Blenheim, host to the RANZCO NZ 2022 branch meeting

On behalf of the organising committee, I am pleased to invite and welcome you to the 2022 RANZCO New Zealand Branch Annual Scientific Meeting and the New Zealand Ophthalmic Nurses Group Meeting, on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 April, with the registrar programme held on Thursday 21 April.

The meetings will be held in the ASB Theatre and the Marlborough Events Centre, both attractive venues in beautiful Blenheim at the top of Te Waipounamu. The venues are almost custom designed to provide for the two meetings running side-by-side if Covid red light settings continue and require both delegate groups to be physically separated! The plenary and concurrent sessions will be held in the ASB Theatre if we are at the orange setting, with live streaming for all sessions taking place between the two side-by-side venues in the red setting. Virtual attendance is available throughout for those who choose not to attend in person. We have planned for all the different scenarios, while still hoping we will be able to use the entire site together.

The theme for this year’s scientific meeting is ‘Adaptability in Changing Times’, which seems increasingly appropriate, and covers a wide range of interesting clinical and organisational topics to help us provide a better service to our patients. Our fabulous keynote speakers are: Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, who will speak on Covid and the eye, glaucoma and neuro ophthalmology, and give the Dorothy Potter Lecture on ‘Gender equality’; Dr Rachael Niederer, who will cover cystoid macular oedema, postoperative uveitis, uveitis treatment escalation and Herpes zoster ophthalmicus; Sydney-based Associate Professor Samantha Fraser-Bell, who will be discussing new treatments for AMD and retinovascular disease, diabetic macular oedema, retinal vein occlusion and atrophy in patients with AMD receiving treatment; and Associate Professor Bruce Hadden, who will give the John Parr Medal Lecture on Professor Parr and his predecessors.

The interruption of many in-person conferences due to the pandemic has meant we have been starved of opportunities to meet as a group. Hopefully this will be our first opportunity to network face-to-face since last year’s RANZCO NZ and ophthalmic nurse meetings. The prospect of a long ANZAC weekend to enjoy time amongst the autumnal vines, cruise the Marlborough sounds, sample the local fare, or walk the hills and valleys with colleagues or friends and family, as well as top up your professional knowledge is a chance not to be missed! Blenheim regularly logs the most sunshine hours per annum in the country and hopefully will live up to expectations.

As usual, the meeting will have an associated exhibition area to give you the opportunity to explore the latest industry offerings. We are very grateful for the ongoing support and sponsorship of our local ophthalmic companies, which are vital to the success of the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you in Blenheim!

For all the programme and registration details, visit https://ranzco.edu/events/new-zealand-branch-annual-scientific-meeting-5/

Dr Suter