Sydney Australia, 30 August – 3 September 2009 - Countdown to WFUMB 2009 World Medical Ultrasound Congress

In the countdown to the WFUMB 2009 World Medical Ultrasound Congress, August 30 to September 3, 2009 we will be sending you regular e-Newsletters to keep you abreast of the latest news, remind you about deadlines for abstracts, registration and presentations and provide you useful tips for delegates from overseas traveling to Australia. Please send your email address to [e-mail] or go online to www.wfumb2009.com to register your interest in receiving these e-Newsletters.

We will also be giving you the latest news on our scientific program, profiles on keynote speakers and points of special interest.

The WFUMB 2009 World Congress in Sydney will be an amazing opportunity for delegates to network with colleagues from across the globe in one of the world's most beautiful settings - Sydney's Darling Harbor precinct.

This Congress, the most ambitious project ever taken on by the Australasian Society of Ultrasound Medicine (ASUM), will provide enormous scope for our participants' to "touch and feel" the latest in technology and to hear and discuss the latest innovations from our world-class presenters.

I am particularly pleased to acknowledge the support of our major sponsors Toshiba, GE Healthcare, Medison and Philips. I also appreciate the support from Business Events Sydney and the Department of State and Regional Development.

It is predicted that the world market for medical ultrasound systems is expected to continue with its healthy, rapid growth from $3.97 billion in 2006 to more than $4.5 billion by 2010. This will also be helped by the annual growth in the Asian market.

In Australia, we are also seeing an increase in ultrasound Medicare schedule items, consistent with the increasing recognition of ultrasound technology as a valuable and popular medical diagnostic and procedural tool. It has applications in nearly every aspect of medicine and this helps in saving lives and improving health worldwide.

ASUM has embarked on an active marketing strategy to promote and publicize this event worldwide so as to encourage and facilitate participation from as many international delegates as possible in this information and technology packed event.

It would be really helpful if EFSUMB members and friends of ASUM worldwide to help spread the word about the Congress, and to also refer to the website www.wfumb2009.com for ongoing updates and news. Also we need to encourage potential delegates to submit an abstract or poster, to exhibit, or to plan ahead to attend WFUMB 2009 to exchange ideas and information or simply to do business. The call for abstract will close on 28 November 2008. There are many prizes and awards available.

There is no doubt this will be a world class networking opportunity not to be missed.

The Congress will be held over five days from Saturday 30th August to Thursday 3rd September 2009 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

We are now opening the bookings of exhibition space to potential exhibitors from around the world. For enquiries about sponsorship and exhibition, please contact by email: [e-mail] or [e-mail]

I look forward to welcoming you to Sydney for the experience of a lifetime. Go to the website www.wfumb2009.com and you will find useful tips on just about anything you need to know about Sydney, Australia, tourist destinations and if you cannot find the answer to something you need to know just contact me at [e-mail] or any of the ASUM team at [e-mail] and we will make sure your questions are answered.

Dr Caroline Hong

BDS(Uni Adel) Grad Dip HA(SA) MHA(Uni NSW) AFCHSE CHE FADI FSAE FAICD

Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM), Email: [e-mail]