trainees and specialist international medical graduates, their colleagues, peers, friends and family. It’s also an opportunity to recognise the outstanding achievements of fellows and trainers.”
Sustainability in focus
Sustainability is increasingly becoming a feature of RANZCO congresses, and the college is marking the next evolution of this with several new initiatives.
“A clear starting point was the RANZCO Congress in 2019 in Sydney with initiatives like ‘Meat-free Monday’. Then, in Brisbane in 2022, we had a sustainability booth, the introduction of a sustainability stream for papers, posters and films and a sustainability prize. For Perth, we’re inviting industry and delegates to come on the journey with us,” organisers say.
The college has invested in new concepts such as:
- Bring your keep cup – with staff washing these for delegates between drinks
- A health and wellbeing space so ophthalmologists can ensure their work set-up is preparing them for career longevity, free of pain and injury.
- Carbon offset of flights and the congress experience, available as an option at registration.
Closing remarks
For Fraser, the incoming Scientific Program Committee co-chair, other interesting activities to look out for include the introduction of e-posters to ensure virtual delegates are not missing out on any of the action.
“We’re keen to track views on these to see what our delegates’ preferences are for viewing posters. Of course, the Sunday evening ‘Wine and Poster’ viewing will still be a popular event and sees the winners of best papers, posters and films announced,” she says.
Ms Denise Broeren, director of Think Business Events, believes the sustainability focus will be a highlight. She says RANZCO is constantly searching for ways to reduce the congress footprint, and the congress in Perth is no exception.
“And to date we’ve reduced the printing aspects and done away with satchels,” she says.
“Building on this, we’re now focussing on raising awareness and encouraging other stakeholders to see where they can cut waste. From reducing waste in the exhibition by considering what is given away and how, to replacing items like paper cups with more sustainable options, everyone can get involved. We’re thrilled that we have close to 15% of delegates contributing to making their attendance sustainable, and hope this percentage continues to climb as the registrations flow in.”
On a lighter note, Ms Alex Arancibia Garcia, head of member services at RANZCO, will be keeping an eye out on the hula hooping session – to be held on the Saturday morning. “I am keen to see who can tap into their inner child and put their serious side aside and get into a novel health and wellbeing activity.”
More information about the 54th RANZCO Congress in Perth can be found here.
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