 |
| With 2.2 million sq ft of exhibit space, McCormick Place is one of the nation’s largest and most adaptable convention centers. |
The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA of Oak Brook, Ill) has high expectations-60,000 people, in fact, are expected at the 2004 Annual Meeting, making the event at least as big as it was last year.
“We’re expecting a similar crowd size as last year, which was about 60,000 attendees,” says Pam Kaminsky, RSNA’s senior meetings manager for registrant services. “Attendance is back up to pre-2001 levels, having dropped 10% that year from 2000 because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.”
Early registration was strong this year, thanks to wider-than-ever use of the Internet, Kaminsky reports. “Eighty-three percent of the people registered by early September had done so via the Internet,” she says. “That’s good news for those who won’t be registering until the day of the show, because the result is that they should see shorter lines.”
RSNA has revamped its Web site’s Annual Meeting page (rsna2004.rsna.org) to make it more user friendly, Kaminsky says, adding, “It’s easier to navigate now.”
Visiting the site can be advantageous for other reasons. For instance, it provides access to the RSNA “virtual briefcase,” which is a scheduler that attendees can use to develop an itinerary of things to do and see while at the show.
And along with good attendance this year, just as many exhibitors are expected as 2003.
“Exhibitor bookings were up 1% above last year’s at the same time in September,” Kaminsky says. “Last year, 678 technical exhibits were booked.” Those exhibitors are expected to fill the same amount of floor space this year. In 2003, that figure stood at 446,350 sq ft.
Chicago No More?
Earlier this year, rumors ran rampant that RSNA might consider holding future shows in a city other than Chicago, where it’s been for many years now. However, Kaminsky says the Windy City remains a lock.
“There haven’t been any convention centers out there that can accommodate space for the learning portion of our meeting,” she says. “So we’re sticking with McCormick Place.”
Attendees and exhibitors express mixed feelings about habitually holding the RSNA show in Chicago-especially the weekend following Thanksgiving.
“The bad part for vendors is we have to work all through Thanksgiving in order to get ready for the show, and that can be hard on families,” says Tom Umbel, senior VP of business development for Hologic (New Bedford, Mass).
Kevin Oakley, VP of marketing and sales for Lodox Systems North America (South Lyon, Mich), doesn’t have to travel far to reach Chicago, but he still doesn’t care for the timing of the event. “I have to agree with those who think it regrettable to have this show on Thanksgiving weekend,” he says. “Most people in the trenches have to give up their holiday for the sake of the show.”
However, Oakley has found a way around that. He simply holds his Thanksgiving celebration early.
Mark M. Miller, VP of sales and marketing for ZONARE Medical Systems Inc (Mountain View, Calif), says, “If RSNA could hold the show maybe a week or two later or earlier, it would be great.” He suggests mid-November as a better time for the show. “It would give exhibitors a little bit more time to react and get business closed by year’s end,” he says.
Mike Fiske, director of marketing for healthcare information systems with Eastman Kodak Co’s Health Imaging Group (Rochester, NY), would vote to hold RSNA back-to-back with the annual HIMSS show.
“Sure, it would be a logistical nightmare for many, but RSNA is a radiology-centric show, and HIMSS is IT-centric,” he says. “Those equally important positions are rapidly colliding, so it would make sense to have closer coordination of those two shows.”
As to choice of location, Miller likes the show right where it is.
“I don’t want it to ever leave Chicago,” he says. “I love Chicago. It has great entertainment, great attractions.”
That’s a sentiment shared by Julie Thomas, US communications manager for BarcoView LLC (Duluth, Ga). “We enjoy coming to Chicago-and in November,” she says.
Educational Opportunity
Exhibitors are, of course, only part of the picture. What also transpires annually at RSNA is education and scientific inquiry. This year, approximately 285 refresher courses are being offered.
“RSNA 2004 offers 80.5 continuing medical education credits for physicians, medical physics continuing education credit for medical physicists, and category A credit for radiologic technologists,” says RSNA President Brian C. Lentle, MD.
A group of those courses-called “Essentials in Radiology”-are expected to be hugely popular again this year, promises RSNA’s Kaminsky, who notes that a full 2 months before the show, a course covering chest radiology was just one seat shy of a sellout. Also fast approaching capacity were the “Essentials” courses in knee imaging, uro-radiology, gynecologic pelvic imaging, and breast imaging.
“Once a course sells out, that’s it,” she warns. “We won’t be adding sessions to handle the overflow.”
RSNA recommends, however, that attendees who were unable to obtain a ticket to a particular sold-out event shouldn’t despair. Stop by the room at the scheduled start time to inquire about taking the place of a no-show.
Of the refresher courses, 45 will include hands-on workshops that feature intensive demonstration, discussion, and question-and-answer opportunities. “Among the highlights are a categorical course on emergency radiology and a categorical course on diagnostic radiology physics that is focused on advances in breast imaging,” Lentle notes.
This year, RSNA will be relying more heavily on an audience-response system to help instructors tailor the content of each refresher course to the knowledge level of the audience.
“The audience-response system also allows optional self-assessment-a component that will be expanded in 2005,” Lentle explains. “One model for building in self-assessment would involve the participant taking an examination prior to the course and then taking another examination after completing the course to determine the participant’s level of knowledge improvement. Self-assessment activities help physicians develop and revise personal lifelong learning plans.”
Also this year, RSNA will be making headway with its new society-wide content coding system that’s designed to better assist those lifelong learning plans-and to make it easier to satisfy the requirements for maintaining certifications. Moreover, the society intends to present a greater share of its meeting content online. For example, Lentle explains, education exhibits and scientific posters in neuroradiology and thoracic radiology will be presented at dedicated computers for individual study, while special theaters will enable groups to review and discuss the exhibits.
