Over three sunny October days, the Paediatric Critical Care Society (PCCS) welcomed over 400 hundred delegates, alongside industry partners to the beautiful city of Edinburgh. As the local organising team, we worked closely with the Edinburgh University Hospitality and Events team, hosted and led by Tracy Marshall. This collaboration ensured the first Scottish PCCS conference was a resounding success.
The PCCS annual scientific meeting brings together professionals from across the paediatric intensive care community. We welcomed delegates from across the world to join us for a vibrant, engaging and exceptionally well received conference.
This was the first time Scotland had hosted the PCCS conference. The local organising committee (Dr Neil Spenceley, Dr Jillian Mcfadzean, Dr Chris Kidson, Dr Zoltan Gyorgyi and Dr Lindsay Ford) knew that the Scottish capital would be the perfect host city for the event. Being a well-established events destination, and easily accessible for people from across the world, it lends itself easily to hosting a successful event. More so, the historic vibrant city offered delegates a wealth of things to see and do.
The John McIntyre Conference Centre, nestled next to Arthurs Seat and surrounded by the Queens Park was the perfect setting for hosting this event. With the conference theme of ‘Communicate to Connect’ the conference was attended by over 400 delegates, alongside a wealth of industry partners. With onsite accommodation available at the Scott and Scholar hotels as well as great transport links to the rest of the city, the location could not have been better. In their dedicated space in South Hall, the exhibitors were able to speak to delegates and demonstrate their products as people networked over coffee and lunch.
AN EVENT FOR EVERYONE
Accessibility and inclusivity were key priorities for the event from the beginning, and the venue and the team at the John McIntyre Conference Centre ensured there was no barrier to any delegate getting the most from the event.
The location provided the perfect backdrop for the conference morning 5k run through the city sights and back to the open space of Arthurs Seat.
The social aspect of the conference was enhanced with regular coffee breaks, relaxed lunches and evening entertainment. High quality catering, with a healthy and sustainable focus was enjoyed by all. The layout of the John McIntyre Conference Centre ensured a good flow between the spaces, with outdoor space available to enjoy the fresh Scottish air.
TEAM EFFORT
The Edinburgh University Events team had an exceptional eye for detail and insightful ideas about how to improve the delegate experience. Challenges were addressed without fuss and a way was always found to overcome any obstacle.
The effort of the team were rewarded with exceptional feedback from delegates and industry partners.
“Excellent venue and organisation”
“The programme, the speakers, all brought something different. The food was brilliant”
“The catering was wonderful”
“The humanity and kindness of the Scottish people and the organisers was delightful”