For ERS2023, for the first time, the ERS board elected a scientific president to chair the scientific programme committee. The ERS board is very happy that Prof Paolo Castlenuovo was willing to take this task upon himself. Here he outlines what the programme of the ERS2023 will look like.
It is my great honour and pleasure to welcome you to the upcoming 29th Congress of the European Rhinologic Society in conjunction with the 40th Congress of the International Society of Inflammation and Allergy of the Nose (ISIAN) and 22nd Congress of the International Rhinologic Society (IRS). The event is scheduled to be held in the beautiful Sofia, Bulgaria, from 18-22 June 2023, in a hybrid format.
We are emerging from a historical period marked by the difficulties the pandemic brought with it. We were very happy to be able to organise ERS2021 in Thessaloniki in the middle of the pandemic but now, after a period of struggles, we are much more confident that a face-to-face conference can happen, and we may share knowledge and experiences in a personal way. I think the ERS event represents a great occasion not to be missed!
Sofia, the largest city of Bulgaria, will welcome you with open arms. The capital of the Balkan nation of Bulgaria is in the western part of the country, at the foot of the Vitosha mountain. The monuments of the city reflect its more than 8000 years of history. Sofia is localised at the crossroads of Western Europe and Asia, representing the perfect mix between occidental and oriental world. It will greet all visitors with cultural enrichment, traditional food, wines, and music. You will not regret attending!
The meeting will be held in the National Palace of Culture - Congress Centre. It is not just the largest one in Southeastern Europe, but it is also a valuable symbol of Bulgarian history, representing the very best of the Bulgarian architecture and culture.
This setting already contains all the ingredients for a successful event. Nonetheless, I decided to challenge myself to create an attractive scientific programme that will satisfy the broadest expectations of the audience. I wondered what the recipe would be to explore the world of rhinology from A to Z, from easy to more complex topics, able to raise interest among all attendees and share my endless enthusiasm in this field. My collaborators and I worked hard to prepare a full-range programme that offers interesting content for every attendee. My aim was to convey the same passion which marks our working lives into a set of lectures and courses provided by valuable speakers. This was easier said than done but we did not give up.
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I divided the different congress rooms by topic. The result is each room is focused on a precise field of interest in rhinology and each attendee may choose the one relevant to their own interest without running from one room to another. Moreover, in each room the selected topic is fully explored and examined in a 360° view across various formats such as symposia, instructional courses, keynote lectures and more. You will go through practical panels on clinical challenges of daily working life to the latest cutting-edge research presentations. European and international renowned rhinologists will welcome you with their knowledge, as well as providing you with tips and tricks coming from their own expertise. Ample space is allowed for debates, discussions and sharing of experiences.
The second purpose was to include skilled young rhinologists who represent the upcoming voices on the European and international panorama. A new generation is coming, or rather is already here, and needs to be heard. Indeed, I offered space to ERS Junior members, and many more, with dedicated sessions to introduce themselves to the rhinologic community, side by side with the pioneers that have made our specialty great.
Since surgery represents a significant aspect of rhinology, and given the effort to involve many young attendees, we will captivate you with outstanding dissection sessions from basic to advanced surgical procedure on the nose, sinuses, and skull base, held by master rhinologists. These will certainly provide a boost for your surgical learning curve!
Lastly, I am convinced that the best way to grow as professional figures is to interact with experts from different medical and social contexts, and nothing is better than direct involvement of the rhinologic European and international societies and organisations. For this reason, a wide space is dedicated to them all around the scientific programme. You will have the chance to hear from the most outstanding representatives of our specialty from all around the world.
I believe this scientific programme is second to none, and I am sure it will provide excellent practical and scientific content for rhinologists, regardless of the stage of their career. It has been our goal since the very beginning of this journey; please feel free to let us know if we achieved it.
Before concluding, I express my heartfelt thanks to the ERS board for trusting me in this honourable task, and my sincere gratitude to all the ERS committees and local staff who are constantly giving themselves body and soul to accomplish this exciting project.
We look forward to welcoming you to this four-day event, packed with plenty of educational content and opportunities for sharing experiences and, finally, networking!
