It is our pleasure to welcome you, on behalf of the Board of the European Society of Retina Specialists, to the 18th EURETINA Congress in Vienna.
The success of the annual congress has been well documented in its 18-year history. From a meeting of only 200 delegates in 2001, EURETINA today hosts over 5000 delegates, making it the largest retina congress in the world.
The society’s contribution to education has increased in recent years with the introduction of a successful observership scheme and an online education program. The newly designed website has become an educational hub for doctors, with a CME accredited e-learning platform (EURETINA inSight), an electronic newsletter (EURETINA Brief), and the newly launched EURETINA Player, which showcases recorded expert interviews and panel discussions. EURETINA will this year also invest in research with the development of a retinal clinical research funding initiative to offer grant opportunities to successful candidates from across Europe.
Furthermore, in light of the tremendous growth of the annual congress, the Board has taken time to assess the environmental impact associated with an event of this scope. We have made a commitment this year to reduce waste, lower carbon emissions, and use sustainably and ethically-sourced congress materials. These include biodegradable delegate bags and recycled paper and lanyards.
The success of the EURETINA Congress is a culmination of the efforts of each chairperson, speaker and delegate, who has travelled to be here today. On behalf of the Board I extend my sincere gratitude to each of you and wish you a rewarding congress and a pleasant stay in the City of Music!