Dear Gentle Reader,
The ton are abuzz regarding news of this seasons ABNA meeting, the jewel of the biobanking crown. Distinguished members of society are making thorough preparations to ensure they are primed and ready to indulge in the seasons offerings. I for one greatly anticipate the fruits of what is sure to be a landmark gathering and applaud our vibrant leaders for their dedication to upholding the values and social standings of our world class association. Pour the lemonade and steam your finery because gentle reader I feel …
(Record scratch sound)
Ok Lady Whistledown is totally not sustainable, sorry Bridgeton fans – I tried!
Hey Guys, Cass Griffin here, and I’m so incredibly excited that ABNA is going to be welcoming you all to my hometown of Newcastle!! I use hometown loosely, because I’m actually a country girl from an hour inland, a little town called Singleton (the Heart of the Hunter) so if anyone needs Hunter Valley vineyard recommendations, fudge factories, breweries, distilleries, fromageries – I’m your gal!!
Newcastle sometimes gets overlooked because of its history and three big letters B, H, P. But the industrial age of Newcastle really is a thing of the past and when I look at how this city has changed since I left school and even since moving home from London, it’s mind boggling! For that reason, we wanted to go the extra mile this year to show you behind the scenes of our planning process and to get you excited about joining us in Newcastle including where to eat, where to drink, where the good coffee is, how to get around and what you can do if you spend the weekend here! Joining us on the ‘Tour de Newcastle’ is my sidekick Ruby Tuesday who is keen to share all her favourite haunts with you and maybe find some new ones along the way!
So where are we heading to?
Newcastle is the second largest city in NSW and it's also the 7th largest city in the country (City Map)! Most of you will be flying into Newcastle Airport which is about 20 minutes from our conference venue in the heart of the city, or will be catching the train in from Sydney. The train from Sydney is around 2.5 hours depending on which one you catch (pro tip, wait for the express!!) and will drop you off at Newcastle Interchange – our transport hub. From here, it’s a few minutes on the light rail to Civic station (our conference venue) or a 15 minute walk if you’re feeling up to it!
Ruby Tuesday would suggest walking along Honeysuckle, Newcastle’s waterfront. Teeming with restaurants, cafes, small business and apartment blocks it’s flooded with bikes, runners and dog walkers day and night. It’s also got a great view and a number of parks and playgrounds so attracts lots of families. Some of my favourite restaurants are along this strip and we highly recommend Oceane for the best pizza of your life, Honeysuckle Hotel for a schnitzel (with a great pub band playing), or Blanca for amazing Mediterranean fusion – you have to try their lamb!!!
Getting around in Newcastle is super easy and all of our conference venues are walkable – Ruby Tuesday and I regularly walk from the train station to Noah’s on the Beach on the weekend. That said, the light rail is incredibly convenient and connects all of our conference venues so if you’re in conference shoes that turned out to be not so comfy, sick of standing or have short legs that don’t really want to go any further (Ruby T understands!), it’s a great option
Let’s talk about the first of the conference venues!
Newcastle City Hall – City Hall was opened in 1929 and has undergone a number of restoration projects to ensure it is maintained. City Hall has 7 areas within including the stunning Concert Hall which will serve as our plenary room for ABNA 2025. Everyone from chamber orchestras to Silverchair have played in this venue (yes, Silverchair cut their teeth in these hallowed halls) and we are so lucky to have access to modern facilities embedded in gorgeous classic architecture.
Silverchair isn't the only familiar name associated with our venue. While earlier performances saw classical performers such as Kathleen Ferrier in 1953, the 60s saw a hive of activity featuring the likes of Bob Dylan, The Who and the Animals. Even the Rolling Stones have graced this stage - and yes, Ruby Tuesday is named after the song. Why you ask? Walk behind a corgi - it's total Jagger Swagger!
In October 2025 two superstars of the biobanking world will be joining us as ABNA's Keynote speakers Gregory Grossman and Debra Leiolani Garcia. Deb and Greg are well known to many of you as a former and the current president of the board president for ISBER respectively. Deb is a biobanking and project management advisor who has made it a dedicated focus throughout her career to implement new initiatives that nurture up and coming biobanking leaders, ensuring the future of our industry is in safe hands! Greg is the Chief Scientific Officer of the Advancing Sight Network and works to create national programs to accelerate research discoveries to develop new therapies in ophthalmology. Both have seen huge degrees of change throughout their own biobanking careers as well as during their time with ISBER and we're ecstatic that they're flying down to join us and share their international insights.
There's so much more to come - stellar venues, an incredible program, and we haven't even touched on Newcastle's incredible research sector. Between the University, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Multiple Teaching Hospitals, Industry Cooperatives, Hunter Valley Agricultural Community, Blackbutt Conservation grounds and local museums… let’s just say we’ve got this covered!
Ruby T will be resting here at City Hall until the April Conference Corner Blog