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Sally Vincent, Director of Operations Euro PCR for Europa Organisation

“A very good sharing of skills for a long term collaboration”. From May 25th to 28th, the Paris Palais des Congrès welcomed the annual congress of Euro PCR. With its record attendance of 13,109 delegates, the event is the perfect example of a successful long-term collaboration between the learned society and the PCO Europa Organisation. Sally Vincent, enthusiastic Director of Operations, unfolds the background and vocation of the congress.

BWMN: What is Euro PCR about and what is its history?

Sally Vincent: The Euro PCR congress, specialized in Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions, was created about twenty years ago following Pr Marco – with whom I’ve been working in close collaboration for 5 years – in Toulouse (France) to offer an educational content to professionals in interventional cardiologists. From 50 delegates at the beginning, the event grew, as did the speciality, and went from Paris to Barcelona before coming back to Paris in 2007.

BWMN: How do you explain the record attendance of the 2010 edition?

Sally Vincent: This year, the congress took place at Paris Palais des Congrès, and attracted a record number of 13,109 attendees and generated 20,000 booked rooms. This very good result may stem from a combination of factors: the strong link of Euro PCR with Paris, a more and more extensive content, a qualitative programme, a balance between doctors and the industry, combined with an innovative format. We turned towards interactivity, in harmony with Pr Marco’s philosophy aiming at making delegates an active source of education, with abstracts or with calls for communication before the event: delegates are invited to share clinical cases with complications and other specific topics. Some of them are then integrated to the programme. Congress attendees are thus an active part of the event. Moreover, during the sessions, participants are welcomed to speak and share ideas. Euro PCR is a very practical congress, which aims to offer doctors the possibility to learn live, to ask questions and leave with new knowledge. A chosen interactivity which constantly evolves. Sessions are also recorded and available on the website the day after and we organise retransmissions all over the world like in India in 2010.

BMWN: What is the exact role of Europa Organisation during the congress?

Sally Vincent: Europa Organisation is in charge of all the organisation with a team of 15 people who work all year round on Euro PCR and its spin-offs Asia PCR and PCR London Valves, without forgetting the PCR online platform and PCR Publishing for editorial contents. 1,000 people are mobilized during the week of the event including various providers, which constitutes a real logistic challenge.

BWMN: What is the impact of such a congress on the destination?

Sally Vincent: Along with key partners such as Viparis, Euro PCR generates a strong impact on Paris, which will welcome in 2011 the ESC congress during which about 30,000 delegates are expected. Since Pr Marco and Marc Doncieux (Managing Director of Europa Organisation) met twenty years ago, Euro PCR has been enlarging and benefiting from the blend of a scientific and a business force: A very good sharing of skills for a long term collaboration.

www.europa-organisation.com

www.europcr.com