Volume 6 Issue 3 - Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine

Reports
ASUM wins WFUMB 2009 at the AIUM/
WFUMB Congress in Montreal!
It was a day to remember in the history of ASUM. On
Saturday 31 May 2003, after 2 years of a complex and
challenging bidding process, ASUM finally won its bid to
host the World Congress of WFUMB in year 2009 in Sydney.
ASUM’s bidding team was Dr Glenn McNally, ASUM
President, Dr Stan Barnett, ASUM Immediate Past President
and Dr Caroline Hong, ASUM CEO; supported by Jon
Hutchison, Managing Director of the Sydney Convention
and Visitors Bureau and Barrie Markey, Managing Director
of ICMS Pty Ltd. Much effort has gone into the bidding
process spanning over 2 years, demonstrating all aspects of
ASUM’s capabilities and Sydney’s attractions to host a world
congress in September 2009.
ASUM prides itself as a rapidly growing professional
multidisciplinary society in “PROMOTING EXCELLENCE
IN ULTRASOUND”. ASUM now has more than 2500
members from Australia, New Zealand
and overseas. Membership is growing
and there is increasing interest in the
ASUM. The WFUMB 2009 World
Congress will provide opportunities
for delegates from all over the world
to visit Australia with their families to
experience a world class educational,
scientific and social program, covering
all aspects of the latest advances in
knowledge and technology in medical
ultrasound.
“Winning this bid to host a world medical
ultrasound congress is a major achievement
for ASUM. ASUM will continue to play a
pivotal role in contributing to advances in
promoting excellence in medical ultrasound
around the world ”
Dr Glenn McNally, President of ASUM
ASUM is one of the six federations/societies affiliated to
WFUMB. This world class congress will attract between
3000 to 5000 delegates and their families from around the
world to Sydney. The last time a world congress in
ultrasound was held in Australia was in 1985. ASUM will
hold an Asian-Pacific Ultrasound Congress in conjunction
with the WFUMB 2009 Congress in Sydney. The World
Federation of Sonographers Congress will also be held
during the week of the WFUMB 2009 Congress.
Dr Stan Barnett has been appointed the Convenor for
WFUMB 2009 Congress, with Dr Glenn McNally as the
Treasurer. ASUM wishes to thank all the supporters and
friends of ASUM who supported and encouraged the
bidding team throughout the whole process.
REPORT ON THE 10 TH WFUMB WORLD
CONGRESS
The WFUMB 2003 World Congress was held at the colourful
Palais des congress de Montreal Convention Centre. It was
hosted by AIUM, the American Institute of Ultrasound in
Medicine and was preceded by the 7 th World Federation of
Sonographers (WFS) Congress which was held over 2 days
From left to right: Mr Barrie Markey, Dr
Glenn McNally, Dr Caroline Hong, Dr Stan
Barnett, Mr Jon Hutchison
from 31 May to 1 June 2003. The WFUMB 2003 Congress
which opened on 1 June with a welcome address by the
WFUMB President, Dr Hiroki Watanabe and the AIUM
President, Dr Alfred Kurtz, a keynote address by Timothy
Johnson on “Medicine and the Media” and musical
entertainment by a group of four women who sing music
from every corner of the melodic spectrum.
The next 3 days of the Congress included 18 different
ultrasound related areas of interest with plenary sessions,
scientific sessions, meet the professor round table sessions,
symposiums and debates. The posters and case studies
sessions also attracted a lot of interest. The Congress was
supported by more than a hundred exhibitors and attended
by about 2000 people.
ASUM exhibited an education booth during the Congress,
promoting ASUM meetings and educational resources. As
the Exhibition was opened after the
announcement of ASUM’s win to host
the WFUMB 2009 World Congress, the
ASUM booth naturally attracted a lot
of publicity and excitement.
Dr Stan Barnett presented 2 lectures:
the ASUM Asia Link Program
(replacing Dr Andrew Ngu who
unfortunately could not travel to this
meeting) and Ultrasound Induced
Temperature Rise in the Fetal Brain.
At the WFUMB General Assembly,
which was held on 4 June 2003, Dr
Hiroki Watanabe handed over the
Presidency to Dr Marvin Ziskin who
will serve for a period of 3 years until
2006. Dr Giovanni Cerri was elected as
the President–Elect and will be the President from 2006 to
2009, and hence will also be the Congress President for
WFUMB 2009 in Sydney.
ASUM now has two representatives on the Council of the
World Federation. Dr Stan Barnett was elected as Secretary
of the WFUMB Council. Dr Glenn McNally was nominated
by ASUM and elected as WFUMB Councillor at the General
Assembly held in Montreal. Dr George Kossoff was also
awarded Life Membership at this meeting.
There were more than 30 Australians seen at the Congress
and many expatriot Australians also paid a visit to the ASUM
exhibition booth to say a friendly hello to the ASUM team.
Dr Dave Carpenter and Janine Horton, both ASUM
Councillors, were of great assistance in attending to the
booth during the busy exhibition periods.
In summary, it was a successful trip to Montreal and ASUM’s
team, who went with a mission to win the bid, came home
safely with good news for all. Now the hard work begins
and there is plenty to do to ensure a great and successful
world congress in 2009 in Sydney. Congratulations to the
ASUM and there is every reason to rejoice.
Dr Caroline Hong
Chief Executive Officer
54 ASUM ULTRASOUND BULLETIN VOLUME 6 NUMBER 3 AUGUST 2003