Meanwhile, a record 6,200 scientific abstracts were submitted for possible presentation at this year’s gathering.
“Only the very best are chosen for the more than 200 scientific paper and scientific poster sessions,” Lentle says. “These sessions will feature more than 2,000 scientific abstracts in both oral and poster formats and represent 16 radiologic subspecialties. Nearly 2,800 abstracts were submitted for possible presentation as education exhibits. More than 1,000 of the very best will be on display.”
Getting Down to Business
According to Lentle, another highlight of RSNA 2004 will be infoRAD, billed as “a dynamic learning experience” that features more than 160 education and commercial exhibits showcasing “hands-on computer-assisted self-instruction, Web-based applications, clinical software, and virtual reality applications.”
In case you’ve lost count, this year is the sixth of RSNA’s Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) initiative. As such, expect to see numerous IHE exhibits featuring state-of-the-art informatics technology and guided demonstrations. Institutions that currently use information solutions will present case studies, Lentle notes.
Plus, several important speeches will be taking place. Lentle makes the first one with his presidential address, entitled “Beyond Borders.” Beginning at 8:30 am on Sunday, November 28, this delivery will mark the kickoff of RSNA 2004. Following it will be the opening session, “Globalization of Radiology,” moderated by George S. Bisset, III, MD, which is slated to include lecturer James H. Thrall, MD, who will talk about the myths and realities of radiology globalization.
Afterward, RSNA hosts a mock malpractice jury trial, organized by Leonard Berlin, MD, and trial attorney Keith Hebeisen. The case involves a lung lesion missed at a previous chest examination. The unscripted trial includes a pair of attorneys matching wits and witnesses before an actual Chicago judge and a jury culled from a group of local volunteers, Lentle reveals.
Then, Jerry P. Petasnick, MD, chairman of the RSNA Research & Education Foundation Board of Trustees, presents the latest news from that organization. Next, at the perennially popular image-interpretation session, Burton P. Drayer, MD, of New York City moderates a panel featuring Bisset and Michael N. Brant-Zawadzki, MD, Nancy M. Major, MD, Georgeann McGuinness, MD, and Elliott K. Fishman, MD.
Come Monday of show week, Michael E. Phelps, PhD, delivers the Eugene P. Pendergrass New Horizons Lecture on molecular imaging. Later, the RSNA/American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) basic physics lecture provides radiologic technologists’ insights to the practical aspects of digital radiographic imaging. Directly on the heels of this lecture is a physics symposium on state-of-the-art intensity-modulated radiation therapy.
Then, RSNA’s Associated Sciences Consortium will host three symposia on the theme of “Emergent Trends: Global Perspectives.” The Associated Sciences program, by the way, includes eight refresher courses geared to managers and supervisors of radiologists and radiology departments.
The curtain rises on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday for special focus sessions, highlighted by the Oncodiagnosis Panel in which lymphoma is the topic with Chul S. Ha, MD, moderating. In conjunction will be a review of papers presented first at meetings of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Society of Nuclear Medicine, Society of Interventional Radiology, and American Society of Neuroradiology.
Tuesday is the day that RSNA attendees will hear from Harry K. Genant, MD, of San Francisco on “The Future of Bone Imaging in Osteoporosis.” The following day, Toronto physician Brian O’Sullivan, MD, will orate on the topic of “Redefining Therapeutic Targets in the Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma.”
Thursday’s big event is the RSNA/AAPM symposium on routine clinical proton spectroscopy, which will ask: “Are we there yet?” David R. Pickens III, PhD, moderates this event, which will unfold right after inauguration ceremonies for RSNA’s 2005 Board of Directors and the introduction of the 2005 AAPM officers and council chairs.
Finally, Friday caps the week’s activities with an imaging symposium on practical approaches to PET/CT with Steven M. Larson, MD, moderating.
High Expectations
Many RSNA 2004 attendees hold high expectations for a rewarding and informative event. If pre-event indications are trustworthy, they won’t be disappointed on either count.
“RSNA always does an outstanding job,” says Kodak’s Fiske. “The presentations get better every year. I don’t come from a clinical background, so some of the clinical sessions are a challenge to follow. My background is IT, so I really enjoy the sessions that get into topics like continuing adoption of IHE, image volume explosion, and interpretation as it relates to the TRIP initiative.”
Thomas McCausland, president of Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc (Malvern, Pa), says, “I’m looking forward to being a part of the continuing innovation in imaging and information technologies that can be found in this industry, which comes together once a year in Chicago with this amazing showcase of the latest equipment in the exhibit hall and the introduction of the newest clinical research during the scientific sessions. At RSNA, the leading diagnostic imaging researchers will present their latest discoveries, which could soon lead to improved diagnosis, treatment, and overall patient care.”
Fiske admits that a big part of the appeal to the RSNA show is the opportunity it affords to keep tabs on other companies-competitors and otherwise.
“I enjoy seeing what all the vendors are doing,” he says. “I’m often awed by the technology they introduce here. And that is reassuring, because as my parents grow older and need more medical services, all this great technology that I’m privileged to preview at RSNA is eventually going to be in place in a hospital or imaging center near them, where it will be working to improve their lives.”
Everything You Never Thought to Ask About RSNA
Medical Imaging has compiled a handful of interesting facts worth knowing about the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and its Annual Meeting:
Source: Pam Kaminsky, senior meetings manager for registrant services with RSNA |
Rick Romano is a contributing writer for Medical Imaging.
