 
Announcing HCEA's 2026 Winter Summit
Refocus. Fortify. Ignite. Progress.
February 3-4, 2026 • Live! Casino Hotel • Philadelphia, PA
Home | Agenda | Call For Speakers | Who Should Attend | Sponsorship Opportunities | Register Now
Online registration is limited to HCEA members. To join HCEA, click here.
Non-members who wish to attend our meeting should contact our Membership Committee.
Let's Launch Something New at HCEA's Winter Summit
HCEA’s Winter gathering is your launchpad for 2026—where strategy meets momentum.
As the industry looks ahead to a pivotal year, healthcare meeting leaders will gather to align plans, refine priorities, and set a clear course for success in 2026 and beyond.
This is the moment to build what’s next: to strengthen teams, elevate partnerships, and turn big-picture goals into actionable roadmaps for the year ahead.
What to Expect
Our winter program centers on three pillars:
- Strengthen Your Foundation
Lock in the fundamentals that power future growth. From measurement and compliance to operational excellence, uncover frameworks that fortify your programs and amplify credibility—ensuring every initiative you launch in 2026 stands strong, scalable, and ready for impact.
- Illuminate Opportunities
Anticipate what’s next before the year unfolds. Decode the data, trends, and signals shaping healthcare meetings and learn how to translate complexity into clarity. Discover where strategic simplicity, sustainability, and innovation intersect to create meaningful, measurable progress.
- Ignite Collaboration
Progress accelerates when leaders connect. Through interactive workshops, peer exchanges, and mastermind sessions, collaborate with the industry’s brightest thinkers to fuel new ideas, strengthen partnerships, and spark momentum that extends far beyond winter.
From strategy blueprints to creative engagement tools, you’ll leave equipped with the clarity, confidence, and connections to drive meaningful results for your program.
This February, don’t wait for the thaw—use the season to build momentum, strengthen your edge, and shape what’s next.
Join HCEA as we Refocus. Fortify. Ignite Progress. Turn winter into your competitive advantage—and 2026 into your strongest year yet.
Online registration is limited to HCEA members. To join HCEA, click here.
Non-members who wish to attend our meeting should contact our Membership Committee.
Agenda
Wednesday, February 3, 2026
3:00 pm Registration Opens
4:00 pm Roundtable Discussions by Member Type
5:00-6:30 pm Welcome Reception
Thursday, February 4, 2026
8:00-5:00 pm Educational Sessions
Online registration is limited to HCEA members. To join HCEA, click here.
Non-members who wish to attend our meeting should contact our Membership Committee.
Let’s build the future of healthcare events together! Submit your session proposal.
Deadline to Submit: November 18th
Notification of Acceptance: December 16th
Why Speak?
Speaking at the HCEA Conference provides an unparalleled opportunity to share your expertise with a highly targeted audience of healthcare convention marketing professionals, industry suppliers, and association leaders. As the only event focused exclusively on the distinct challenges and innovations in life sciences exhibiting—including pharma, biotech, devices, and diagnostics — you’ll help shape conversations that drive the future of medical meetings. By presenting, you'll not only showcase your thought leadership but also contribute to an educational program designed to deliver practical insights and actionable tools for all attendees.
Session Formats
Sessions typically run 45-60 minutes. We welcome proposals that embrace innovative formats and inspire active participant engagement.
Session Topics
We invite dynamic, practical presentations that explore current trends, tools, and strategies within these core topics outlined below. If your area of expertise isn’t among those listed, we encourage you to propose fresh, relevant session concepts that will be valuable for our audience. Each session should deliver actionable insights and, ideally, foster participant interaction.
Advancing Engagement: Redefining Connection in an Evolving Healthcare Landscape
How can exhibitors and organizers foster genuine connections as healthcare events rise in cost of participation and become increasingly competitive? What new strategies are driving meaningful engagement across audiences?
Strategy in Action: Turning Insights Into Impactful Exhibit Experiences
What practical steps can organizations take to transform creative ideas and data-driven learnings into effective, memorable booth and congress journeys—especially with limited resources?
Navigating Economic Pressures: Budgeting, Value Creation, and Sustainability
How are life sciences exhibitors and associations adapting to changing costs, demonstrating ROI, and investing in sustainable practices as economic pressures grow?
Collaboration Across Boundaries: Building Stronger Teams and Partnerships
What best practices are emerging for cross-functional collaboration, whether internally between commercial and medical, or externally with associations, suppliers, and other stakeholders?
AI Integration: Unlocking New Potential in Healthcare Event Marketing
How are organizations moving beyond the basics to leverage AI for advanced audience targeting, personalization, operations, and measurement?
Driving Tomorrow’s Value
What do healthcare professionals and key stakeholders believe will matter most in the year ahead?
Proposals will be evaluated on:
- Clarity of learning objectives: Are the session’s goals and expected takeaways clearly stated and achievable?
- Practical application: Does the proposal provide actionable insights, tools, or skills that participants can use in their work?
- Interactive and engagement potential: Will the session include opportunities for audience participation, questions, or discussion?
- Quality of supporting evidence: Does the proposal reference credible data, research, or experience to support its content?
- Alignment with conference themes: Does the presentation connect with the overarching topics or strategic goals of the event?
- Accessibility and inclusiveness: Is the content designed to be accessible to participants with varying expertise?
- Anticipated impact: Will the session inspire change, foster new thinking, or drive innovation within the audience?
Current HCEA Membership: We welcome speaker proposals from industry partner members with the understanding that the content will be focused on the topic and not include self-promotion. We typically do not accept proposals from non-member partner companies or non-members.
Online registration is limited to HCEA members. To join HCEA, click here.
Non-members who wish to attend our meeting should contact our Membership Committee.
Who Should Attend?
Whether you’re a corporate exhibitor, association professional, or an industry supplier, you will gain invaluable insights and connections to enhance your strategy and maximize event impact.
Corporate Members
- Gain actionable insights and tools to optimize your program
- Network with your peers and representatives at key associations and show organizers
- Identify top suppliers who can help propel your program to new levels
Associations and Show Managers
- Gain insights into how evolving industry trends may impact your events and the value they represent to both your exhibitors and delegates
- Trade insights and solutions with fellow associations and show organizers
- Hear firsthand from healthcare exhibitors and the challenges they face
Industry Suppliers
Interested in Sponsoring?
Reach out to us here to learn more.
Have questions we haven't answered here? Drop us a line here.
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