Springtime in Seattle!
While there’s something to be said for repetition and the comfort familiarity brings, they do say variety is the spice of life. We are reverting to our old rotating semi-annual meeting plan! Please get ready for Pike Place Market strolls, Space Needle views, and Safeco Field baseball battles. For our next cycle of group meetings, we’re adding Seattle as a spring destination.
Those who love San Francisco should not despair. We will be rotating our spring conferences between San Francisco and Seattle, with our first Seattle session to be held after the current contracting cycle expires, in 2022. We’re making the switch for a couple of reasons. One, we’ll save a bundle of money and time. You all know Seattle is home to our statistics and data management center housed at Fred Hutch and Cancer Research And Biostatistics, which means a big chunk of group meeting attendees won’t have to travel far to attend. The other reason? Seattle itself is a wonderful city and a pretty fun place to visit.
Members can walk Green Lake Park, ride the Seattle Great Wheel, ferry around Puget Sound, and marvel at Chihuly Garden and Glass (Seattle’s top-ranked attraction) – and don’t even get me started about the coffee. Or the beer! Those willing to venture further afield have access to Mt. Rainier and world-class hikes.
A new Hyatt hotel now under construction will serve as our home base. When it opens in fall 2018, the Hyatt Regency Seattle will boast 1,260 rooms – the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest. It’s located just north of downtown, only a shuttle or subway ride away from the airport. We’ll be within walking distance of many top tourist destinations, including Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium, and the Seattle Art Museum. The Hyatt will have a state-of-the-art fitness center, restaurants, retail shops, and lots of natural light.
It will be a joy to host you all here in the Pacific Northwest. Note, however, that our fall meetings will continue to be held in Chicago, a city we love and are very comfortable with. Not to mention it’s easily accessible. But come spring, we’re switching it up.
Abstract submissions for the American Society of Hematology annual meeting are due! Please submit your SWOG abstract to Publications Manager Pat Arlauskas by July 19 at arlauskp@ohsu.edu
