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MAY 06, 2020 -- For the first time in its 70-year history, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) will hold its annual meeting virtually, the society has announced.

Because of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the government of the Netherlands has banned all public gatherings before September 1 to prevent spread of the virus. As such, ESC Congress 2020 cannot take place in Amsterdam as planned.

Instead, the ESC Congress 2020 will be held virtually, with daily sessions running from August 29 to September 1. The theme is "Challenging Times, Infinite Possibilities."

"This cutting-edge, online event will be extraordinary," the society notes in a news release. "The ESC is creating a digital experience to disseminate the most exciting cardiovascular science in the most engaging formats possible."

The full scientific program for the virtual congress will be available shortly, and will include:

• a dedicated COVID-19 track that will showcase the first-hand experience of top experts across the globe
• late-breaking trial sessions that will reveal the most anticipated clinical results (the call for late-breaking science is open until May 21)
• novel research, presented in abstracts, that will cover all areas of cardiovascular science
• key opinion leaders explaining how new research affects practice.
• an introduction and discussion of new ESC clinical practice guidelines.

Details on registration for the online sessions will be provided shortly.

The ESC has created a frequently asked questions webpage to provide regular updates on the virtual congress and information on how to obtain refunds.

The ESC is currently investigating options to have attendees receive CME credits for attending the virtual format.

In recent weeks, several other cardiovascular meetings have scrapped plans for in-person meetings because of the pandemic. EuroPCR 2020, Europe's largest interventional cardiovascular meeting, scheduled for May 18 to 21 in Paris, has been cancelled.

The New York City–based Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) announced the cancellation of the Transcatheter Valve Therapies (TVT) Summit, originally scheduled to run from June 17 to 20 in Chicago.

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) transitioned its 2020 Scientific Sessions to a virtual meeting that will run from May 14 to 16 and feature live-streamed and recorded content available on demand.

The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting, which would have taken place in Seattle, will now be held virtually over 2 days: July 17 and 18.

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