Published on December 29, 2025
US states and cities are using high‑profile health and medical‑technology exhibitions to attract foreign patients, investors and professionals. These events, scheduled from 2026 onward, are coordinated by state authorities, municipal convention centers and national associations. By highlighting local hospitals, research parks and tourist attractions, the conferences serve as gateways to medical tourism. The following sections summarise the major officially verified events, sorted by state and city, and explain how each gathering promotes medical travel and healthcare innovation.
Florida’s warm climate and internationally connected airports already make it a hub for health tourism. The World Health Expo (formerly FIME) leverages this advantage by bringing together the global medical industry. Organisers have announced that WHX 2026 will be held 17–19 June 2026 at the Miami Beach Convention Center[1]. Billed as the world’s leading healthcare platform, it offers three days of exhibits, education and networking opportunities across medical devices, hospital equipment, and digital health. The event promotes the Miami region’s hospitals and clinics, encouraging attendees to combine attendance with consultations or treatments. Organisers describe WHX as “the world’s leading healthcare platform” with opening hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 17–18 June and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on 19 June[2]. The show emphasises learning, relationship building and business, and the 2025 edition attracted exhibitors from around the world, setting expectations for a larger 2026 show.
The International Pow Wow (IPW) is not a medical conference per se, but it drives inbound travel to the United States. The U.S. Travel Association has scheduled IPW 2026 for 17–21 May 2026 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale[3]. Delegations of travel buyers meet with U.S. destinations, many of which offer health and wellness packages. IPW is described as the world’s leading inbound travel trade show, generating billions of dollars in future travel to America[3]. By showcasing Florida’s beaches, hospitals and wellness resorts, local tourism authorities expect to capture a share of the growing global medical tourism market.
Simulation‑based training enhances patient safety and reduces costs; it also attracts clinicians and educators to host cities. The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) will stage IMSH 2026 10–14 January 2026 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas[4]. The five‑day meeting is the largest scientific conference on healthcare simulation and will bring thousands of professionals, 140 companies and interactive workshops[4]. Attendees learn about cutting‑edge simulation centres and may tour local facilities, creating opportunities for San Antonio hospitals and academic centres to attract medical tourists.
The IMSH FAQ lists future dates: 23–27 January 2027 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in Louisiana[5]. New Orleans will use the conference to showcase its rapidly expanding medical corridor near University Medical Center and to encourage delegates to experience local culture and cuisine. By rotating between Texas and Louisiana, IMSH helps different southern states position themselves in the medical education and tourism marketplace.
Nevada has invested heavily in convention facilities and marketing to diversify its tourism economy beyond casinos. Las Vegas hosts multiple healthcare conferences in 2026, each providing a platform for medical tourism.
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The HLTH conference has become a high‑profile meeting of health‑system executives, insurers, life‑science companies and technology firms. Official event listings note that HLTH 2026 will take place 15–18 November 2026 at the Venetian Expo Center in Las Vegas[6]. Described as “healthcare’s #1 innovation event,” it offers sessions on artificial intelligence, global health collaboration and patient‑centric solutions[6]. A separate official listing emphasises that HLTH attracts more than 12,000 leaders and provides curated networking and 1‑to‑1 matchmaking[7]. Such a concentration of decision‑makers allows Nevada hospitals and telehealth companies to market themselves directly to domestic and international attendees.
The Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) stages one of the largest global health IT conferences. While the primary site requires login, healthcare media and partner organisations confirm that HIMSS26 will convene 9–12 March 2026 at the Venetian Convention & Expo Center in Las Vegas[8]. It is described as the world’s leading health information and technology conference, attracting around 25,000 attendees[8]. Another listing calls the conference the “epicenter of healthcare technology,” noting that more than 25,000 pioneers from 88 countries attended the previous edition[9]. HIMSS26 provides sessions on AI‑powered diagnostics, new care models, cybersecurity and interoperability. These themes align with digital‑health tourism, as prospective patients seek destinations offering advanced technologies. The HIMSS knowledge hub outlines future dates: HIMSS27 will take place 5–8 April 2027 in Chicago, Illinois, and HIMSS28 will run 28 February to 2 March 2028 in Orlando, Florida[10]. These long‑term commitments indicate a sustained U.S. strategy to host global health‑IT leaders and attract medical tourists.
