Global Nephrology Congress to boost Melbourne’s knowledge economy

Australia’s minister for tourism and major events for Victoria, John Eren, announced this week that Melbourne has been chosen to host the World Congress of Nephrology in 2019 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Eren said: “Melbourne is always high on the list of locations for the big conferences worldwide, because we do them so well. This doesn’t just put us on the world stage, it contributes to our economy too. Conference delegates spend up to six times as much as holidaymakers, so these events are extremely important.” Karen Bolinger, CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau, which facilitated the bid process, said: “Unique to our bid process is the collaboration and unified approach between the bureau, government, associations and industry partners. As a result of this collaboration we were able to deliver a bid proposition which aligned to the International Society of Nephrology’s global objectives.” Bolinger said that securing the bid would not have been possible without support from Melbourne’s medical sector, including world leaders from Monash Health and St Vincent’s Hospital with support from all major Nephrology units across Australia and New Zealand. Luca Segantini, executive director of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), said: “Melbourne is a great city for conferences because it’s an exciting city for delegates, it provides an ideal environment for networking and scientifically it has a great hub of medical facilities, research and innovation – everything our delegates need to have a productive experience at the World Congress of Nephrology.” Peter King, MCEC’s chief executive added: “We look forward to welcoming the world’s knowledge leaders in Nephrology. MCEC’s track record in delivering major international medical conferences is second to none. We pride ourselves on providing the best platform for delegates to share knowledge and create lasting legacies.”