Change of emphasis for major international congress

The 8th World Congress on Active Ageing (WCAA), taking place in the UK for the first time, at the SECC in Glasgow between 13 - 17 August 2012, is putting older people at the heart of its programme.
Whilst the accent of the previous seven Congresses has mainly been on discourse between academics in the field of ageing and health professionals, the organisers of WCAA 2012 have put in place plans to ensure that the Glasgow programme will be accessible to the general public on each day of the Congress, via "WCAA 2012 Senior Passes", which are each valid for one complete day.
Upon arrival at the venue, the SECC in Glasgow, older visitors will be met by a personal "buddy" for the day. These buddies will be a mix of Allied Health Professions students from Glasgow Caledonian University and older volunteers who will guide and mentor older visitors throughout the day and around the venue, providing a genuine "intergenerational mix".
Participants will start their day by joining the main professional delegates in the Clyde Auditorium for the two daily keynote lectures and to enjoy an on-stage demonstration of dance, exercise and physical activities.
They will then be able to spend the rest of the day, with refreshments and lunch included, within the Exhibition Area.  The Exhibition Area encloses a large "Experience Zone" where a variety of physical activity demonstrations and participation opportunities will be provided during the course of the day. They will be able to try a "taster" and meet with the instructors/demonstrators of each particular activity taking place throughout the SECC and environs.
There will also be round table "meet the expert" sessions during which older visitors will be able to engage with visiting academics and health professionals and the opportunity to learn new IT skills.
Further details of WCAA 2012 Senior Passes and booking forms will be available in the New Year on the 8th World Congress on Active Ageing website at www.wcaa2012.com.
Previous Congresses have taken place in New York, United States (1984) Budapest, Hungary (1988), Jyvaskyla, Finland (1992), Heidelberg, Germany (1996), Orlando, United States (1999), London, Ontario, Canada (2004), and Tsukuba, Japan (2008) and have been co-sponsored by a variety of different scientific, professional, commercial, and nongovernmental organizations including the World Health Organisation Programme on Aging and Health, the United Nations' Programme on Aging, the European Union, the American Senior Fitness Association, and Human Kinetics.
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