current members and new potential candidates for membership in the association featuring interested hand surgeons from all over Europe. All participants had the chance to introduce themselves to each other during a relaxed dinner while BIRG President Dr. Stephan Schindele gave an overview on the purpose of the association and its ideas on expanding activities in the fields of teaching and education as well as research and science. BIRG plans to organize  more courses and symposia in the near future which caused a lot of interest in the attending hand surgeons.