2019 proved to be the European Society of Coloproctology’s (ESCP) most successful year to date, typified by our growth and biggest ever annual conference in Vienna which saw a record-breaking number of delegates from across the globe in attendance.
Over 1,700 attendees from 70 different countries joined us at the Austria Centre Vienna for our 14th Annual Scientific Meeting, where the latest innovation, research and best practice in colorectal surgery was showcased over the course of three exciting days.
ESCP’s educational programme continues to go from strength to strength, with Regional Masterclasses across Europe providing platforms for a host of world-class experts to share their knowledge and skills with attendees. Our successful 7th and 8th Masterclasses held in Turkey (‘Reoperative Colorectal Surgery’) and Cardiff (‘Tomorrow’s World’) are examples of this valuable experience.
Our members were given the opportunity to apply for a range of Fellowships (including Japan and Korea), Observerships and training courses across Europe, as the society continued to support trainees to examine, learn and implement variations in clinical practises. You can read about some of our 2019 Fellows’ experiences here.
In addition to our popular monthly topics, November marked our hugely successful #WomenInSurgery month which saw several renowned female surgeons contribute educational videos from around the world to encourage more women into the profession, sparking discussion and raising awareness of the ever-important topic. The month concluded with a TweetChat on Twitter led by Gabriela Möslein and Richard Brady, resulting in 700 participants and almost 1,800 tweets!
Our work with our PR and communications partner, Grayling, scooped up two prestigious awards in 2019; ‘Best use of Social Media’ at the CIPR Pride Awards and ‘Best Trade & B2B Campaign’ at the PRCA Dare Awards.
Other notable achievements include the growth of our ESCP App, the very best resource to keep up to date with everything and anything ESCP! Our educational Papers of the Month, Interactive Trials Map, expanding and invaluable Resource Library and the growth of our Guidelines are to be celebrated.
Willem Bemelman, ESCP President, is looking forward to a prosperous 2020. He commented:
"Many areas of ESCP are continuing to thrive and joining our growing society has never made more sense! Our education and research programmes are growing, with several educational events and courses already slated for early 2020.
"Following the immense success of our last conference in Vienna, we’re excited to bring the next one to Lithuania for the very first time! Preparations are now underway for the most anticipated date in the colorectal calendar and we look forward to welcoming all participants to the beautiful city of Vilnius in 2020 for what promises to be an unforgettable meeting."
ESCP’s 2020 activity will see a continued focus on promoting and advancing the prevention, treatment, education and research into colorectal disease across the globe. Keep an eye out for the launch of January’s monthly topic in the New Year - #ESCPGlobalReach.
