By DDW Council Chair Grace H. Elta, MD, AGAF, FASGE
Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) is the first and foremost GI event in the world. It showcases top-tier research and offers high-quality sessions packed with the best science and clinical updates gastroenterologists can find anywhere. It is truly an international meeting that leads to patient care improvement around the globe.
That’s why we are thrilled to welcome all of you to DDW 2017 and the bustling city of Chicago, where you will take home practical and useful information, network with thought leaders across the industry and discover new updates in your field.
The DDW community — attendees, presenters and exhibitors — continue to make this the premier GI event in our field. Each year, we strive to keep the meeting informational, exciting and easy to navigate by adding new features. We have exciting new initiatives this year, including the DDW ePosters Theater and Academic Debates session that you won’t want to miss.
Last year, we organized all of the programming from DDW’s four sponsoring societies into 15 color-coded tracks, but many of our attendees were not aware of the change. This year, we are excited to share that those tracks also pertain to exhibitors. Attendees can now look up the Esophageal Diseases track on the app, for example, to find all sessions, posters and exhibitors that fall within that specific track instead of searching by society or scanning the Exhibit Hall. This streamlines the attendee experience, saves you time and better integrates the meeting.
We have also focused on making it easier for attendees to find what they need this year. That’s why we have transitioned our printed meeting materials into this expanded DDW Daily News newspaper. You can now find DDW Daily News, the Exhibit Guide and Program sections all folded into one comprehensive newspaper. The Exhibit Guide lists exhibitors and floor plans to help you maneuver the large Exhibit Hall, while the Program lists each day’s sessions to help you plan your time at DDW. As in year’s past, the news section delivers late-breaking science, industry announcements and meeting happenings.
The DDW Mobile App is still an incredible resource to view all sessions, abstracts, speakers, posters and exhibit information in real time. The app has all the latest information, including room changes, speaker handouts, late-breaking abstracts and more. The easiest way to use the mobile app is to search via the 15 DDW tracks. The tracks make it easier than ever to create your own personal itinerary.
Download the DDW Mobile App directly to your device from the Apple App Store or Google Play, or visit DDW TechConnect in South Hall A to learn more.
DDW wasn’t blown back to Chicago without reason. McCormick Place is well-suited to our DDW program, with plenty of space that’s easy to navigate. We are surrounded by some of the finest museums and cultural offerings in the country and more top restaurants than you can find almost anywhere, so be sure to take some time to explore the Windy City.
Welcome to Chicago and welcome to DDW, where you will discover innovative medicine and network with the world’s most renowned GI professionals. Make connections, seize opportunities and push yourself beyond boundaries.
Thank you for making this the first and foremost GI event in the world.
