From January 28 through February 1, 2012, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons returned for the fifth time to the SMG-managed Broward County Convention Center to host the organization's 48th Annual Society of Thoracic Surgeons Meeting and Exhibition. Before the event began, we had the chance to speak with Rachel Estrada, manager of communications and media relations, to find out more the organization's Convention Center experience.
Tell us about your organization, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Founded in 1964, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 6,300 surgeons, researchers and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The mission of the Society is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy. With a staff of approximately 40 employees, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons is headquartered in Chicago and has an additional office near Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
How large is this year's conference?
The 48th STS Annual Meeting and Exhibition has more than 2,000 registered attendees from across the United States and around the globe.
What can conference attendees expect this year?
STS has put together an exceptional program for our members this year with new sessions and more programs to help the entire cardiothoracic surgery team provide the best possible care to patients. Our exciting educational programming is designed to encourage and promote the development, advancement, and exchange of fair and balanced information regarding the research in, and diagnosis and treatment of, cardiovascular and thoracic diseases, with improved patient care and patient management outcomes as the underlying theme. This year we have more invited speakers, more breakout sessions, and more pro/con debates, making this the premier educational event in cardiothoracic surgery. Additionally, STS/ American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Tech-Con is a jointly sponsored program on novel therapies in cardiac and general thoracic surgery, held annually immediately preceding the STS Annual Meeting. Tech-Con is designed to address innovative topics, focusing on currently evolving concepts in cardiothoracic surgery, while providing the most up-to-date information and opinion.
Why did you choose the Convention Center to host this year’s conference?
This is the fifth year that STS Annual Meeting and Exhibition will be hosted at the Broward County Convention Center. We keep coming back because our members love the sunny Florida weather, it's a great center with modern amenities, and from a meeting planner's perspective, the staff at the Convention Center and Broward CVB always exceed our expectations.
How have the Convention Center and Broward County Convention and Visitors Bureau staff exceeded your expectations?
The Broward CVB and the Convention Center staff are simply top notch. They offer exceptional customer service and always do an outstanding job in hosting our meeting. We all work very closely together and as a direct result of that, the Society's events have always been successful.
How do conference attendees feel about Fort Lauderdale?
Our members love all the wonderful accommodations Fort Lauderdale has to offer! I know our STS members and their guests are looking forward to exploring all the great restaurants, shopping and hospitality of Broward County.
We would like to thank Rachel Estrada for sharing her organization's experiences with us. To learn more about the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, please visit www.sts.org.To learn about how the Broward County Convention Center can make your next event a success, please call us at 954-765-5900.
This article was previously published at the www.ftlauderdalecc.com blog.
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