How will we top the success of Anaesthesia 2019?

When creating Anaesthesia 2019, we hoped to put on an event that not only met learning needs but also provided a relaxed atmosphere for delegates to catch up with old friends as well as make new ones. It certainly lived up to the expectation and has paved the way for an even better conference in Manchester in 2020.

After the success of the inaugural event in 2018, we had a big job to grow and improve the 2019 edition by adding an extra 100 places and an extra day. The main challenge was finding a venue for 400 people in Central London. Harder than it might sound, however after lots of searching we settled on ETC Venues a purpose-built conference centre in the heart of the City of London.

Fast forward 11 months and we were ready to open the doors on Anaesthesia 2019, with over 400 delegates registered across the three days to hear from more than 40 speakers. One of the great aspects of this event was being able to welcome delegates from across the world with 16 countries represented, more than ever before. The largest delegation with over 40 clinicians was from Australia and New Zealand, closely followed by the Middle East and India.

Day one of the conference kicked off with the College’s President, Professor Ravi Mahajan launching the Centre for Perioperative Medicine (CPOC) as well as the British Journal of Anaesthesia (BJA) session chaired by Professor Hugh Hemmings and the National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia (NIAA) session Chaired by Professor Mike Grocott.

Day two saw the quick fire talks where speakers had only 12 minutes to speak on subjects including perioperative anaemia, wrong site blocks and human factors. After lunch delegates split up to take part in breakout sessions which they had pre-chosen. These covered a variety of topics including an update on the 2020 Curriculum, what journal editors look for and an SAS doctor update. Professor Paul Wischmeyer, Professor of Anaesthesiology, at Duke University gave an emotional and insightful talk on his personal experience of being a patient. The power of his talk struck a note with many of the delegates and I highly recommend you watch his talk on the RCoA Videos website.

On day three of the conference we not only had many excellent presentations but a live and fully interactive discussion around the vision for perioperative care. This was chaired by Professor Monty Mythen and included representatives from the Royal College of Physicians and NHS England. The final talk of the day was one that will be remembered by those that heard it for many years to come. Nadine Montgomery spoke about her experiences with consent, which brought home the patient experience to every clinician in the room – a powerful way to end what had been three excellent days.

So no rest for the wicked, with the planning for the 2020 event fully underway even before the 2019 edition of the event had started. Keen to move our flagship conference out from London, we chose Manchester because of its location, access to fantastic transport links, as well as a range of great venues and affordable hotels and entertainment. Old Trafford – the home of Manchester United – has been chosen because of its easy access by road or rail, delegate comfort factor, as well as the iconic nature of the stadium. Old Trafford will also allow us to increase delegate numbers up to 600, so we can share the experience with even more of you next year. Apologies to City fans, we understand it might be difficult for you to attend!

So what’s new for next year? We’ve reviewed feedback from the past two years’ events and we know we need to make sure we keep the catering up to the standard of 2019 – if you didn’t attend this year’s event, just ask anyone who did about the hotdogs! We are also keen to ensure all the talks remain relevant to as many delegates as possible, giving you valuable learning that you can take back to your everyday practice. Anaesthesia 2020 will also have its own app so you can connect easier with your fellow delegates before during and after the event, ensuring new friendships are valuable in the long term.

Booking for Anaesthesia 2020 is open, book now to receive a 10 per cent early bird discount – use the code EARLY10 when booking.

I hope to see you in Manchester next year.

Graham Blair