American College of Rheumatology Draws an Estimated 15,000 People and $17.3 Million to Atlanta
The ACR brings its 74th annual meeting to headquarter city
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Keywords for this press release: American College of Rheumatology, 74th Annual Scientific Meeting, rheumatologists, rheumatology health professionals, medical convention |
ATLANTA – The American College of Rheumatology's 74th Annual Scientific Meeting will bring an estimated 15,000 attendees and $17.3 million in economic impact to Atlanta this November.
The ACR is an Atlanta-based medical association with a mission of advancing rheumatology (the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other diseases of the joints, muscles and bones). The ACR provides professional education for its members through several venues, including its Annual Scientific Meeting. Held each fall, this is the premier scientific meeting devoted to rheumatic diseases, and it draws thousands of rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals from around the world to its host city each year.
"The ACR Annual Meeting Planning Committee focuses on providing opportunities to learn about innovative rheumatology research from the best and brightest in the field," says Joel Block, MD; professor of rheumatology at Rush University Medical Center and current ACR planning committee chair. "This year, we are excited to work with the city of Atlanta—the ACR's headquarter-city—to host the meeting, and we are confident that our attendees will not only benefit from the education and networking offered at our meeting, but they will enjoy spending time exploring Atlanta."
Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association's 100 Index Report recently named the ACR annual meeting one of the nation's top 100 bellwether medical conventions. The report listed the leading medical meetings in 74 different health care specialties and ranked the ACR annual meeting the 25th largest medical convention in the U.S.
"Medical conventions are among the most sought after segments in the meetings market," explains William Pate, president of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Health care conventions like the American College of Rheumatology's help to stimulate our local economy through attendee spending at hotels, restaurants and transportation."
Nearly 50 million adults, and 300,000 children, in the United States suffer from arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. And, these diseases are the number one cause of disability in the United States. There are more than 100 rheumatic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and gout. Rheumatologists are the only specialists trained to effectively diagnose and manage these diseases, and the ACR's Annual Scientific Meeting provides an opportunity for researchers and clinicians to learn about new research and technology that improves quality of care.
The ACR's Annual Scientific Meeting will be held November 6 – 11 at the Georgia World Congress Center. For more information about the meeting, visit www.rheumatology.org/education, and follow the meeting on twitter by using the official hashtag: #ACR2010.
The American College of Rheumatology is an international professional medical society that represents more than 8,000 rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals around the world. Its mission is to advance rheumatology. For more information about the ACR, visit www.rheumatology.org.
