Ireland’s Healthy Venue to host the International Congress on Obesity
DUBLIN – 24 January 2018 – The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) will welcome the European/International Congress on Obesity (ECO/ICO) in May 2020, securing the conference just six months after it was awarded a Silver Healthy Venue accreditation by the World Obesity Federation.
The CCD, the second venue in the world to become a Silver Healthy Venue, worked in partnership with Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Convention Bureau, the Association for the Study of Obesity Ireland (ASOI) and conference ambassador Dr. Grace O’Malley to bid for and win the International Congress on Obesity for Ireland. The conference is expected to deliver €3.2 million for the local Irish economy.
Euan Woodward, Executive Director of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) commented, “This is a rare opportunity to gather obesity specialists for all over the world, to debate the key issues in our field and develop solutions to one of the most important and pressing global health challenges. Our Irish colleagues presented a dynamic bid, supported by many local and national stakeholders, which made the decision to award the congress to Dublin an easy one. We anticipate major developments in our field over the next few years, and look forward to facilitating global collaboration in Dublin in 2020.”
Welcoming the news, Stephen Meehan, CEO of The CCD commented, “We are excited to host this conference after working closely with the EASO and World Obesity Federation to ensure we met the criteria and we look forward to offering healthy and active choices for attendees in May 2020.”
The four-day conference, which looks set to attract up to 2,000 delegates to Dublin city, will take place in early summer 2020, bringing together EASO and the World Obesity Federation, for the first time. ECO/ICO 2020 represents an excellent opportunity to promote obesity research, education and management in Ireland.
ENDS
Press Contact
Suzanne McGann
Head of Marketing & Communications
Email: suzanne.mcgann@theccd.ie
About The CCD
The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) opened in September 2010 and is Ireland’s only purpose-built international convention centre. Located in the heart of Dublin city, just 15 minutes from Dublin Airport, The CCD has won a total of 37 industry awards since opening including ‘World's Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2017’ at the World Travel Awards.
About the World Obesity Federation
The World Obesity Federation represents professional members of the scientific, medical and research communities from over 50 regional and national obesity associations who are committed to solving the problems of obesity. Its mission is to lead and drive global efforts to reduce, prevent and treat obesity. For more information, visit www.worldobesity.org
About the Healthy Venues Accreditation
The Silver Healthy Venue award acknowledges venues that have taken concrete steps to support healthy eating and physical activity to help minimise some of the potentially negative health impacts of conference-going. The World Obesity Federation and Healthy Venues look holistically at the attendee experience, from healthier coffee breaks through to encouraging use of stairs and standing space in meetings.