Coimbra to Host ICCA Future of Healthcare Meetings in 2028

Coimbra will host the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Future of Healthcare Meetings in 2028. The announcement was made during the fifth edition of the event, held in Athens from 20 to 22 September 2026.

 

The Future of Healthcare Meetings (FHCM) is ICCA’s annual event focused on the future of medical and healthcare congresses. It brings together international medical and scientific associations, meeting organisers, destinations and suppliers to examine how healthcare meetings are evolving and how the different stakeholders involved can work more effectively together.

 

Healthcare represents an important share of the international association meetings market. When ICCA launched the initiative, it reported that 37% of association meetings were linked to science and healthcare.

 

Coimbra’s selection for the seventh edition adds another ICCA event to the Iberian Chapter’s calendar. The chapter, which brings together members from Spain and Portugal, has maintained a strong presence in ICCA’s international rankings, supported by established congress cities and an increasing number of regional and second-tier destinations.

 

ICCA has selected several destinations across the Iberian Peninsula to host its own events in recent years. Granada hosted the ICCA Global Association Forum in 2025, while Porto welcomed the ICCA World Congress the same year. Bilbao will host the ICCA Business Workshop European in 2027, followed by Coimbra and the Future of Healthcare Meetings in 2028.

 

Events such as the Global Association Forum, FHCM and the Business Workshop European attract fewer delegates than the ICCA World Congress, but their focused formats carry strategic value. They connect international associations directly with destinations, suppliers and decision-makers, while giving host cities greater visibility within specific segments of the association market.

 

The Iberian Chapter’s position is also reflected in ICCA’s 2025 rankings. Lisbon ranked first worldwide for international association meetings, Barcelona third and Madrid 13th, placing three Iberian cities among the global top 20.

 

At country level, Spain ranked fourth and Portugal eighth. Their performance is supported by a much broader network of destinations. A total of 55 Spanish cities and 24 Portuguese cities appeared in the 2025 ranking, out of 1,603 cities worldwide.

 

Granada, Porto, Valencia, Málaga, Coimbra, Bilbao and Seville are among the regional and second-tier destinations gaining greater international visibility. Their presence spreads association business across a wider geographic area and reduces dependence on a small number of major metropolitan centres.

 

A broader distribution also strengthens the Iberian Chapter as a whole. More destinations are competing for and hosting international association meetings, giving organisers access to different academic, scientific, cultural and professional communities across Spain and Portugal.

 

Healthcare adds further context to Coimbra’s 2028 selection. Medical sciences is one of the three leading disciplines represented in ICCA’s rankings, and both Iberian countries hold strong positions in the field. Spain ranked third worldwide for medical sciences meetings in 2025, while Portugal placed eighth.

 

Coimbra’s appointment therefore connects two clear developments within the Iberian meetings market: the growing visibility of regional and second-tier destinations, and the strong position of Spain and Portugal in medical and scientific meetings.

 

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