30th Regional Congress of the ISBT

Blood transfusion in 21st century is about the safest blood, high quality and standardization. It is our pleasure to host the 30th Regional Congress of the ISBT in Bangkok during 16th to 19th November 2019 and we are very pleased to have the opportunity to invite all delegates for bringing together and sharing research, new thought, quality and innovation in transfusion medicine and Blood Services. During the conference we hope all delegates will enjoy sharing their valuable experiences with others, enhancing collaboration and networking.

It’s a great opportunity having 30th Regional Congress of the ISBT in Bangkok in the year 2019 which is the 50th years to celebrate the establishment of National Blood Centre, the Thai Red Cross Society as well. Throughout the path of five decades, National Blood Centre have been contributing its services for Thai people under three strategies; 1) blood transfusion service, 2) unrelated stem cell national registry centre with supporting functions of stem cell transplantation and 3) plasma derived medicinal production. National Blood Centre achieves over 900,000 voluntary blood donations annually, 200,000 registry for unrelated stem cell volunteers with 300 unrelated stem cell transplants and by the year 2017 Thai Red Cross is proud of success on establishment of the first South East Asia Plasma Fractionation plant which produces albumin, factor VIII and IVIG to serve national requirement. Beyond anniversary, continuous breathtaking improvement of those mentioned strategies and collaboration with Global organizations are our missions to serve our Asia Pacific Region and global communities as much as we can.

Bangkok is very energizing that the city is never ending. Modern life style and traditional Thai way mixtures make its unique. Historic attractions for instance Buddhist temples and the Grand Palace are the most iconic and unforgettable. Indulge yourself with shopping ranges from local handcrafts to world class luxurious products. Tempting your taste buds with fine Thai cuisine from street food to candle lit roof top dinners. Your body and mind can be revitalized with Thai massage, Yoga and Meditation. We all are waiting to offer you very warm welcome with Thai hospitality.

The congress venue is at the Centara Grand Hotel situated in the heart of Bangkok connected with sky train, surrounded by luxurious shopping malls, entertainments, hotels and restaurants. Please come to join us to discover transfusion medicine and the charming Bangkok.

See you in Bangkok in November 2019!

Ubonwon Charoonruangrit
Congress President

Dear friends and colleagues,

ISBT is proud to present the exciting location of the 2019 non-European regional ISBT congress. On November 16-19, we will all gather in Asia’s sizzling city of angels, Bangkok, for a meeting that promises to deliver great science and education, with a regional touch of Thai. On behalf of the ISBT Board of Directors and our Central Office, I welcome you to lovely Thailand to connect with colleagues from all over the globe. The National Blood Centre and the Thai Red Cross Society will serve as our hosts and the Local Organising Committee has worked with the ISBT Scientific Secretary to ensure a high-quality program filled with new and known faces as well as the most spicy and current topics. Bangkok will be the perfect place for you to learn during the days and enjoy the social program during the evenings. Local cuisine will of course be a highlight, as will that special Thai hospitality. The programme comprises the local day followed by three days of a mix of plenary and two parallel sessions; one devoted to education and the other to ‘high science.’ Our Vice Presidents are responsible for the Education sessions and they have put together an appealing program with something for everyone. The ‘high science’ sessions focus on the the latest progress presented by carefully selected speakers. As you know, ISBT has a special eye for the next generation. We are therefore particularly pleased to invite new members and other young professionals to our community. As you have probably noted already, we have stepped up our efforts to make ISBT even more inclusive and attractive to newcomers in the field. So, if you are active in the field and haven’t been to our congress before, I encourage you to tell your line manager that you want to go and check ISBT out. If you submit an abstract, you will increase your chances to get the green light. If you are 40 or younger you also get the chance to compete for our Harold Gunson fellowships, through which your flight, accommodation and registration will be on us. Your ISBT family really looks forward to seeing you in Bangkok ‒ newbies and silverbacks alike (and everyone in between!). I am sure we don’t even have to mention all the wonderful attractions and activities that will be just around the corner as our congress venue is located in the middle of this spectacularly attractive metropolis. Finally, I can only recommend you to take some time off before or after the meeting so that you get at least a glimpse of that relaxing Thai feeling that benefits both body and soul.

Martin L Olsson

ISBT President