Beyond Borders: The Deconstruction of the Congress Market

A growing number of scientific and medical societies are expanding their search for congress venues beyond national borders. What was once a predominantly domestic process—organising events in one’s own country—is gradually giving way to a global engagement strategy.

This shift is driven by multiple, intertwined factors. On the one hand, there is a pressing need for financial sustainability: sponsorships and public funding are decreasing, while hotel costs and room availability in traditional congress destinations are being impacted by the post-pandemic tourism boom. At the same time, new scientific hubs are emerging, interdisciplinary collaboration is accelerating, and destinations that have invested in cooperation and positioning are becoming more attractive than ever.

Moreover, participants increasingly expect value—not only scientific, but experiential. This puts pressure on associations to find venues and destinations that can offer cutting-edge technological infrastructure, competitive congress services, and environments that support interaction and visibility. In this scenario, some congress centres and cities are proving to be far more equipped and responsive than others.

The result is a progressive deconstruction of the traditional congress market. National rotation models are weakening, and neutral or third-party destinations are gaining ground as strategic platforms. While regulatory and certification constraints continue to bind many medical events to specific geographies, the trend is clear: associations are becoming transnational actors, less dependent on political borders and more driven by scientific and strategic alignment.

This is more than a reflection of globalisation. It is a structural transformation—and understanding its long-term impact is key to repositioning strategies for destinations, venues, and all congress stakeholders.