Panama to Host SBCC Summit 2026 at Panama Convention Center

Panama continues to strengthen its positioning as an international hub for congresses and conventions with the hosting of the International Social and Behavior Change Communication Summit (SBCC) 2026, the world’s leading gathering of professionals in communication for sustainable development, to be held from June 22 to 26, 2026 at the Panama Convention Center.

The event will bring together for five days more than 1,800 participants, including professionals, researchers, journalists, youth advocates, donors, and public policy decision-makers from more than 125 countries.

“The selection of Panama as the host confirms international confidence in our infrastructure, connectivity, and capacity to host global events, strengthening its positioning as a hub for congresses and conventions, with a direct impact on hotel occupancy, local consumption, and the country’s international visibility,” stated Gloria De León (second from the right in the photo below), General Administrator of the Panama Tourism Authority.

Under the theme “The power of connection: reimagining knowledge, action, and equity in a changing SBCC landscape,” the SBCC Summit 2026 will focus on collaboration, innovation, and equity as strategic responses to today’s global challenges. Transformative solutions and local experiences with global impact will be presented, addressing topics such as public health, education, climate change, and food security.

“The SBCC Summit is more than a conference; it is a movement,” said Debora B. Freitas López (second from the left in the photo below), Co-Chair of the Summit Secretariat and Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. “At a time of unprecedented global crises, ranging from climate disruption to shifts in funding models, this Summit will provide us with the space to rethink how we connect, collaborate, and act in favor of healthier and more just societies.”
 

The Summit programme will be structured around four interconnected thematic pillars:

• Connection and relationships, focused on trust-based leadership, collaboration, and the building of shared leadership.
• Knowledge and evidence, which rethinks what is considered valid evidence and who participates in defining it.
• Action and impact, aimed at mobilising systems and communities to strengthen social resilience through innovation.
• Inclusion and equity, which explores the ethical use of technology, the power of narratives, and ancestral and cultural practices to promote dignity and justice.

The Summit is co-chaired by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP), part of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, and the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), together with a group of global and regional organisations supporting its international scope and relevance. At the local level, the meeting is supported by the Ministry of Social Development, the Panama Tourism Authority, and PROMTUR Panama.

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.