AUSTRALASIA - Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) hosted more than a thousand delegates at the 12th International Child Neurology Congress this month.

The Congress was held jointly with the 11th Asian and Oceanian Congress of Child Neurology and alongside the 6th Biennial meeting of the Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.

Brisbane is strong in the scientific and research sectors and Manager of International Convention Bidding for BCEC, Alison Gardiner says such knowledge-based conferences build on Brisbane's reputation as a centre of excellence.

Delegates representing more than 70 countries attended the six-day conference, including a very strong representation from Asia.

"We are pleased that delegate numbers at the 2012 Congress exceeded expectations and successfully attracted a number of international delegates who were visiting Brisbane for the first time," says Brisbane Marketing Convention Bureau Director, Annabel Sullivan.

Brisbane won the right to host the 2012 event with the support of BCEC and Brisbane Marketing.

Funding received from Brisbane City Conference and Accommodation Bid Fund, as part of the Team Brisbane bid, assisted with travel bursaries for trainee student neurologists from low income countries including Nigeria, India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Co-Chair of the Local Organising Committee and Consultant Paediatric Neurologist and Epileptologist at the University of Queensland and Mater Children's Hospital, Dr Kate Riney considers the conference to have successfully provided life saving knowledge, experience and access to research and international experts.

"We were extremely impressed with the facilities at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. I couldn't really fault a single aspect," she says.

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