Women are in it to WIN!

The inspiration

Each woman in the group shared her education path and professional development in several academic institutions as well as in private practice. All the members have a bit of both worlds: they are both professors and private practitioners. 

This activity was very enriching, on the one hand to start knowing each other and on the other to uncover the high level of education, training and passion of the women who form the group. The great human capital that exists in implantology in our country showed us that, through WIN, we have the opportunity of consolidating and strengthen it in order to make a change.

The event

The first-ever WIN EMEA Summit took place this March in Valletta, Malta. It’s fitting that this event got underway on the 8th of March, International Women’s Day, and over the course of the next two days over 160 guests from 27 countries were exposed to 20 incredible speakers who shared their professional experiences and personal stories while engaging and inspiring the audience.  

Two of the main goals of the Summit were facilitating the exchange of knowledge between female dentists coming from different countries and backgrounds and inspiring fellow women colleagues to enter and advance in implant dentistry and achieve their ambitions. “Knowledge is the power; no one can take it away from you,” reflected one participant.  

The first day started with an exciting limited-attendance masterclass on complications management conducted by Prof. Giovanni Salvi, associate professor and graduate program director in the Department of Periodontology at the University of Bern, Switzerland. The masterclass was attended by 30 dentists, who truly enjoyed the opportunity. 

Her Excellency, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the President of Malta, officially opened the Summit, encouraging the development of synergies amongst women in implant dentistry: “Without your presence as role models, in the science and medical sectors, young women would be discouraged from pursuing their interests and making full use of their talents.” 

Next, the CEO of the Straumann Group, Marco Gadola, presented the current and future trends in dentistry, followed by a welcoming speech by one of the WIN founders – Charlotte Stilwell. Dr. Banu Karayazgan then took the stage to share insights on “Looking Through the Eyes of a Woman.”  

After the introductions, the scientific program of the Summit presented a variety of sessions, each well received and well attended. Topics included: “Full Arch Rehabilitations, Planning and Treatment Protocols” by Prof. Helena Francisco, “Decision Making for Immediate Implants in the Esthetic Zone” by Dr. France Lambert, and “Predictable Regeneration in the Esthetic Zone” by Dr. Lira Rahman (see full program).  

To close the first day, Summit participants and speakers were invited to a gala dinner and party at the Casino Maltese in the heart of Valletta. Everyone enjoyed a nice walk through the Old Town to discover the wonders of this historical city. The evening was energized by a live band who got the crowd dancing and enriched by the many opportunities to network and make new friendships! The atmosphere was vibrant and the enthusiasm of the participants was tangible.   

The second day of the Summit was again full of inspiring lectures such as “Implant Related Complications, Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment” by Dr. Iva Milinkovic, “Crucial Factors for Planning in Implant Prosthodontics” by Dr. Anja Zembic, “Digital Implantology: Step By Step” by Dr. Diana de Macedo, and “Practical Implementation of the Digital Workflow” by Dr. Maja Chmielewska. Attendee and one of the WIN founders, Dr. Laurence Adriaens reported that she “enjoyed seeing how enthusiastic all our female speakers were and how they combined their scientific and clinical knowledge!” 

In addition to the lecture series highlighting different aspects of implant dentistry, prosthodontics and digital workflows, the summit hosted Sandra Paovic, the table tennis gold medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games and 2016 Paralympic Games. She shared her personal and touching story of how she survived a severe cervical spinal injury, which resulted in her inability to walk, and transformed her difficulties into her strengths. She touched and inspired the audience: “Sometimes there are things that we think are impossible…if we believe in ourselves, then they become possible.”   

During the two days, coffee and lunch breaks served as opportunities to meet new colleagues, share experiences and connect. As Charlotte Stilwell commented, “It’s an opportunity to meet women from many, many countries and backgrounds.” The atmosphere was vibrant! Lizette Riley, organizer of the event, commented, “What a pleasure with the EMEA project team to arrange the 1st WIN Summit in EMEA, a unique experience for everyone. The atmosphere created was inspiring and empowering, where the speakers and the participants alike were able to learn and make long-lasting friendships.”  

An innovative summit

To ensure that as many people as possible could enjoy and participate in the Summit, all sessions were live-streamed on Facebook. The lectures were viewed online by more than 6500 people. If you would like to take advantage of the educational offerings of the Summit, they are available as recordings here as well.  

Additionally, a fully-fledged digital marketing campaign across several social media channels was developed during the Summit to share the experiences with all WIN members around the globe! 

During the Summit, the Sli.do application was used to increase the interactivity of the audience with the speakers: questions could be posted easily and quickly through the participants’ phones and the speakers were invited to answer them in the discussion round.  

Looking to the future

To conclude the Summit and say goodbye, the guests were presented with WIN surgical caps and attendance certificates. The caps came as a pleasant surprise and everyone threw them up in the air, just as on a graduation day, to mark the beginning of the new exciting journey! The most common question heard within the room was “when is the next Summit?” 

Special thanks to the entire project group and Lizette Riley for the impeccable organization!   

For more information about WIN, please visit www.straumann-group.com/win