Welcome address to the 22nd XXII European Stroke Congress London May 2013

It is a great pleasure to invite you to the XXII European Stroke Conference, which will be held

in London for the first time, from 28 May to 31 May 2013. The ESC has become the premier

educational and scientific event in the field and attracts delegates from all over the world. The

scientific programme is selected by anonymous review of over 1,500 abstracts by the Scientific

Committee, and will showcase all the latest research. The outstanding educational programme

is designed around topics and speakers suggested by the conference delegates themselves, and

the faculty are chosen for the clarity, relevance and enthusiasm of their talks. You are therefore

guaranteed the highest possible standard of lectures.

ESC 2013 will be held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) Capital Suite, a brand new,

world class, purpose built conference centre within ExCeL London, located on the Thames River

opposite the O2 Arena (the world’s most popular music venue). ExCeL will be also familiar to

the world as one of the locations for the 2012 London Olympics, which has led to considerable

investment in the transport network. ExCeL has its own Docklands Light Railway station, easily

accessible in 25 minutes from Central London, and it is only 5 minutes from London City Airport,

which has direct flights from most major European cities and New York. If you are worried about

your carbon debt, Eurostar has 30 high-speed trains connecting Europe with St Pancras

International Station. From there, the new Javelin train will provide high-speed transfers to the

ExCeL Centre in 20 minutes. When you arrive, you will find six on-site hotels within walking

distance of the conference, and 10,000 hotel rooms within a 20 minute journey.

London has a long tradition of medical research and is home to five medical schools and 7 of

the 12 NIHR Biomedical Research Centres in England. London also provides a pioneering citywide

stroke service. The 8 million people in London have free access to one of eight hyperacute

stroke units (HASUs) within an average ambulance transfer time of 15 minutes, linked to a

network of 20 local acute stroke and rehabilitation units. But London is not just about science

and medicine: there is plenty to do if you fancy a break. Apart from the O2 Arena, there are world

class concert halls, two opera houses and numerous theatres, providing top class entertainment

for all tastes. Although there are 60,000 seats at shows, concerts and events at any one time in

London, many of the top shows are very popular, so please book well in advance. If you’re been

given a shopping list, ExCeL is only 15 minutes from Stratford City, the largest urban shopping

centre in Europe. There is also plenty to see with 40,000 listed buildings, 150 ancient monuments,

4 of the 16 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and 300 museums and galleries to enhance your

cultural education. If you are hungry, there are over 6,000 restaurants, 53 with Michelin stars,

offering cuisine from more than 70 regions of the world.

We look forward to welcoming you next year to London, where we know you will enjoy an

excellent conference, as well as one of the most beautiful, vibrant and friendly cities in the world.

Fortunately, the weather in London is usually good in May and you can expect sunshine and an

average daytime high of 18°C, with only a small chance of a shower.

Martin M. Brown on behalf of the ESC Programme Committee