The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has chosen Ōtautahi Christchurch for its Annual Scientific Congress to be held in May 2024 at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

The Congress is the largest meeting of surgeons and allied health professionals in the Southern Hemisphere. Over 1500 delegates, including 1300 international visitors, will be expected to this major annual educational activity for the College.

ChristchurchNZ Business Events successfully bid for the Congress with support from Tourism New Zealand Business Events.

ChristchurchNZ Chief Executive, Alison Adams says the RACS Congress will be a significant and prestigious event for the city.

“We will see the central city and the wider region fill with guests for up to two weeks during the off-peak visitor season, boosting Christchurch’s hospitality, retail and support service sectors during this time, and delivering millions of dollars into our local economy,” she says.

“Christchurch is recognised as a world-class hub for health education, research and innovation, and delegates will be able to experience this first hand at Christchurch’s Te Papa Hauora Health Precinct in the city centre.”

The congress will include a five-day scientific programme with 1,000 presentations, a 2000 sqm exhibition, 10 official dinners, and six pre-event workshops. Attendees will include 70 international speakers, and 60 international Surgical College presidents. A mini-conference for younger fellows will take place concurrently outside of the city at one of Canterbury’s alpine retreat destinations.

“Many delegates are expected to be accompanied by their partners and family, and we are providing suggested touring itineraries to encourage delegates to travel after the conference,” Ms Adams says.

“The benefits of academic conferences such as RACS are far-reaching and go beyond economic impact. Not only are they valuable contributors to growing the region’s knowledge base, but they are also an opportunity to showcase our beautiful region to an international audience and reinforce our position as a superb city to hold conferences.”

Tourism New Zealand General Manager Domestic and Business Events, Bjoern Spreitzer says it is great to see large-scale international conferences returning to our shores, and this is an excellent win for New Zealand’s newest convention centre, Te Pae Christchurch.

“This congress will deliver high-value visitors who will enrich New Zealand’s specialist knowledge as well as our economy, by providing valuable education and collaboration opportunities for our health sector,” he says.

The Royal Australasian College looks forward to reconnecting with the city of Christchurch having last hosted the Annual Scientific Congress there in 2007.

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