Wrapping up APAO 2016 in Taipei

The 31st Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress, in conjunction with the 57th annual meeting of the Ophthalmological Society of Chinese Taipei and co-sponsored by the European Society of Ophthalmology, was held from March 24 to 27, 2016, in Taipei. The congress was very well received, bringing together more than 4,500 delegates from 60 countries.In his welcome speech delivered at the Opening Ceremony, Dennis S.C. Lam, MD, FRCOphth, APAO’s president, highlighted the development of the APAO Congress. It was held once every 4 years initially and became a biennial event in 1979 and an annual event in 2005. As the APAO Congress evolves to become one of the most important ophthalmology congresses worldwide, Lam stressed the five important elements of a successful congress. The most important element is the delegates, whose support and demand for an annual congress in the Asia-Pacific region have contributed to driving both the APAO and ophthalmology forward. Other elements include the speakers, industry support, the organizer and the hosting city.