The ICML Lugano

This was the first time I attended the International Conference in Malignant Lymphoma, ICML for short. It all started in 1981, and over the years, this meeting had evolved into an important event in the Haematology calendar. This meeting was held once every couple of years - it was every three years at the beginning.

The event had definitely blossomed since its inception, and now the Congress Center was struggling to accommodate the crowd which descended to the place from all parts of the world. Being held a week after EHA also meant that most of the speakers and delegates could double up for both meetings. A two-in-one kind of trip. I remembered when I was at EHA in London a couple of years back when some of the the data were embargoed until the Lugano meeting the week after.

The topics were more specific and I was impressed with the discussion they had during case presentation. You couldn't get this kind of exposure at any other meeting. I also found that the interaction was more intimate.

Since the Congress Center was too small to accommodate everybody, marquees were erected around the gardens next to the building where the lectures were beamed live and the pharmaceutical companies erected their booths. That was also where we had our meals and coffee.

Some of the sessions had to be held away from the main congress venue. One such place was actually a movie theatre. It certainly projected the slides well ......

All in all, I learned a lot from the 4 day meeting. A lot of nee information and study were discussed, although the emphasis this year seemed to be on the integration of radiotherapy in thenmanagement of lymphoma. I would like to return here again, but maybe not on the next meet. Maybe every other gathering. And Puan Anita had stated her intentions of tagging along ......

Photos from the conference can be seen here.

Meet up at G Tower

I didn't even know that the G Tower, right opposite Ampang Park, next to the Tabung Haji building was actually a conference center and hotel. I thought it was more o an office building of sort.

Yesterday was the first time I set foot there. A nice but small hotel, but the conference facilities were OK. There were only three floors of accommodation, suitable for those coming for an overnight meeting from out of town. The catering was also pretty standard.

I had a small conference there, followed later in the afternoon by my council meeting. Getting there was pretty straight forward from Subang, although I was not able to join before lunch due to work commitments. I took the NPE, then turning towards SMART tunnel, and when I emerged on the Jalan Tun Razak exit, I was almost there already. Took me user 30 minutes even in the rain, and Saturday afternoon traffic.

Well, I was bored .....We had an update session on Haematology, and it was a joint meeting between the clinician and Haemato-Pathologist. Very interesting session although I found myself hard to concentrate late on a Saturday afternoon. But the suggestion of building a centralised Lymphoma Pathology Center brought me out of my slumber ..... For which I would reserve my thoughts for the time being.

Anyway, just to mention that G Tower was a nice venue. That's all.