City News

Collaboration by experts at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the International Convention Centre have led to the city being named host to an international medical conference.

The Society for the Study of Inborn Errors in Metabolism (SSIEM) will hold its 2012 convention at The ICC following a bid between the venue and medical specialists at the hospital.

Expected to attract 1,500 delegates the event, with a packed scientific programme, will feature speakers from as far as New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

Dr Chris Hendriksz, Consultant in Clinical Inherited Metabolic Disorders at Birmingham Children’s Hospital worked closely with the team at The ICC to put forward the bid.

He said: “I had not been able to bid for the conference previously because I did not think there was anywhere impressive enough to host such an important symposium.

“The ICC team helped me every step of the way with the bid process, and once they showed me the facilities on offer at the venue, I knew hosting the symposium in Birmingham would not only be a great showcase for the city but also the work that we do.

“Without the help, support and award-winning facilities of The ICC we would not have been able to bring this prestigious international conference to Birmingham.”

Catherine Newhall-Caiger, Director of International Sales at The ICC, said: “I am extremely pleased that we have been able to contribute our expertise and support Birmingham Children’s Hospital in securing this prominent conference. 

“As a venue, we have the capacity to stage impeccable conferences that help in reflecting our clients’ core values, and we are now looking forward to working with Dr Hendriksz over the next three years to ensure that his vision of the conference becomes a reality.”