Published online: 7 July 2010 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Letter of Invitation from Dr. Fobi On behalf of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, which is hosting this IFSO XV Congress, it is my honor and that of the Co-President of this Congress, Dr Henry Buchwald, to welcome you to Los Angeles/Long Beach for IFSO 2010. The expectations for this Los Angeles/Long Beach Congress are high. Yes, it is the Fobi Congress. Yes, it is where the first international Symposium on Surgical Treatment of Obesity was hosted from 1981 through 1991. Yes, it was The International Symposium on Surgical Treatment of Obesity that brought doctors from all over the world to share their experiences in bariatric surgery. Yes, it was this International Symposium that formed the international camaraderie which was the building base for IFSO. IFSO, since its inception in 1995 in Stockholm, has grown by leaps and bounds. The first Congress in 1996 had 265 attendees, and IFSO 2009 had 1550 attendees. We are planning for 2000 attendees in 2010. The national organizing committee has been working on the program,’ and there have been a lot of suggestions from many on what will make this Congress a must attend’ and the most talked about. The plan is to stage a high quality Congress that is affordable and meets the needs of all attendees. In addition to the posters, videos and paper sessions that will come from abstracts submitted, there will be master lectures, symposiums and roundtable panel discussions and debates. There are post-graduate courses planned on what to do, how to do it and why. There will be time for questions and interactions. Last, and most relevant, attendees will be able to earn CME credits. The treat of this Congress is the Congress dates. It starts on a Friday and ends on a Tuesday. This allows for midweek travel for the cheaper air fares. It also permits attendees to take advantage and visit the many interesting sites in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area before and after the Congress. Los Angeles/Long Beach has representative communities from all over the world. The great restaurants reflect this diversity and allow for the adventurers and the conservatives when it comes to food choices. Disneyland, Universal studios, Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Boulevard, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Huntington Beach, Knoxberry Farm and various museums are within a 20- mile radius. The Los Angeles fair and the Orange county fairs will also be open. We encourage you to bring the family because there is a lot they can do. You are as far west as you can go in mainland USA. This may be the opportunity to visit San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite Park, Alaska, Washington State, Oregon and even Hawaii before or after the Congress. Save the dates, and we hope to see you at IFSO 2010 From Harry Frydenberg President IFSO It is with great pride, and a little nostalgia, that I invite you to attend the IFSO XV World Congress in Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, 3-7 September 2010. As you can see in Dr. Mal Fobi’s introduction, there has been a longstanding association between California and Obesity Surgery. With the passing years, the field of Bariatric, and now Metabolic, Surgery has grown exponentially to the point of not only acceptance by our surgical colleagues and the public at large, but leads in the area of upper gastrointestinal surgery, with evidence of long- term reduction in mortality, improvement and, in so many cases, resolution of significant life-threatening comorbidities. It is at our Scientific meetings that we all get an opportunity to present and hear the results of our endeavours, be they in the field of scientific research, clinical practice or new developments in technology, as seen recently by the use of Robotics in Bariatric Centres. IFSO brings together Surgeons and Allied Health Professionals from around the globe, each geographical area represented by a regional Chapter and each Chapter catering to the differences in demographics and the differences in the nature of metabolic disorders associated within these diverse populations. So take this opportunity to enjoy intellectual stimulation and peer group camaraderie, together with an active social program, all in a beautiful environment and a warm climate. Looking forward to greeting you all at IFSO 2010. Warmest regards, Harry Frydenberg President IFSO QUICK REFERENCE LOCATION SOCIAL EVENTS Long Beach Convention Center Saturday September 4 300 East Ocean Boulevard ASMBS FOUNDATION WALK FROM OBESITY Long Beach, CA 90802-4825 7:00 am – 9:00 am 562.436.3636 Sunday, September 5 CONTACT OPENING CEREMONY AND RECEPTION ASMBS 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm 100 SW 75th Street, Suite 201 Gainesville, FL 32607 USA Monday, September 6 P: 352.331.4900 F: 352.331.4975 CLOSING GALA www.ifso2010.org 7:00 pm – 12:00 am IFSO EXECUTIVE 2009-2010 President Harry Frydenberg (Australia) President-Elect Karl Miller (Austria) Immediate Past President MAL Fobi (USA) Senior Past President Rafael Alvarez-Cordero (Mexico) Secretary/Treasurer Luigi Angrisani (Italy) Chair, Board of Trustees Martin Fried (Czech Republic) IFSO Honorary Presidents Nicola Scopinaro (Italy) John Baker (USA) ASMBS President IFSO 2010 Co-Presidents MAL Fobi (USA) Henry Buchwald (USA) IFSO Historian George Cowan ((USA) ASMBS Representative Kelvin Higa (USA) European Chapter Representative Antonio Jose Torres (Spain) Latin-American Chapter Representative Luis Ibanez (Chile) Asia-Pacific Chapter Representative Sanjay Borude (India) Executive Director OBESITY SURGERY Journal Co-Editors Nicola Scopinaro (Italy) Henry Buchwald (USA) Secretariat: Ngwebifor Fobi, Khagen Consulting (USA) LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE President of the Congress Mathias Fobi Co-President of the Congress Henry Buchwald Co-Chair, Scientific Committee Eric DeMaria Co-Chair, Scientific Committee Phillip Schauer Co-Chair, Scientific Committee Scott Shikora Co-Chair, Health Integrated Session William Gourash Co-Chair, Latin America Post Graduate Course Luis Ibanez CONGRESS SECRETARIAT ASMBS Secretariat Patricia Watson Kristie Kaufman GENERAL INFORMATION CONGRESS VENUE The 15th World Congress of IFSO 2010 will be held September 3-7, 2010, at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center (300 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, California, USA) LANGUAGE The official language of the congress will be English, with translation available. LETTER OF INVITATION Upon request, the Organizing Committee will send an invitation to participate in the congress. Such invitation does not imply any commitment on the part of the organizers to provide financial support. PASSPORTS AND VISA If you are traveling from outside the United States, please visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (http://www.dhs.gov) to apply for your travel authorization. *Please submit your own application and do not apply through a third party site. If your application is not correct you may be denied entry by U.S. Customs. CLIMATE AND CLOTHING The weather in Long Beach in summer is warm and sunny with high temperatures ranging from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21˚C) and low temperatures averaging 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13˚C). Jackets and sweaters are recommended, particularly in the evenings. CURRENCY The national monetary unit in the United States is the U.S. Dollar. Exchange facilities are available at the airport, major hotels, and exchange agencies. ELECTRICITY Electricity in United States/USA is 120 volts, alternating at 60 cycles per second. If you travel to the United States of America/USA with a device that does not accept 120 vVolts at 60 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter. Please see our web site for important information. LIABILITY IFSO2010 Management hereby assumes no liability for any claims, personal injury or damage that may arise out of the 15th World Congress of the IFSO. EXHIBIT AREA The Commercial Exhibition will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center – Hall A. Interested companies should contact the Congress Secretariat: ASMBS Secretariat: [email protected] LODGING HYATT REGENCY LONG BEACH – Conference Hotel Headquarters 200 South Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802 1-800-633-7313 (Refer to code ASMBS) Room Rate: $159.00 THE WESTIN LONG BEACH HOTEL 333 East Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802 1-800-937-8461 Room Rate: $179.00 RENAISSANCE LONG BEACH HOTEL 111 East Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802 Phone: 1-800-627-7468 (Refer to code ASMASA) Room Rate: $179.00 LONG BEACH There is always something special in Long Beach. Discover the city's best-known attractions, which range from a historic ocean liner to a state-of-the-art aquarium. Then check out the city's other rare and unique treasures, from the Museum of Latin American Art to the Tallships in Rainbow Harbor. You will find a wealth of shopping experiences from one-of-a-kind boutiques to popular Southern California shops ABOUT LONG BEACH Long Beach, California is a beautiful city that includes one of the nation's busiest ports and largest marina docking everything from the tiny sabot sailboat invented here, to the historic Queen Mary Ship and huge freighters from around the world! PLACES OF INTEREST Aquarium of the Pacific 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach. 562.590.3100. Its 17 major tanks and 30 smaller tanks can be taken in an afternoon, and along the way there are some amazing specimen to be found in an ocean of more than 12,000 species. There is an iridescent jellyfish exhibit, a rare dragonfish that has to be seen to believe, and an array of toothy mammals in the Shark Lagoon, where one can get up close and personal with the feared predators. The Queen Mary The hotel’s 314 original staterooms span three decks and include eight full suites. Each cabin is uniquely appointed, and embellishments vary to include rich wood paneling; Art Deco built-ins; original artwork; and, portholes for outside cabins.