The first ILS World Water Safety Conference will be held on 27, 28 and 29 September 2007 in Porto, Portugal.
World Water Safety 2007 follows on the resounding success of the World Congress on Drowning 2002 in Amsterdam and the ILS International Medical Rescue Conference in 1997 in San Diego.
The first ILS World Water Safety Conference will be held on 27, 28 and 29 September 2007 in Porto, Portugal.
World Water Safety 2007 follows on the resounding success of the World Congress on Drowning 2002 in Amsterdam and the ILS International Medical Rescue Conference in 1997 in San Diego.
Experts in all aspects of water safety and a worldwide audience will be in attendance. World Water Safety 2007, like its predecessors, will be designed for those with an interest in exchanging information globally on the latest developments in prevention, rescue, and treatment of drowning and other aquatic injuries.
The hosts of World Water Safety 2007 are the Instituto de Socorros a Náufragos (ISN) and the Associação de Nadadores Salvadores (ASNASA), both member federations of ILS.
Norman Farmer, Chair of the ILS Education Committee travelled to Porto to meet with the World Water Safety 2007 Conference organisers to determine the progress to date. The following is a summary of the key points of his report.
The Host Hotel for the ILS Meetings is Le Meridien Hotel. This hotel is of 5star standard. The rooms are of a high standard with mini bar and internet access. There are sufficient meeting rooms to accommodate all ILS meetings.
The Sheraton Hotel is at 150m walking distance from Le Meridien Hotel. In reality the hotels are separated by a street.
The Tryp Hotel, a 3 star venue, is situated adjacent the Exponor exhibition and conference centre and is ideal for those attending the conference on an average budget.
ISN-ASNASA has also sourced a local caravan park with cabins and lower cost housing based accommodation that will be offered up to those from developing nations seeking supported accommodation.
The Conference will take place in the convention centre Exponor. Exponor is a huge centre and will easily cater for WWS2007. The exhibition halls and food outlets are located on the ground floor with the Conference rooms on the first level.
There is a 1,000 seat auditorium that can be divided in two and that has the pre-requisite audio-visual equipment. The auditorium has 6 specialist interpreter rooms. In addition are 6 conference rooms plus 3 breakout rooms.
There is a large central reception hall (approx. 500m²) in the middle of the conference rooms on the first level in which a poster display can be mounted and also in which a “humanitarian display can be mounted.
WWS 2007 has the opportunity to offer through third party organisations a range of Pre-Conference training courses that may include first aid, AED, CPR, etc.
It is also proposed to have the exhibition booths on the ground floor where people will be for food and beverage and congregate during breaks.
Conference registration will be at the Exponor on Wednesday, 26 September. A registration table will also be established at Le Meridien for those ILS representatives attending the ILS Strategic Planning session that same day. At the occasion of the WWS 2007 a Conference Dinner will be held and ISN-ASNASA is also planning to have rescue demonstrations two of which recreate past occurrences.
The website – www.worldwatersafety.org – will be used for regular news items such as signing of sponsors, securing profile speakers, venue for the conference dinner, special tours, other functions, special topics to be presented and the like.
For information on the beautiful city of Porto and surroundings, please also see: http://portugal-info.net/costaverde/porto.htm
The organisation will support representatives from Developing Nations to attend WWS 2007 conference with the following incentives:
- Reduced cost accommodation will be made available.
- Reduced registration costs.
ISN-ASNASA has already commenced a support programme for Portuguese speaking countries which while targeted should also be seen fairly as support for other ILS Developing Nations.