The stage is set for the first event in the expanded EICC
Karen Wood @ EICC
The time for rehearsal is at an end. The stage is set and our first customer event in the expanded Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) is about to go live. International Investigative Dermatology 2013 is the quinquennial assembly of some 2,100 delegates from the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR), the Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology (JSID) and the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) of the United States. On the client side making this eagerly anticipated event happen is the British Association of Dermatologists Conference and Events Services team and it’s true to say they’ve been on a journey with us to arrive at this point.
Critically, alongside the local organising committee they had the confidence to buy off plan when they elected to come to Edinburgh and EICC. Our expansion space was only just into construction and the packed scientific programme and a massive academic poster display needs all of our new space to be a comfortable fit. In the final analysis we had a few weeks to spare and with a series of test events under our belt, including an events industry launch for 700 practitioners and opinion leaders, we are more than ready for IID 2013. Certainly, if the Twittersphere is to be believed our Opening Party featuring master impressionist Jon Culshaw and singing sensation Laura Mvula was a rip-roaring success.
Like footballers in the tunnel before the cup final gets underway we know what we have to do, we are up for the task and the sense of excitement is almost impossible to contain.
Our new Lennox Suite with its hall wide moving floor system is set in exhibition mode and is home to the largest academic poster exhibition ever accommodated at EICC. Over 1,500 metre-wide posters submitted by delegates to facilitate the scientific process of publishing new ideas and research findings for peer group review.
Unable to resist a little showmanship we have invited along Team Great Britain 1500 metre runner, Laura Muir to take on the challenge of the dermatology poster run. Displayed edge to edge they would encircle the red synthetic rubber London 2012 Olympic athletics track, three and three quarter times. Even for a top class middle distance runner like Laura it would take more than four minutes and twelve seconds, her personal best, to get round. Go Laura, but let’s hope our delegates have a little more time!
Best wishes,
Karen
Head of Events at EICC
