The first Australasian Dermoscopy Meeting takes place in Cairns from 8-11 October, with delegates coming from Australia, New Zealand, Europe, South America and the US. According to the organisers, it’s the first internationally recognised dermoscopy conference to be held outside the US.
The skin cancer conference was the idea of Cairns doctor Vin Rajeswaran, who wanted to create a national meeting using local businesses. He approached Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ), which put him in touch with Andrea Wicking, a Cairns-based professional conference organiser at TPM Events. The two have been working with the team at Pullman Cairns International to put the event together.
The meeting is endorsed by the International Dermoscopy Society, and its course director, Dr Ashfaq Marghoob, will also be course director of the American Dermoscopy Meeting in 2027. Rajeswaran said the programme is aimed at clinicians at all levels, from GPs to dermatologists and nurses.
A day on the reef
Rajeswaran said: “We live in paradise and I want to encourage doctors and nurses to move to Cairns so on day four we are taking the conference to the Great Barrier Reef to showcase the destination.”
Wicking, senior event manager at TPM Events, said: “This conference is a great example of what can happen when a strong local idea is matched with local business events expertise.”
Tara Bennett, partnerships and events general manager at TTNQ, said Rajeswaran is already planning a second meeting in Cairns in October 2027, as well as a surgical conference in April 2027.
