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 Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Louise Asher, announced the 19th Congress of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) 2015 will be hosted in Melbourne.
The Congress, which is expected to attract more than 800 delegates from across the globe to the city over five days, will generate an estimated AUD $3.8 million in economic impact for the state of Victoria.
Minister Asher said the host organisation of the major annual event, the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology, had chosen Melbourne over competition from New Delhi.
“Melbourne was recently officially ranked by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) as the number one city in Australia for international congresses and conventions, and many major international associations have Melbourne on their list as a first choice destination to host their next major event.”
“The city’s major events capabilities and global reputation as an outstanding business events destination assisted significantly in securing the bid for Melbourne which was led by the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau,” she said.
Minister Asher said that in addition to Melbourne’s reputation as a city that stages world-class events and conferences, Victoria’s reputation as a science and medical research hub was also a major catalyst in attracting the Congress to the city.
“Victoria is a leading state in medical research and innovation and the work of Victorian researchers in the field of mycology has led international studies. This includes work by Dr Orla Morrissey from the Alfred Hospital and Monash University and Professor Monica Slavin from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, who have recently led a team of medical researchers to improve the management of invasive aspergillosis (a life-threatening infection due to the Aspergillus fungus) in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation and treatment of acute leukaemia.
Associate Professor Wieland Meyer of local host organisation The Australian and New Zealand Mycoses Interest Group (ANZMIG) said the Congress is expected to enhance collaborations between Australian mycologists, clinicians and researchers across the globe.
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