RCOG World Congress. Birmingham and the International Convention Centre (ICC) have won the international bid to host the annual Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) World Congress in 2016. The three-day international conference is expected to bring more than 2,000 delegates, speakers and exhibitors to the region from nearly 70 countries, boosting the local visitor economy by £2.8 million. Meet Birmingham, the city’s official business tourism programme, played a key role in securing the prestigious congress with support from the ICC, which will host the event from 20-22 June 2016.
The RCOG educates and trains members in the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. The college has 12,500 fellows and members across the world, with representation from all six continents. Ahead of the event in Birmingham in 2016, the annual congress will take place in Hyderabad, India and Brisbane, Australia.
Lynn Whitley, Director of Meetings at RCOG said: “The superb facilities at the ICC, the large choice of nearby hotels and the vibrancy of its city centre were absolutely key to our decision to award the 2016 event to Birmingham.
“Our World Congress continues to grow with a record number of registrations received for this year’s event. The impressive changes currently being made to Birmingham’s transport links, coupled with the city’s convenient central location in the UK, promises to attract even more delegates in three years’ time.”
By 2016, RCOG delegates will be able to benefit from Birmingham’s revamped New Street station, with a new concourse three and a half times bigger than at present and more accessible, brighter platforms. Meanwhile, Birmingham Airport’s new runway extension project, to be completed in 2014, will allow visitors to arrive in the city from destinations as far afield as the West Coast of the USA, China and South Africa.
