DUBLIN - January 26, 2010 – The Convention Centre Dublin announced today that it was selected to host the 6th Congress of European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) in February 2011.

Scheduled from February 24 to 26, 2011, the conference will focus on the latest research, therapies and procedures in treating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The event is expected to attract approximately 2,000 international delegates.

“We are delighted to stage our 2011 congress at The Convention Centre Dublin as it offers first class conference facilities in the centre of the exciting city of Dublin,” said Professor Daan W. Hommes, President of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. “With a state-of-the-art and flexible conference facility, a broad spectrum of hotel accommodation, excellent transport infrastructure, a unique cultural experience, and a supportive team, we are confident that our event will be a success and we look forward to taking our congress to Dublin in 2011.”

The 2011 ECCO congress will be organized by Vereint, a professional conference organizer and association management company. Based in Vienna, Vereint works on behalf of national and international non-profit organizations, including European Council of Nuclear Cardiology, Pharma Marketing Club Austria and European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility among others.

“We are honoured to be hosting The 2011 Congress of European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation,” said Catherine Newhall-Caiger, The Convention Centre Dublin. “This important event will help to establish Dublin and The Convention Centre Dublin as one of Europe’s leading destinations for medical conferences in the future.

About The European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation

ECCO is a not-for-profit association which aims to improve research in the area of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). As part of this mission ECCO will adopt and further all efforts that lead to an improvement of the use of current therapies and procedures.

ECCO will strive for an optimization of care for patients with IBD in all aspects.

As part of this mission ECCO will adopt and further all efforts that lead to an improvement of the use of current therapies and procedures. Main aims include the developments of guidelines with highest possible process and content quality and joint efforts to define better and more valid outcome parameters for the therapy of IBD.

Further aspects of the mission include the promotion of specialist, postgraduate education in IBD and the promotion of scientific projects in IBD. Such promotion can include intellectual input, funding and joint training using an ECCO defined curriculum. ECCO's visibility will be always as an organisation and not as the individuals making up ECCO. With all its activities the name of ECCO will stand in the world of Gastroenterology for the highest possible level in quality and full impartiality in the results.