Over 560 registrants from 32 countries engaged for the groundbreaking conference, IPSSV2020: A Virtual Experience. We knew things would look different this year not being face-to-face but our meeting organizing committee, board and staff went the extra mile to ensure the core elements that make up IPSS remained the same. We also made strategic adjustments to the virtual conference agenda and pricing to ensure it was affordable and accessible to our global community.
Because of these efforts we set a new record for attendance at an IPSS event hosting 240 more attendees than last year and welcoming 280 first-time attendees. We accomplished this in the middle of a pandemic, ongoing budget and funding cuts and travel restrictions. WE DID IT and we should be PROUD! This is a true testament to everyone’s commitment to IPSS and the need for our resilient community to come together to learn from each other, offer support and grow.
IPSSV2020 attendees were more diverse geographically and in their roles in simulation, including trainees and students. As always, the IPSS conference remained one of the high points of the society’s annual activities with important sharing of content, opportunities for networking/ collaboration, and just plain old fun!
The program featured over 130 sessions with renowned global experts presenting scientific work in themed learning tracks, interactive and collaborative workshops, engaging poster sessions and technology demos. If you weren’t able to attend, watch your inbox for more details about purchasing access to content.
During IPSSV2020 and throughout the year, we have opportunities to find connections within our IPSS community, to grow, and to bring others into the community during this time where we are physically apart. Often the IPSS conference is the catalyst for a new project or idea. In 2021, we have plans to provide even more content and opportunities to connect virtually throughout the year. Being a member is valuable and ensuring all multidisciplinary views are heard encourages a shared focus on our goals, providing an avenue for both collective learning and innovation.
Thank you for your commitment to IPSSV and embracing this change. We want to celebrate the continued growth and collaboration of this community and success of IPSS…together we strive to improve the care of our patients and the practices of our members around the world.