EDITORIAL

Thirty-six years of BSAVA Congresses A RECENT demographic survey by the British Veterinary Association showed that the majority of the veterinary profession was under 40 years old. So it’s a fair bet that many BSAVA Congress goers would not have been born when our first Congress took its early steps towards, now fully deserved, world fame. That it has reached such a stage is due to the enthusiasm and youthful vigour of the delegates who demand and get the best possible scientific sessions with speakers of the utmost class. It may not be realised by many readers just how fortunate we are, for in the UK each year we hold a Congress which is equal in size to the World Small Animal Veterinary Asso- ciation Congress - a remarkable feat. This is repeated each year as a matter of course by Frances Barr and her excellent programme com- mittee. Next year the programme is exceptionally strong featuring world class speakers.

The second component of Congress which gives us world standing is the commercial exhi- bition. There is no doubt that the dedication shown by the exhibitors contributes hugely to Congress. Their enthusiasm is shown by the innovation and originality of their stands and I can vouch for their dedication having spent short periods on a stand promoting our own Congress - three days of standing, talking, welcoming and high powered technical discussion is dedication bordering on saintliness in my book!

There are about 1000 black badge delegates who attend Congress each year, indeed some of them have grown up with Congress seeing

generation after generation of veterinary surgeons being produced. These are old friends who socialise with us in the evenings and whose com- panies greatly assist the profession with their sponsorship of many facets of Congress.

In 1993 140 stands are expected by Craig Harri- son in the exhibition hall of the International Convention Centre in Birmingham where it seems that the Congress could not have a more perfect home.

There is a new dynamo this year at the heart of the social programme. Jane Barwick-Nicholson has been working hard at getting the right blend of enjoyment for the delegates after the day’s pro- gramme. The informal disco will this year incor- porate a meal and take place at Bobby Browns, an upmarket club just over the road from the con- ference centre; also, for those who like to make their own entertainment, the Congress Club will become a folk club each evening. There will be a group to get the evening going but we hope that many delegates will bring along their guitars, Northumbrian pipes, spoons, etc, and settle down to an evening of fun and homemade enter- tainment. The highly successful Friday night concert and the President’s evening will follow a similar, but I hope better, format.

The complete Congress pack will be circulated to all BSAVA members in January. April 1 to 4, 1993 is the date. See you in Birmingham.

DAVID WADSWORTH Congress Chairman

1 Correction

THIS month’s issue includes a reprint of an article which appeared in the October special issue on neurology. Figures 2, 3, 4, and 8 were incorrectly positioned in the original article. The error is regretted.

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