GOLD COAST is preparing to welcome 1,400 surgeons, researchers and medical professionals as the Brisbane 2032 Olympics comes to a close about 80km away.
The 18th International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ICSES) is timed to take place in 2032, shortly after the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games ends on September 5. The four-day congress at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre is expected to generate A$6.5 million for the local economy and attract delegates from across the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Organisers want to align the congress with the sharper focus on sports medicine, health and performance expected during the Games.
Andrea Molnar, director of business events at Experience Gold Coast, said the congress would help extend the benefits of the Olympics beyond sport and tourism.
What makes this congress particularly exciting is its timing. As a host region for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Gold Coast will be at the centre of global conversations around sport, performance, health, innovation and legacy.”
– Andrea Molnar, Experience Gold Coast
“Hosting ICSES in 2032 gives us an opportunity to build on the investment, expertise and international connections generated by the Games and create benefits that extend well beyond the event itself.”
The winning bid for the congress follows a campaign that began in 2018 and led in partnership with Dr Ezekiel Tan, an orthopaedic hand and upper limb surgeon at Gold Coast University Hospital and a BE Connected ambassador.
Dr Tan said the successful bid reflected both the city’s growing international profile and Australia’s standing in surgical research.
“This international congress only occurs every three years and was last hosted in Australia in 1998, in Sydney,” Tan said. “The ability to attract an event of this calibre to the Gold Coast is a testament to the city, as well as the quality and strength of Australian surgical research and expertise.”
The congress will return to Australia for the first time in 34 years after the Gold Coast prevailed against bids from Germany, India and Colombia. The successful campaign was backed by Tourism and Events Queensland and Tourism Australia.
Andrew Powell, Queensland’s Minister for Tourism, said the event would strengthen the state’s pipeline of international business events.
“Securing this prestigious congress will bring leading medical minds from around the world to the Gold Coast, generating valuable visitor expenditure while showcasing Queensland’s expertise and capability on the global stage,” Powell said.
Sally Cope, Tourism Australia executive general manager industry and business events, said the congress would help demonstrate Australia’s credentials as a business events destination in an Olympic year.
More… Gold Coast strategist joins GCCEC
“Tourism Australia is pleased to be supporting the 2032 International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery through its Business Events Bid Fund Program, which has been building a strong pipeline of future international business events across Australia since its launch in 2018.
“The timing of this world-leading medical congress, in the same year that Australia will be hosting the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will help to further demonstrate the exceptional capabilities we have to offer as a business events destination,” Cope said.
Main picture… Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre at dusk
