A Moment With A Very Special Guest: American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons

We recently sat down with Chris Mahaffey, executive director of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, to talk about his experience at the College’s 69th Annual Scientific Conference, held March 9th through the 12th for the first time at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center.

Q: Overall, how was the conference?

A: Very successful! This was one of our highest attended conferences ever, which, as any meeting planner knows, speaks very highly of Fort Lauderdale.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your organization, the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

A: We’re an international organization of more than 6300 members, comprised of foot and ankle surgeons, medical students and residents.

Q: How large was the conference?

A: We had more than 140 companies exhibiting and 200 medical posters over 80,000 square feet of space.

Q: Why did you choose the Broward County Convention Center to host this year’s show?

A: We picked this facility because of the amount of meeting space it offered. It was large enough to accommodate all our needs, but not massive to the point that we felt we would get lost among other concurring events. Additionally, we valued the appeal of Fort Lauderdale and its weather.

Q: Now that you’ve spent some time in Fort Lauderdale, how do you feel about it?

A: We loved Fort Lauderdale! There are plenty of restaurants and shops to keep us entertained and Fort Lauderdale definitely has the best beaches. Plus, it’s easy to get around. We also had many people touring the Intracoastal Waterway to ogle at all the big boats. Fort Lauderdale is definitely a very alluring destination!

Q: Where did your guests stay while here for the conference?

A: We had guests staying at the Fort Lauderdale Hilton Marina and the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa. The Hilton is only a few steps from the Convention Center and our guest s at the Marriott Harbor Beach were only a 5-minute shuttle ride away. That is also why we chose the Broward County Convention Center — because we like to offer our conference attendees the option of staying at hotels nearby.

Q: What has it been like working with the Broward County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Convention Center staff?

A: The Convention Center staff was phenomenal. Senior Event Manager Michael Treiling was a joy to work with and all departments were extremely helpful and cooperative. The CVB also was terrific. We worked with them very closely and they were very accommodating to our needs and requests.

Q: Do you think the College will host another conference at the Broward County Convention Center?

A: There’s a very good chance that we’ll be back! The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons had a successful 69th Annual Scientific Conference, held March 9th through the 12th for the first time at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center.

This article was previously published at the www.ftlauderdalecc.com blog.