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Convention Center
books 2002
scientific conference
A new American Heart
By Russ Lynch
Association event will debut
here, and may return annually
Star-BulletinA first for the American Heart Association, a scientific conference aimed at Asia-Pacific audiences, will be held at the Hawaii Convention Center in April 2002.
State and tourism officials say initial expectations are for about 1,000 participants although they say that is a conservative estimate. But industry officials say the numbers are not as important as what such meetings can achieve in establishing Hawaii as a venue for serious international conventions.
If it is a success, it will become an annual event at least through 2005 and tentative bookings have been made for those dates, the AHA said.
Dan Weisman, a spokesman for the American Heart Association of Hawaii, said today that the AHA's main annual scientific meetings attract around 30,000 participants and as many as 1,500 specialty journalists. In the past several years, an increasing number of the participants -- and the medical and technical papers presented -- have come from the Asia-Pacific area, especially Japan, he said.
"Our local volunteers started working on the idea (of a separate Asia-Pacific conference) a couple of years ago," Weisman said.
"We hope it will focus on problems specific to the Asia-Pacific countries, but others too," he said.
The AHA committed to one year, 2002, with an option for three additional years. The meeting will discuss findings of the latest research in cardiovascular diseases and related problems.
Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono and cardiologist William M. Dang Jr., president of the AHA of Hawaii, were to announce the plans with Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau representatives at a news conference today at the convention center.
Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau
