It is with a great deal of excitement that I ask you to mark your calendars and clear your diaries for this year’s Annual ASAPS Conference. This will be the 38th Annual Meeting or our Society and we will be gathering at the Sydney Hilton between the 22nd and 25th of October.

The 38th Annual Meeting of the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery will be held at the Hilton Sydney, 22-25 October 2015. 

Sydney is Australia’s largest and one of our most famous cities. It is home to beautiful beaches, iconic buildings, historic landmarks, award-winning restaurants, and a vibrant culture. From the breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour to the serene tranquility of Hyde Park, Sydney has something for everyone. It has a sunny and vibrant buzz that makes it the ultimate destination. Be prepared to love every second of your time in Sydney.  

The focus

This meeting will be different from 2014. In Hobart there was a strong business focus. In 2015 year we will work with the strengths of our keynotes, Dr James Grotting, Dr Joseph Hunstad and Dr Michael Edwards. We will discuss body-contouring, breast and facial plastic surgery. We look forward to enhancing the program again with substantial local content. 

The feel

We will once again have an adult and business feel to the conference. Expect luxurious and exciting social functions that are out of the ordinary. The Production House Events will again coordinate the meeting with Suzane Ali and we have all come to expect outstanding events and seamless organisation associated with this combination. 

The plenaries

The clinical sessions will include a return to increased local content and a strong practice management element. 

International Speakers

Dr James Grotting from Alabama USA will be the current present President of ASAPS (US). Dr Grotting is editor of a current text on revisionary breast surgery and presents extensively on facial plastic surgery. 

Dr Joseph Hunstad will be joining us from North Carolina USA. He has extensive experience particularly with body contouring and will present on this and other topics. 

Local contributions

There is a vast amount of experience and knowledge hidden within our practices. 

I ask all of you to consider bringing your game face and submitting abstracts for presentation. 

There are 2 straightforward formats that can be utilised for those uncertain about how to start presenting: 

1      5 or 10 in a row (10 mins) 

2      Petcha Kutcha. 

After an entertaining and dynamic introduction in Port Douglas and a successful return in Hobart, Petcha Kutcha is back in our Short Talks on Cosmetic Surgery (SToCS) session. 20 slides in 20 second autoforward (6 mins 40 second duration). We can give you more guidance on this presentation technique however these session have become both entertaining and informative. Hold on tight, it moves fast!

I would also ask you to approach me personally if you have a special presentation that won’t fit this format which will potentially enhance the topics our guests are presenting. We are under scrutiny with so many International Guests so lets be Best in Show.

Practice Managers sessions

The practice management sessions will involve time combined with the plenaries and separate sessions specifically designed for your staff. 

This year we are outsourcing elements of the PM program to create a program that is unattainable for most individual clinics. We are creating a highly Professional Development Workshop for your managers in areas such as leadership and sales. There will be other sessions in areas such as Social Media.

Those who attended last year were taken a little unawares by the quality and intensity of the practice management sessions that we delivered for you. Many members were heard to comment wistfully with regards to not bringing their staff to take advantage of the valuable sessions. Don’t be taken by surprise again, we will have some unique offerings for you and an excellent program, so invest in your team and educate your practice staff. 

ISAPS Symposium: Fat Grafting

On the day prior to the meeting, we have successfully partnered with ISAPS to deliver the first ISAPS Symposium at the ASAPS Annual Conference. The focus is fat grafting.

On the 22nd there will be having a full day ISAPS Sponsored Symposium on fat grafting. 4 international experts in the field starting with the history and biology of fat and fat derived stem cells. The course will then move onto the technical aspects of harvest and then the art of use. 

The speakers for the ISAPS Symposium include Kotaro Yoshimura (Japan), Ewa Siolo (South Africa), Raphael Sinna (France) and Nimrod Friedman (Israel). 

Special Guests

Dr Michael Edwards is likely to be joining us from Las Vegas USA. He is the immediate Past President of ASAPS (US) and was instrumental with Scott Ingram and Tim Papadopoulos in creating the new membership category for ANZ ASAPS members to join US ASAPS. Dr Edwards is sought after for his contributions to revisionary breast surgery especially. He will talk to this topic for us.

Peter Scott is the current ISAPS Chairman of National Secretaries. He will be attending the symposium and all of the ISAPS speakers are joining the faculty and contributing to the sessions in the Annual ASAPS Conference, bring the number of International Guests to 9. 

Clinical Photography Masterclass

The Clinical Photography Masterclass was expanded and finessed in 2014. The photography masterclass covers the techniques, technology and procedures of effective and reproducible practice photography. The recreational workshop in Sydney with the latest Leica cameras and lenses will be hosted by Leica lecturer Woodrow Wilson. This workshop is not exclusively for surgeons. In 2014 Dr Michael Scheflan’s daughters produced some marvellous images during the recreational sessions in Hobart. 

We hope you all take advantage of the strong practice management program and bring your staff. 

We look forward to welcoming you to Sydney in October. 

Dr Mark Magnusson

ASAPS Chairman of Education & Vice-President

Dr John Newton

38th Annual ASAPS Meeting Local Convenor