Madrid 2025

Here is a space for input and suggestions from your colleagues in Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Lyon, New York and San Francisco.  We can likely find suggestions from Paris, Toronto and Boston as well!

Purpose

• Planning will be easier if there is a clearly stated purpose for the Congress.  In San Francisco, we did a small survey and found that people wanted to meet other Armenians, help Armenia and gain scientific knowledge, in that order.  We had a corny theme (Golden Gate to a healthy future), but no clear purpose.  We focused on scientific content even though the real value was for us to meet one another. 
• 6IMCA was (in Jerry's opinion) a success because of the connections that were made among the attendees.  I am not sure how the scientific discussions will change the way I practice medicine.

Location

• Choose a nice place.  In San Francisco 2005, we chose our hotel (Fairmont SF) because it was close to sightseeing and shopping, and very nice.  We got a special rate on the hotel rooms because the July 4 weekend is not a popular weekend for corporate events.  We requested prices for both regular rooms and suites.  
  The meeting rooms were given to us "for free" because we agreed to a "food and beverage" minimum expense of about $250,000.  We bought food for a welcome reception, coffee break and lunch breaks, and the Saturday night gala which was also in the hotel.  

Scientific

• Like 6IMCA, San Francisco had a star-studded cast of speakers.  Basically we contacted any famous Armenian scientists we could find.  It was great.  But it's not clear how much of it translated to change in medical practice.
• If you decide that the purpose of the Congress is to facilitate networking and cooperation, then you may consider a different selection of speakers, or a mix of several themes.
• We discussed translation in Yerevan.  Jerry is working with some Hayastantsi engineers to improve Polyglot's end-user-experience.  Let me know if this interests you.  See also this email sent out earlier.

Finance

• Funding will be a combination of registration fees, sponsorship, exhibit booths and outside grants.  Sponsorship and exhibit booths have different implications if CME credit is requested, as you must have specific written agreements with commercial sponsors.  (That requirement does not apply to exhibitors.)  Jerry has no experience with government grants, but consider that a specifically themed congress with follow up plans (e.g. targeting treatment of non-communicable diseases) might attract some grants.

Social

• Food.  Wine.  Tours.  Forget the bullfights.
• We organized a couple of "happy hours" during the SF congress, basically for people to get to know one another.  It got credited to our Food & Beverage minimum even though it didn't come from our budget.
• Having the Gala at the hotel will help you meet the F&B minimum.