DFTB (Don’t Forget The Bubbles), the paediatric emergency medicine conference that began life in Brisbane in 2017, is heading to Glasgow for its latest instalment – marking the event’s first venture into the UK and Europe.
More than 400 clinicians, nurses, educators and trainees are expected at the SEC Glasgow, 22–24 June, for DFTB26, continuing the organisation’s mission to deliver high-quality medical education in a way that’s as human as it is clinical.
The name reflects the conference’s philosophy. Co-founder Tessa Davis, a consultant in paediatric emergency medicine at the Royal London Hospital and senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, explains: “Bubbles are a great distraction and play therapy technique in paediatrics – they can help calm a very distressed child, which makes a massive difference for them, their families and us. DFTB is about connection, enjoyment and putting the enthusiasm back into our professional lives.”
Glasgow is a fitting choice of host. Co-founder Andrew Tagg, associate professor at the University of Melbourne and Emergency Physician at Western Health, says the city’s character aligns naturally with the event’s values: “Glasgow is known for its warmth, humour and creativity – the sort of place where conversations with strangers quickly become conversations with friends. And some of the best moments at our conferences happen after the talks are finished, when people find somewhere to eat and keep talking about the ideas sparked during the day.”
The programme extends well beyond the main stage. A pre-conference storytelling evening at Òran Mór in the West End will see clinicians share personal stories from their lives in medicine – no slides, no data, just honest accounts of the patients and moments that stay with them. The conference will close with a party at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum.
DFTB26 is being managed by ICMS Australasia, the Australian and New Zealand-based PCO that has worked with the conference across five events. CEO Emma Bowyer highlighted the support received from the Glasgow Convention Bureau and the SEC Glasgow in the lead-up to the event: “They not only provided assurances on key deliverables but helped us source the suppliers we needed. The Glasgow business events community has made this a seamless experience.”
With a growing international footprint spanning Australia, New Zealand and now Scotland, DFTB26 looks set to be the organisation’s most ambitious event yet.
