VAM ’19: Meeting a Success; Please Share Feedback for Future

Aug 15, 2019 Re-posted from the August 2019 issue of Vascular Specialist

With new initiatives, plenty of educational programming and a party that was the talk of the town, the 2019 Vascular Annual Meeting has been deemed a success.

“I’ve gotten a lot of positive response,” said Matthew Eagleton, MD, chair of the SVS Program Committee, which oversees VAM programming. “I think people for the most part were very pleased.”

He urged SVS members to send in comments and suggestions, to help plan for future meetings. “It’s your meeting,” he said. “What do you want?” (Send suggestions to education@vascularsociety.org.)

Nearly 1,675 attendees were able to attend more than 10 abstract-based sessions (including video sessions, sessions in international forums and those hosted by the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society), six postgraduate courses, six breakfast sessions, three workshops, seven “Ask the Expert” presentations, poster competitions, several lectures and other special forums and events. Industry sponsored a number of symposia and the exhibit hall featured a robust number of booths plus the always-popular “Vascular Live” sessions.

This year’s VAM included several new initiatives:

  • The Office Vascular Care Pavilion on the exhibit floor featured vendors, equipment and programming aimed at those who work in outpatient settings.
  • Programming included the daylong Vascular Residents and Fellows Program, dedicated to vascular trainees.
  • And nearly 125 people took advantage of the free professional headshots available in the SVS booth.

Planning for VAM 2020, June 17 to 20, has already begun. Organizers are eyeing tweaks and additions to the trainee program, plus another specialized pavilion. Currently, Dr. Eagleton said, SVS members are enthusiastic about the Toronto location. “We haven’t been there in at least 10 years,” he said. “People are excited to be in a ‘new’ city.”

NOTE: Travel to Canada will require passports and possibly other travel documents for most attendees. Be sure passports and other documents are up to date.

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