The XXXIII Congress of the International Academy of Pathology and 32nd Congress of the European Society of Pathology scheduled for the Scottish Events Campus in Glasgow from 29 August - 2 September 2020 has regrettably had to be postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, specifically because the SEC is being commissioned as a field hospital. The decision has been made to reschedule for the same venue in Glasgow from 5 – 9 December 2020.

We are sure that we can postpone the valuable lectures and lively discussions of the ESP/IAP Congress to early December without losing any of the attraction of the congress. In addition, the ESP/IAP Congress in December will be one of the first pathology meetings where major new findings on Covid-19 will be presented.

If you have registered for the congress, you don’t need to do anything. Your registration will be carried forward to the new December dates. You will shortly receive a respective confirmation. Should you not be able to attend the congress in December, we will refund your registration fee.

If you have booked your hotel via the ESP/IAP congress website, we will cancel your room for you free of charge. We have not heard back from all hotels yet regarding new allotments for December, as most of them are currently closed and thus not fully staffed. Please make a new booking via the congress website in mid/late May.
If you have made independent hotel bookings, please contact the hotel as soon as possible. If you participate in the congress in December, have your reservation transferred – do not cancel your booking.
Most of the hotels should be accommodating if you communicate that the postponement of the congress due to the use of the SEC as a field hospital is the reason for your postponement or cancellation.

We would very much appreciate your being able to join us in December and trust that you appreciate the necessary decision to postpone the congress. We will post updates on the ESP/IAP congress website whenever available, please do not hesitate to visit the FAQ section, which will also be updated on a regular basis, to find answers to questions that might arise. Among others, you will find answers here to questions regarding abstract submission, bursary applications and travel arrangements.

If you have questions which are not answered in the FAQ, please do not hesitate to contact us. We kindly ask for your patience, as replies might take some time due to a heavy load of incoming e-mails at the moment.

We thank all participants, sponsors and exhibitors for their understanding.

Yours sincerely

Holger Moch, Ray McMahon
Joint Congress Presidents

As a result of the non-availability of the Scottish Event Campus recently communicated (see link below), the joint XXXIII Congress of the International Academy of Pathology and 32nd Congress of the European Society of Pathology scheduled for Glasgow for 5 to 9 December 2020 will now be delivered as a virtual event. This is an exciting opportunity for the global pathology world to experience this innovative methodology in such a wide ranging way for the first time.

The exact format of the virtual ESP-IAP Congress 2020 is being confirmed by the joint organisers, the ESP and the British Division of the IAP, with our professional congress organisers, CPO HANSER SERVICE, and will be communicated as soon as possible. There will be a reduction in registration fees. Revised dates for registration will be communicated soon. All existing registrations will be carried forward, although those delegates who do not wish to participate in a virtual conference will receive full reimbursement. The content of the meeting will be largely unchanged, with the addition of dedicated sessions for the evolving pathology of Covid-19 infection. All speakers and conveners will be contacted shortly.

Authors of accepted abstracts will be given the opportunity to present their work as communicated in the abstract notifications - and will soon be contacted with further details.

Please keep looking at the various websites (www.esp-congress.org, www.bdiap.org, www.esp-pathology.org) for updates and FAQs which will be communicated frequently.

We remain devoted to providing you with the best cutting-edge pathology science, this time, in a novel, engaging format.

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to welcoming you to our virtual meeting in December 2020.

Holger Moch & Ray McMahon
Congress Presidents 2020