This month finally saw the return of the annual CDS Group Conference to Scotland, after 15 years. The 2009 Glasgow event was under the leadership of the late Jackie Morrison, who was remembered along with other recently deceased former chairs at the beginning of the first day.
Under the very enthusiastic and able chair Graham Smith, the committee organised two varied, fascinating and informative days of lectures. They involved not just matters of clinical interest, advice, and development but also the importance of self care in what remains an important, overstretched and underappreciated service.
Some 250 delegates at the impressive conference facilities at Murrayfield Stadium also had the chance to network, catch up with old friends and make new contacts. They could also compare notes on lectures and talk shop in more elegant and relaxed surroundings than their workplaces may provide. A range of stands from various companies in the coffee area attracted much attention and no small number of questions from attendees during the breaks between lectures.
Social activities
As is customary, the CDS Group Committee organised social activities for conference attendees as well as the programme of lectures. The traditional pub quiz opening to conference took place on the Wednesday evening with a hotly contested and politely raucous night ending with a team from Northern Ireland, including president Richard Graham, emerging triumphant.
The black tie dinner the following evening was held at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh city centre where attendees were treated to the “full Scottish”; from being greeted at the door by a lone bagpiper to finishing the evening with a traditional Scottish ceilidh and Scottish country dancing. Some kilts were in evidence from attendees, which broke up the uniformity of dinner suits and looked more fitting to the various movements involved in dances like Strip the Willow and the Gay Gordons.
The biggest CDS event of the year
We know that CDS dentists welcome the chance to gather in large numbers to discuss work and socialise with like-minded colleagues and friends from across the UK, and they came to do this in droves. With no Accredited Representative conference taking place this year, the CDS conference also provided the only chance for some Accredited Representatives to catch up with colleagues from further afield than their own regions.
On to Belfast next year
The next CDS Group Conference takes place in Belfast next year with more details of the arrangements and speakers to follow in the coming months. We think it is fair to say that the Edinburgh conference raised the bar, demand for tickets at Murrayfield this year being only marginally outstripped by rival events held at the same venue by Taylor Swift and Oasis. We are confident that the CDS Group committee will provide an equally entertaining, informative and useful programme again in 2025.