Vascular Access Society (VAS)

What Vascular Access Society (VAS) does

Vascular Access Society (VAS) is a private international professional medical society founded on 30 October 1997 in Maastricht, the Netherlands, dedicated to raising interest in and promoting research on hemodialysis vascular access. It serves a multidisciplinary membership base that includes nephrologists, vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, dialysis nurses, and vascular and radiological technologists, with members in Europe and selected centers in Asia and South America. VAS is governed by a multidisciplinary board and operates through a secretariat provided by Partners in Congress Organisation B.V. (PCO), also based in Maastricht.

The society's product and content platform centers on the Journal of Vascular Access (JVA), a peer-reviewed, PubMed-indexed publication produced with Sage since 2006 and issued six times per year; the VAS Community App (launched 2025) for member case sharing and expert consultation; a member-contributed Literature Monitor; clinical guidelines; video, podcast, and e-seminar archives; biennial international congresses rotating across European cities (most recently Padova in April 2025); annual hands-on training courses (next: iMEP, Mechelen, Belgium, June 2026); the VAS-endorsed Network of Training Centers across at least six countries; fellowship grants for nurses and residents; and the VAS Research Network (founded 2022) coordinating multicenter clinical studies across Europe, Asia, and South America.

VAS generates revenue through tiered annual membership dues (EUR 37.50-150 across eight tiers, with chapter and lower-income-country discounts), registration fees for congresses and courses (e.g., EUR 250 for the June 2026 course), and industry sponsorship packages sold to medical device companies such as Medtronic, W.L. Gore, and BD. The society holds formal cooperation agreements with eight counterpart organizations, including JSDA, ERA, EDTNA/ERCA, GEMAV, VASA, VASBI, APSDA, and IAD, and authored the Vascular Access Handbook endorsed by 71 national and international scientific societies. VAS is privately held, has no disclosed parent company, no venture or private equity backing, and does not publicly disclose revenue.

Name

Vascular Access Society (VAS)

Legal name

Partners in Congress Organisation B.V.

Website

https://vascularaccesssociety.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Vascular Access Society (VAS) is a Maastricht-based international professional medical society, founded 1997, that serves nephrologists, vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, dialysis nurses, and technologists through the Journal of Vascular Access, biennial congresses, training courses, fellowship grants, and the VAS Research Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Society

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Hypertension & Kidney-Related Blood Pressure Clinics (HLAKAHAF)

Keywords

• Vascular access society
• Hemodialysis access
• Medical society membership
• Clinical practice guidelines
• Multidisciplinary medical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Maastricht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: VAS generates primary revenue through annual membership fees with tiered pricing: Full Membership at EUR 150, Junior Full Membership at EUR 75, Associated Membership at EUR 75, Junior Associated Membership at EUR 37.50, and Senior Membership at EUR 75. Industrial Membership is also available at EUR 150 for company representatives.
2. Conference and Course Registration: Revenue is generated through registration fees for international congresses (held every two years), annual vascular access courses, and VAS-endorsed educational events. VAS members receive a minimum 20% discount on registration fees.
3. Fellowship Grants Disbursement: VAS awards annual fellowship grants: EUR 1,000 for nurses (up to 2 weeks duration) and EUR 2,000 for residents (up to 2 months duration), supporting training internships in dialysis access across European countries.
4. Industry Partnership/Sponsorship: VAS offers sponsorship packages for industry partners interested in hemodialysis vascular access. Downloadable sponsor packages are available for companies wishing to partner with VAS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

VAS is a multidisciplinary international medical society dedicated to advancing hemodialysis vascular access through education, research, and clinical practice. It sells tiered professional memberships (Full, Junior Full, Associated, Junior Associated, Senior, Industrial), publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of Vascular Access, and delivers biennial international congresses, annual hands-on training courses, fellowship grants, and the VAS Research Network. Member benefits also include the VAS Community mobile app, Literature Monitor, clinical guidelines, podcasts, e-seminars, and the Vascular Access Handbook.

Product overview

The Vascular Access Society (VAS) is a multidisciplinary international medical society, not a commercial software company. Its offerings center on professional medical education and research collaboration: the Journal of Vascular Access (JVA) serves as the official peer-reviewed publication; the VAS Community App provides a mobile platform for case sharing and expert consultation; VAS organizes international congresses biennially and annual courses with hands-on workshops; research is facilitated through the VAS Research Network spanning Europe, Asia, and South America; and members receive access to grants, literature monitoring tools, guidelines, endorsed training centers, video content, podcasts, e-seminars, and educational publications including the Vascular Access Handbook.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VAS Research Network: International network of clinical centers with expertise in vascular access-related research, founded in 2022 to stimulate international collaboration
• Journal of Vascular Access (JVA)

