03/09/2019
We Love Having Guests
ČSH
Yes, we do, and we also immodestly believe that the Czech Hemophilia Society can be an excellent host. This belief is justified by the memory of 2012, when Prague became the main European city for people with hemophilia. It hosted the regular conference, a flagship event of the European Haemophilia Consortium, and for a long time afterwards, representatives of the society could hear very positive feedback on the international stage. But that is the past, and one cannot live on the past alone — we must look to the future. For instance — why couldn't the city of a hundred spires also become the world capital of hemophilia? That would require organizing the WFH World Congress. The nearest available date is 2024, and that is precisely what the society's plan is targeting.
World-class congresses are always held in even-numbered years, and the society would like to get on the WFH calendar. It has already submitted its first bid, and encouragingly, the Czech Republic became one of the semi-finalists among the candidates, ultimately competing against Madrid, Jerusalem, and Marseille. After on-site inspections, the two best bids will be selected, and the final verdict will come from a vote of member countries next year at the summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
What does such a candidacy involve? Preparing the conditions for a congress of eight thousand delegates from around the world, primarily organizing a professional scientific and social programme. It is necessary to find a suitable venue, and in our country, for capacity reasons, only two alternatives come into consideration in the capital. Either the not-yet-completed O2 Universum congress centre in the immediate vicinity of the O2 Arena, or the long-established Congress Centre in Pankrác. The latter is facing a major renovation in the near future.
The society worked closely on the bid with O2 Universum and Prague Convention Bureau, which handles such matters. It has already secured the patronage of Health Minister Adam Vojtěch, support from Prague City Hall in the form of a promised subsidy for public transport tickets, and other benefits.
The society is intensively preparing for all negotiations. It has established a preparatory committee whose members include current board members and some former council members.
The opportunity to organize such a massive event brings not only great prestige but also a financial benefit. The society still benefits from its share of the proceeds from the European conference seven years ago, and from a global gathering it could gain even more. This also opens an opportunity for young members to serve as volunteers during the event, establishing valuable international contacts. At the right moment, the board will issue a call to get involved and enter the world of international life.
At this point, the die is cast, and further progress will depend on the WFH Presidium's consideration. The preparatory committee will enter the game intensively again when the evaluation commission arrives in Prague, and then especially in the role of defending the candidacy at the WFH conference next year in Southeast Asia. There, it will have to make a great effort to convince everyone that Prague is the best choice in the world for 2024.