The European Society of Radiology (ESR) has announced that the full onsite version of ECR 2022 will now take place from 13 to 17 July in Vienna. The plan is to also organize an online ECR from 2 to 6 March, according to ESR President Prof. Dr. Regina Beets-Tan.
"We are currently confronted with significant legal uncertainty regarding the organisation of a large-scale event in March," she noted in a letter posted on the ESR website on 10 December.
"Furthermore, we face a highly unpredictable epidemiological situation, which may hinder our ability to guarantee the safety of our participants and industry partners -- something that will always be our first priority. For these reasons, it is with great regret that we have made the decision not to hold an onsite meeting in March," she explained.
Prof. Dr. Regina Beets-TanECR 2022 in July will be fully onsite and online, and both ECR 2022 and the warmup event in March will offer CME credits. All registered participants have access to both events.
"Our SMART congress will deliver an ECR experience like no other, with a highly multidisciplinary programme, exciting summer social events, and a buzzing industry exhibition that will absolutely be worth the wait," stated Beets-Tan, who is chair of radiology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam.
"The past two years have shown us that events held in the summer are not only possible, but warmly welcomed by attendees. And that is why we have come to the decision to begin transforming ECR. It's time to change!"
ECR 2022 Overture
The online event will be called the ECR 2022 Overture, and it will act as "an extended teaser for ECR 2022," she said.
"This event will feature a series of trailer sessions offering a glimpse of some of the biggest highlights to be held at ECR 2022," explained Beets-Tan. "These trailer sessions will be held alongside an exciting scientific and educational programme, a studio dedicated to interventional education and technology, and a small onsite element where leading figures in radiology and industry partners will give talks."
Further information about the events will be released soon, she promised.
"I truly believe that when one door closes in life, another one opens. We often look so long upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened. Our open door lies before us now. We have a unique opportunity to re-imagine ECR and deliver a bold, exciting and safe congress next year," she concluded.
You can read a copy of the full letter on the ESR website.