Products and services

• VAS Membership Multi-tier annual membership program for nephrologists, surgeons, interventional radiologists, dialysis nurses, vascular and radiological technologists, and industrial partners; provides JVA subscription (Full/Industrial), reduced registration fees, member-only resources, and VAS Community app access.
• Journal of Vascular Access (JVA) Peer-reviewed scientific journal covering the field of vascular access, published 6 times per year and distributed to VAS members online via the members login area.
• VAS Community App Mobile application for VAS members to share practical cases, ask questions, consult experts, and engage in knowledge exchange with a Case Library of real-world cases and a Social Wall for community updates.
• VAS International Congress Biennial international scientific congress bringing together multidisciplinary vascular access clinicians and researchers; the 14th edition was held in Padova, Italy, April 3–5, 2025.
• VAS Course Annual hands-on vascular access training course held in a European city, covering ultrasound and endovascular interventions for hemodialysis vascular access; open to clinicians with member discounts.
• VAS Grants Program Annual fellowship grants awarded to nurses (EUR 1,000, up to 2 weeks) and residents (EUR 2,000, up to 2 months) to support training internships in dialysis access across European countries.
• VAS Research Network International research collaboration network of clinical centers across Europe, Asia, and South America that enables multicenter studies ranging from basic science to randomized clinical trials in vascular access.
• VAS-Endorsed Training Courses Endorsed training centers and courses organized by partner institutions (e.g., SFAV in France, Greek 2nd Department of Vascular Surgery, Portuguese interventional nephrology course) that offer specialized vascular access training.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71 National and International Scientific Societies endorsed the Vascular Access Handbook
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japanese Society for Dialysis Access (JSDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal cooperation agreement for delegate exchange between VAS and JSDA. JSDA is a key partner society representing Japan in the vascular access field, with signed agreement available for download from VAS website.
• European Renal Association (ERA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerERA-VAS cooperation agreement facilitating collaboration between the European Renal Association and Vascular Access Society. Joint ERA-VAS seminars have been conducted.
• European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association (EDTNA/ERCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDTNA/ERCA cooperation agreement with VAS for nurse education and professional development in vascular access. Association provides resources and joint initiatives for dialysis nursing professionals.
• GEMAV (Spanish Multidisciplinary Group on Vascular Access)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEMAV is a Spanish society organizing annual congresses and practical workshops for doctors and nurses in vascular access. Signed cooperation agreement with VAS.
• Vascular Access Society of the Americas (VASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVASA-VAS cooperation agreement establishing collaboration between the two major international vascular access societies covering Americas and Europe/rest of world.
• Vascular Access Society of Britain and Ireland (VASBI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish and Irish chapter affiliated with VAS, representing the UK and Ireland in the vascular access field.
• APSDA (Asia Pacific Society of Dialysis and Apheresis)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned cooperation agreement with APSDA for delegate exchange and collaboration across the Asia Pacific region.
• IAD (Interdisziplinäre Arbeitsgemeinschaft Dialysezugang)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman-language vascular access society with signed cooperation agreement with VAS. Website: dialysezugang.de
• MedtronicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of VAS E-Seminars 2022. Products highlighted include IN.PACT Admiral for Fistula and Ellipsys Vascular Access System.
• W. L. Gore & AssociatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of VAS E-Seminars 2022. Gore engineers medical devices for cardiovascular and other health conditions.
• BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of VAS E-Seminars 2022. BD is a global medical technology company supporting healthcare delivery.
• Partners in Congress Organisation (PCO)coreOthersPCO is the VAS Membership Secretariat handling congress organization, member services, and administrative support. Located at Avenue Ceramique 222, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Japanese Society for Dialysis Access (JSDA): The Japanese national vascular access society with a signed delegate-exchange cooperation agreement with VAS. JSDA serves the same nephrologist, surgeon, and interventional radiologist audience for hemodialysis vascular access but in the Japan market.
• APSDA (Asia Pacific Society of Dialysis and Apheresis): Asia-Pacific society covering dialysis and apheresis with a cooperation agreement with VAS. APSDA serves the same multidisciplinary clinician audience across Asia Pacific countries where VAS does not directly host events.
• GEMAV (Spanish Multidisciplinary Group on Vascular Access): Spanish multidisciplinary vascular access society with a signed cooperation agreement with VAS. GEMAV organizes annual congresses and practical workshops for the same multidisciplinary audience but in Spain.

Broad incumbents

• Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO): KDIGO produces globally referenced clinical practice guidelines, including vascular access topics referenced by VAS (e.g., KDOQI Vascular Access Guidelines). KDIGO operates as a higher-level guideline-setting body of which VAS is a complementary subspecialty society.
• European Renal Association (ERA): The larger European nephology professional association that shares overlapping membership and runs joint ERA-VAS seminars. ERA is a broader incumbent covering all of nephrology, of which vascular access is a subspecialty, making it a top-level adjacent society.
• American Society of Nephrology (ASN): The leading US nephrology professional society. ASN serves the same nephrology clinician base as VAS and publishes high-impact kidney journals; vascular access is one of many subspecialty areas ASN covers, making it the dominant broad incumbent in the field.
• European Dialysis and Transplant Association (EDTA): Now part of ERA, this historically separate association focused on dialysis and transplantation in Europe. EDTA shares membership overlap with VAS and addresses vascular access as a component of dialysis care delivery.

Emerging players

• Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) / Arbor Research: Arbor Research runs the DOPPS program, a major international dialysis outcomes study that intersects with vascular access research. DOPPS produces evidence that informs VAS guidelines and JVA publications, making it a peer in vascular access evidence generation.

Direct peers

• EDTNA/ERCA: The European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association / European Renal Care Association has a formal cooperation agreement with VAS and shares the dialysis nursing member base. EDTNA/ERCA covers the nursing arm of the same vascular access and dialysis care ecosystem VAS serves.
• Vascular Access Society of the Americas (VASA): The leading regional peer society serving vascular access specialists in the Americas. VASA has a formal cooperation agreement with VAS, covers the same clinical focus on hemodialysis access, and operates its own journal, congresses, and multidisciplinary membership structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/societyaccess
• Facebookfacebook.com/1997VAS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vascularaccesssociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vascular Access Society (VAS)