CASE STUDY ESTRO 2021, MADRID, AUGUST 27-30, 2021
“ARTICULATE YOUR VISION – NOT YOUR MISSION” areas we needed to focus on were patient awareness about the need for treatment
The European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) helped persuade the Spanish government to invest €700m in a rollout of life-saving radiotherapy machines after launching a public-awareness campaign at its 2021 Congress in Madrid. ESTRO cited legacy when asking destinations to bid for the congress - weighting it at 60 per cent, with the balance (40 per cent) based on logistical requirements. Madrid Convention Bureau (MCB) – which employs its own Congress Legacy Manager- won the bid. Part of the legacy project involved building a website, in association with the Spanish Society for Radiation Oncology, aimed at removing the fear of the unknown from this type of treatment. MCB funded the project, which included inspirational ‘success’ stories from celebrities, who had recovered from cancer after having radiation treatment. Alessandro Cortese, ESTRO executive director, explained: “The two main
to achieve the best possible outcomes and achieve meaningful societal change. But associations shouldn’t
and the uneven distribution of radiotherapy equipment across the country. We thought it would be wiser to focus on the outreach, given the situation with Covid, and we learned, during the process, that our communications led to the decision by the private- public partnership in Spain to raise a very substantial budget, around €700m, to equip those areas of
get confused between outcomes and legacy.
“When we speak about outcomes we speak about patient outcomes, patients that survive or have the best possible treatment. When we speak about legacy, we speak about the structural resources that remain once the congress is done and finished.” Cortese conceded
ALESSANDRO CORTESE ESTRO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
the country that weren’t equipped. That went beyond our wildest dreams when we started the process.” Cortese said legacy was now understood by a ‘relatively large group’ of ‘early adopters’ and hoped that the next step would be a ‘massive adoption’ by the whole industry. He said associations and destinations should work together on legacy projects
that not all associations would have such a clear-cut legacy objective, but added: “There is one rule we can all use when it comes to legacy, and that is to articulate your vision, not your mission. That is where everyone should start. And realising that it’s about pushing beyond your membership to wider society.” Additional reporting by James Latham. The Iceberg.
AMIMAGAZINE.GLOBAL 2022 #1 19
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker