Anniversary at the heart of Europe
VIENNA – The 10th EFORT Congress will be held from 3 to 6 June 2009 in Vienna. Professor Karl Knahr, head of the Local Organising Committee, answers a few questions about this special anniversary.
After Lisbon, Florence and Nice as congress venues in recent years, the General Assembly has chosen Vienna for the meeting in 2009. What were the pivotal arguments in this decision?
Knahr: I believe the recognition of Vienna as a congress venue played an important role. Another point is its location in central Europe. In recent years, EFORT has met in beautiful places such as Helsinki, Rhodes and Lisbon, on the periphery of Europe. Delegates now wanted to have a meeting in the centre. In addition, Vienna traditionally maintains friendly relations with Eastern European countries. EFORT is trying to involve these countries more and more. So we hope there will be many contributions from our Eastern colleagues to this 10th Congress, as well as many attendees from the region.
Apart from its central location, what does Vienna offer orthopaedic specialists from all over Europe?
Knahr: Vienna is a beautiful, safe city that is well connected by road, rail and air to the rest of Europe. Our congress centre is big enough for a meeting of 8,000 experts and can provide all the technical equipment we need. It complies with all the requirements for a vast industry exhibition that is so important to our speciality. And the congress centre is directly connected to the city centre of Vienna via underground railway. So it is possible to stay in a hotel in the centre and travel to the congress in a few minutes.
The scientific programme covers the full range of knowledge in the field of orthopaedics and traumatology. What are your personal highlights?
Knahr: The ExMEx sessions first offered in Nice proved to be an excellent meeting point for renowned speakers and experienced specialists. So I look forward to more ExMEx sessions in Vienna. Furthermore, we are trying to push the European Orthopaedic Board Exam (EBOT), and will offer a whole day of courses dedicated to this exam.
As a resident of the beautiful Austrian capital, what would you recommend to the congress attendees? What are the must-see sights?
Knahr: The first district – the town centre – holds many places of interest along the “Ringstraße”: the parliament, the famous “Burgtheater”, the town hall and many more. So a big advantage is the ability to explore Vienna on foot. Of course a tour in a “Fiaker” is another pleasant option to visit famous places like St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the palace of Schönbrunn or the Belvedere, with its wonderful collection of major works by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Vienna is well known for art and music. If there is enough time, a visit to the State Opera House might be another highlight.
It sounds as if it would be worth staying a few days longer after the EFORT Congress has ended?
Knahr: Definitely. The timing of the Congress makes it easy to do so. Earlier EFORT Congresses started on Friday and went on until Tuesday. This time we start on Wednesday and finish on Saturday. So Saturday afternoon and evening as well as Sunday are free for sightseeing. We really hope that Congress attendees bring their partners along with them to spend some time in our beautiful city.
One last question: Is there anything you can say already about the highlights of the social programme?
Knahr: Our Vienna Night will be something really special. We will rent the Vienna “Konzerthaus” that is big enough for 1,800 guests, and we are planning a concert with the Johann Strauss Orchestra. It will be just like the famous New Year’s concert.
10th EFORT Congress, Austria Center Vienna, 3 – 6 June 2009
