Announcing HCEA's 2026 Annual Meeting
Growing Stronger Together
August 4-6, 2026 • Loews Coral Gables • Miami, FL

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Bright Horizons, Stronger Together

Join us at HCEA's Summer Break in Miami 

HCEA’s annual meeting (GST26) is the leading gathering for healthcare convention marketing professionals, industry partners, and association leaders who are shaping what comes next for medical meetings.

This year, we’re excited to bring the community together at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel, just outside Miami, from August 4–6, 2026.

As the only event dedicated specifically to the needs of life sciences exhibitors—spanning pharma, biotech, devices, diagnostics, and healthcare IT. HCEA delivers education that is practical, relevant, and rooted in real‑world challenges. Every attendee will leave with fresh insights and tools they can put to work right away.

While summer is a quieter season for many, nearly 250 healthcare event professionals choose HCEA as the moment to reset, refocus, and look ahead. Sitting between spring’s busiest meeting cycle and the ramp‑up to fall planning, GST26 offers a rare chance to step back, gain clarity, and elevate your strategy. It’s the space where we shift from simply keeping pace to setting the pace—building on the content you’ve told us matters most and expanding it with new ideas designed to move your program forward.

This year’s conference will explore how innovative approaches, smarter data, and modern engagement strategies can transform healthcare exhibitions and events. Through expert-led education, hands-on learning, and conversations with peers who understand your world, we’ll examine the trends, technologies, and regulatory dynamics shaping the road ahead.

What to Expect

• Keynote: Hear from a thought leader on the latest in healthcare event innovation, attendee engagement, and strategic planning.

• Educational Presentations and Panel Discussion: Dive deep into hot topics like AI-powered event personalization, evolving compliance regulations, and sustainability in exhibitions.

• Industry Expo: Meet the top suppliers and technology providers fueling innovation in healthcare meetings. Interested in exhibiting?

• Spotlight Sessions: fast-paced, creative, and topical presentations by leading suppliers.

• Industry Roundtables: segmented by member type, discuss the key issues that matter most with fellow corporate, association, and industry suppliers. 

• The HCEA HCP Panel: The flagship session of our annual meeting, clinicians and other healthcare professionals weigh in on what's important and offer suggestions on how to make your exhibits more effective and memorable.
  
  

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Agenda Day By Day
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Three Days Packed with Networking and Learning  

Defend the channel and prove its value by developing stronger frameworks to measure, articulate, and champion the unique impact of your work, giving you the confidence to demonstrate ROI during budget season. Embrace strategic simplicity with streamlined approaches to program management, agency partnership, and creative innovation that deliver meaningful results without unnecessary complexity. Shape the industry’s future by joining fellow innovators to explore what comes next and identify the ideas that will become tomorrow’s best practices. Together, these pillars create a program designed to keep you ahead of the curve, with insights from industry leaders, discussions on emerging technologies, and practical strategies for navigating the evolving world of healthcare conventions as we all look toward brighter horizons.

Among our Educational Sessions

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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

Hotel Details
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HCEA's annual meeting will take place at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel, centerpiece of The Plaza Coral Gables, a new mixed use development. Just minutes from downtown Miami, the Loews offers plush accommodations, myriad dining options, and easy access to both downtown Miami and Coconut Grove.

HCEA has reserved a limited number of discounted sleeping rooms for GST26 attendees. We will provide a booking link with confirmation of your registration.

Miami International Airport (MIA) offers non-stop flights to and from hundreds of cities, and is a short 15 minutes away.

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Registration Opens Soon!

Your investment in HCEA's Summer Break pays dividends all year. Your team will be more effective. Your leadership will love you. And your competitors will wonder how you spent your summer because you're getting so far ahead.

Our flat-rate registration fee includes full access to conference sessions, afternoon snack breaks, our Wednesday evening networking reception, lunch on Thursday, and breakfast on Thursday and Friday.

If you are a current HCEA member, please make sure to log in first before registering for GST26. If you need to, you can reset your password.
Please note that all registration fees are non-refundable. Registrations can be transferred to another HCEA member in good standing any time prior to opening day.  

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Interested in Sponsoring the Annual Meeting?

LAST YEAR'S SPONSORS

HCEA offers two ways to become a sponsor:

• Our year-round sponsorship opportunities are outlined here, and include valuable benefits at the annual meeting.
• We will also be offering annual meeting-specific sponsorship opportunities. Stay tuned to learn more.

Questions? Contact Us. 

Have questions we haven't answered here? Drop us a line here.