Page 116 SA Orthop J 2020;19(3) CONGRESS NEWS SAOA 2020 Congress postponed to November The world has been brought to its knees by a single strand of RNA surrounded by four proteins. We have been forced into a new digital age of virtual meetings, webinars and even virtual consultations. Almost all conferences planned for 2020 have been cancelled or hosted on a virtual platform. These platforms are improving all the time but cannot replicate face-to-face meetings and the ability to catch up with old friends at social events. In South Africa, we are still only reaching the peak of the surge and this will continue at least until September. After this we will all need some time to catch up procedures that have been delayed due to the pandemic. It is for this reason that South African Orthopaedic Association has decided to postpone this year’s annual congress until November 2020. We are trying our best to host a hybrid congress with the host venue in Cape Town and virtual access for those that cannot travel to the venue. We hope that travel will be allowed at this stage and that we will be allowed reasonable face-to-face interaction. We will reassess the regulations closer to the time. As usual we will have a combination of scientific papers with instructional courses, breakaway sessions for specialty groups and new technology provided by the trade. The theme of the congress will remain as ‘Together into the Future’ and will feature new advances such as virtual surgery and the use of artificial intelligence to improve outcomes of surgery. We promise you an all-new experience not to be missed. Please submit abstracts to us as soon as possible for the scientific programme. We are also including a session on new concepts or research that have not necessarily been scientifically validated, the aim of which is to stimulate debate. One of the key concepts of the congress will be artificial intelligence in orthopaedic surgery. Phillip Webster President: South African Orthopaedic Association president@saoa.org.za