The world’s largest stroke congress, ESOC (European Stroke Organisation Conference), held at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg, was a great success. The conference enjoyed an all-time-high attendance and broke all records for the association.

More than 4,500 specialists from over 90 countries visited the city. And they were satisfied! The overall impression of the destination was high; Gothenburg scored 6.4 out of 7 in the delegate survey (service, selection of restaurants/cafés, shopping etc. is rated). Almost 80% of the respondents consider returning for pleasure. 88% can also consider recommending Gothenburg as a travel destination to relatives and friends.

ESOC enjoyed high media attention both nationally and internationally, and the topic also attracted the public. The Göteborgs-Posten morning newspaper featured Magnus Hesselgren and Ann-Christine Jademyr who both suffered from stroke and their recovery. Several public lectures were held during the week. Among them a public seminar “How can I reduce the risk of stroke?” arranged at the University of Gothenburg, where Magnus and Ann-Christine spoke about their experiences. A team of specialists informed about how to prevent stroke through proper diet and physical activity, and how mental health, stress and music can affect. In conjunction with the congress, all delegates were also given the opportunity to run the Göteborgsvarvet Half Marathon in the Region Västra Götaland start group.

Another important part of the program and the congress legacy, was school visits in four secondary schools in Gothenburg. Students in natural science and care programs received visits by congress participants who lectured and raised interest about stroke. 20 of these students also made a study visit to the ESOC congress.

ESOC was held at the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Center in Gothenburg during warm summer days in mid-May. In 2019, ESOC is held in Milan, Italy.