Another Las Vegas event is TravCon, the annual conference for traveling healthcare professionals. Official FAQs state that TravCon 2026 will be held 13–16 September 2026 at the Paris Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip[11]. It is described as the largest conference for traveling healthcare professionals, with over 130 exhibitors and sessions on continuing education, licensing updates and travel nursing opportunities[12]. By bringing thousands of travel nurses and allied professionals to Las Vegas, the event also encourages them to visit local clinics and consider Nevada for contract work or elective procedures.
ViVE is a digital health conference co‑organised by HLTH and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). The Los Angeles Convention Center’s official calendar shows that ViVE 2026 will take place 22–25 February 2026 across multiple halls[13]. It describes ViVE as a premier digital health event focusing on the business of healthcare, merging CHIME’s community with HLTH’s network to convene C‑suite executives, startups, investors and policymakers[13]. By hosting ViVE, Los Angeles aims to highlight its biotechnology cluster, entertainment tourism and world‑class medical centres such as UCLA and Cedars‑Sinai.
The BIO International Convention is the largest biotechnology gathering, and the 2026 edition returns to California’s life‑science hub. Official announcements confirm that BIO 2026 will be held 22–25 June 2026 at the San Diego Convention Center[14]. The event attracts about 20,000 industry leaders from around the world[14] and emphasises reconnecting the global biotech community around the mission of improving lives. A proprietary partnering platform enables delegates to schedule thousands of one‑to‑one meetings, fostering collaborations that lead to clinical trials and patient referrals. San Diego’s biotech cluster – home to gene‑therapy pioneers and top research institutes – benefits from this influx of investors and scientists, thereby boosting health tourism.
Boston’s reputation as a medtech and academic centre helps it attract global conferences. The MedTech Conference 2026 will be hosted 18–21 October 2026 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Organisers note that the 2025 conference was the largest U.S. medtech event, bringing more than 3,700 leaders from 1,800 companies across 38 countries[15]. The 2026 edition promises to be the venue where medtech’s most important conversations happen and invites industry leaders to take the stage[16]. By showcasing Massachusetts’ hospitals, research universities and startup ecosystem, the conference encourages attendees to extend their stay for medical treatments or collaborations.
Public health leadership also influences medical tourism, as strong local health departments ensure safe environments for patients. The NACCHO360 Annual Conference 2026 is scheduled for 14–17 July 2026 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, with a concurrent virtual component[17]. Organised by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the conference theme is “Racing Forward, Swinging Big: United for Public Health’s Future.” The event is described as the largest convening of local health department leaders and public health professionals[17]. Sessions will focus on innovative programs, partnerships and workforce development. Louisville will use the conference to highlight its growing health‐care sector and to attract visits to the University of Louisville Medical Center and other facilities.
The U.S. commitment to hosting international health‑IT conferences extends beyond 2026. The HIMSS knowledge hub lists HIMSS27 for 5–8 April 2027 in Chicago, Illinois, and HIMSS28 for 28 February–2 March 2028 in Orlando, Florida[10]. Chicago will leverage its new McCormick Place expansion and the Illinois Medical District, while Orlando will capitalise on its theme parks and state‑of‑the‑art hospitals. These long‑term dates provide clarity for overseas attendees planning medical tourism packages.
These officially verified events illustrate how U.S. states and cities are using conferences to position themselves as destinations for medical treatment and innovation. Florida’s WHX and IPW connect device manufacturers, buyers and travel operators, making Miami and Fort Lauderdale gateways for Latin American patients. Texas and Louisiana leverage IMSH to showcase simulation centres and attract clinicians seeking training and elective procedures. Nevada’s cluster of events—HLTH, HIMSS and TravCon—transforms Las Vegas into a year‑round venue for health‑technology innovation, drawing tens of thousands of professionals who may combine attendance with surgery or wellness packages.
In California, ViVE and the BIO convention highlight the state’s leadership in digital health and biotechnology, driving visits to Los Angeles and San Diego’s hospitals and research institutes. Boston’s MedTech Conference underscores Massachusetts’ role in device innovation and invites global partners to experience the region’s academic medical centres. Louisville’s NACCHO360 demonstrates that even mid‑sized cities can host large public health conferences, thereby boosting their visibility and capacity to provide safe care.
By securing future events such as HIMSS27 in Chicago and HIMSS28 in Orlando, U.S. states signal their long‑term commitment to becoming hubs for medical tourism. These conferences not only generate immediate economic benefits through hotel stays and restaurant spending but also foster long‑term partnerships that bring patients and research investments to local healthcare systems. As medical tourism grows, the synergy between conferences and state marketing strategies will continue to define the United States’ role in the global health marketplace.
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