The 2026 Healthcare Design Conference + Expo returns to a favorite destination Oct. 17-20, bringing attendees back to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans for four days of education, networking, and new product discovery.
Conference staples will once again include preconference facility tours, keynote presentations, more than 100 educational sessions, networking events, and an exhibit hall showcasing the latest products and services for healthcare environments.
But while the setting may be familiar, the 2026 event will introduce new educational session tracks, a larger exhibit hall, and an expanded Solutions Theater, where exhibitors and industry partners will deliver short, focused presentations throughout expo hours.
To help new and returning attendees, we’ve compiled a list of tips and resources to guide conference planning. For the full conference details, go to hcdexpo.com.
2026 event brings together HCD Conference and IFHE attendees
New for 2026, the HCD Conference + Expo will colocate with the International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE) 29th IFHE World Congress, bringing together healthcare design, engineering, planning, construction, real estate, and operations professionals from around the world.
The partnership, in collaboration with the Association of Medical Facility Professionals (AMFP), gives attendees opportunities to experience both events through shared keynote presentations, networking events, and a combined expo hall where HCD attendees will also have access to the IFHE Pavilion, featuring products and services focused on healthcare engineering and facility management.
The colocation expands opportunities for learning and collaboration, including IFHE‘s conference program exploring global topics such as capital planning under pressure, community-based care models, and the next generation of smart, resilient hospitals, while HCD’s 100-plus educational sessions examine the latest issues shaping healthcare design.
Download the HCD Conference app
Ahead of the 2026 event, attendees and exhibitors can download the HCD Connect app on their mobile devices. This year’s app, sponsored by Kimball International, offers several familiar features along with some new additions aimed at helping attendees plan and manage their schedules.
As in previous years, attendees can update their profiles with a professional photo and short bio. Exhibitors have access to an in-app lead capture system that lets them scan attendee badges to collect contact information for follow-up after the show. New this year, attendees can also scan each other’s badges to exchange contact information directly.
The app gives users access to the full conference agenda. Attendees can build their own schedules, arrange meetings, message other attendees, and set notifications and reminders for session start times.
Explore new session tracks at the 2026 HCD Conference + Expo
This year’s educational program features more than 100 educational sessions, keynotes, interactive roundtables, facility tours, and more. Educational sessions are spread across 13 tracks, based on themes and topics that are top of mind for many architects, designers, engineers, owners and operators, and other industry professionals.
Those tracks include three that are new for 2026: Technology & Innovation, Design Forward, and an International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE) track for attendees who are registered for both the HCD Conference + Expo and the IFHE World Congress. Find the full session schedule at hcdexpo.com.
Vote for the HCD Booth Design Awards
The HCD Conference + Expo is introducing the HCD Booth Design Awards this year to recognize exhibitors for outstanding and impactful booth designs. Attendees can use the mobile app to vote for favorite expo hall booths across six categories: Outstanding Small Footprint Exhibit, Outstanding Large Footprint Exhibit, Best Brand Storytelling, Best Attendee Engagement, People’s Choice Award, and Best New Exhibitor.
Voting closes at 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19, with winners announced Tuesday morning.
Check out new exhibitors, get an updated headshot, and enter to win $10K
This year’s exhibit hall continues to grow, with more than 400 vendors exhibiting at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Plus, more than 50 first-time exhibitors will be on-site this year—to see these companies, read here.
In addition to showcasing products and services designed for healthcare environments, the expo hall will host meals and solutions-focused panel discussions during exhibit hall hours.
Highlights in the exhibit hall include:
- The Solutions Theater: Visit the Solutions Theater to hear short, focused panel sessions with exhibitors and industry partners highlighting emerging tools and approaches to industry challenges. Sessions will be scheduled during exhibit hall hours on Monday and Tuesday. Solutions Theater sponsors are Construction Specialties, Association of Medical Facilities Professionals (AMFP), Haworth, Steris, Tarkett, Kimball, and Vinyl Institute. More details are available at hcdexpo.com.
- Headshot Lounge: Visit Exhibit Hall B-C, where a professional photography team will be available to take headshots. Attendees will receive retouched, high-resolution images within minutes. The Headshot Lounge is sponsored by La-Z-Boy.
- $10,000 Cash Giveaway: Visit the Solutions Theater inside the expo hall on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 12:45 p.m. to find out the winner of the cash giveaway, sponsored by Ever Chairs, Ghent Healthcare, Inpro, National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association, OneFlor USA, Proximity Systems, Sitmatic, Trinity Furniture, and Visa Lighting.
For a preview of new products and services debuting on the show floor, go here.
For more information on the conference and to register, go here.
