“ We may be in the honeymoon period of the pandemic , but there is still unpredictability ,” emphasises Vinker . “ Where will we be in June ? What will have happened by September ? We still don ’ t know .”
This uncertainty has meant rising costs for delegates , who can no longer plan their trips far in advance . This has forced many to make reservations closer to their trips , at a more expensive rate .
“ For myself , before Covid-19 , I made all my accommodations or reservations one year in advance ,” notes Vinker . “ I ’ ve been to the UK twice this year . In January , I had to do a Covid-19 test in Israel and then a day two test in the UK and then another coming back into Israel . However , in April I did nothing . So , it is very difficult to predict .”
This unpredictability and late decision-making by delegates also increases the costs for event organisers . According to Vinker , this has been no different for WONCA : “ As an organiser , it gives us a lot of stress because people make the decisions as late as possible .”
This inability to know exact numbers in advance considerably damages the ability for event organisers to plan ahead , raising the costs of preparation .
Looking to future of WONCA European Conferences , Vinker will observe similar medical international conferences to gauge their uses of hybrid formats and will look to take inspiration from their successes .
Legacy and contemporary issues As WONCA 2022 will be the first in-person event since the onset of the pandemic , many of the topics will focus on the impact of Covid-19 to the family medical community .
“ So usually , we concentrate on chronic and acute diseases and preventive measures for them ,” states Vinker . “ But nowadays , it ’ s the first face-to-face meeting since the pandemic started . So , all those topics will be around influences of Covid-19 .”
Sessions will look at themes such as how Covid-19 impacted diabetic patients , or the potential impact of burnout for family doctors and general practitioners .
“ Not only from a retrospective perspective but also for the future ,” adds Vinker . “ What will happen after Covid-19 ? What will stay with us ? What did we do good ? What did we do less good ? And how it will project for the future ?”
This content will not only provide invaluable legacies for the UK ’ s medical professionals , but the European family doctors community .
Similarly , WONCA 2022 will look
to provide content on contemporary issues currently impacting European family doctors . One topic that will be reviewed in detail is the ongoing impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine .
“ We are trying to allocate sessions to the situation in Ukraine ,” states Vinker . “ Because family doctors are treating the refugees inside Ukraine and the millions that have left the country into other regions of Europe . Therefore , it is critical to make sure Ukraine is part of many discussions and allocated sessions .”
As the first in-person meeting in three years , the WONCA European Conference is set to be a ‘ must attend ’ event for the family medicine community .
DETAILS
What : WONCA 2022 European Conference
When : 28 June-1 July 2022 Venue : ExCeL London How : https :// woncaeurope2022 . org
ISSUE 118 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 33