This year’s Vascular Annual Meeting will have a new and elegant air about it, with the introduction of a Gala to benefit the SVS Foundation. It is replacing the traditional President’s Reception, at the request of SVS President Michel S. Makaroun. Dr. Markaroun wants an event to not only celebrate with colleagues but also to benefit a cause close to his heart, the SVS Foundation.
Tickets are $250 each, of which $150 is a tax-deductible contribution to the SVS Foundation’s general Greatest Need Fund.
The Gala will be held Friday, June 14, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, the site for VAM. The evening will include:
- A Silent Auction, in which any member (or friends) can participate via an online portal through the duration of the event. The Silent Auction will open several weeks before the meeting.
- Cocktails and dinner.
- A program, including entertainment.
“Other medical societies host galas at their annual meetings. I wanted something similar to bring our leadership and membership together to celebrate vascular surgery as a specialty,” said Dr. Makaroun.
“And bringing people together will benefit the signature work of the SVS Foundation,” he said, “Its various grants, scholarships and projects touch every single SVS member, whether in academia or private practice.”
Many of the details are still in the planning stages but the link to purchase tickets, plus the opportunity to donate auction items, should be available later this month.
In the meantime, Dr. Makaroun urges members to be gearing up for a great time. “This will be a signature event of the Vascular Annual Meeting,” he said. “Much as the Presidential Address brings everyone together in one place, so will our gala.”
The 2019 Vascular Annual Meeting will be June 12 to 15 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., just outside Washington, D.C. Scientific sessions will be June 13 to 15 and exhibits will be June 13-14. Registration and housing will open in early March.