Thirty-one years ago, a small group of European clinicians believed that learning through simulation could transform patient care. This June in Lyon, more than 650 abstracts, a WHO Chief Scientist, and a programme spanning XR, AI, diversity, and Francophone simulation will prove just how right they were.
The SESAM Scientific Committee is delighted to share that an amazing programme has been developed for our 31st Annual Meeting , which will take place from 17 to 19 June 2026 in the historic city of Lyon.
More than 650 abstracts will be presented as oral and short communications, e-posters, and workshops. An inspiring selection of plenary sessions will address this year’s theme: “Celebrating the diverse community of healthcare simulation”.
Day 1
Sylvie Briand, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization and expert in epidemic preparedness, will open the meeting by exploring global healthcare priorities and the central role of simulation in building resilient systems. Professors Debra Nestel (Monash University) and Gabriel Reedy (King’s College London) will lead a “Hot Topic” session on diversity in simulation research, drawing on their extensive academic and editorial backgrounds. The afternoon features an Extended Reality (XR) Panel chaired by Kristian Krogh. This panel brings together Doris Østergaard, pioneering patient safety and simulation researcher; Carla Sá Couto, Professor at the University of Porto and chair of the Simulation Research Network (SiReN); Barry Issenberg, Professor & Director of the Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education; and Serena Ricci, Professor at University of Genova, to examine the educational value of VR, AR, and MR.
Day 2
It will commence with Professor Stephani Hatch (King’s College), a leading researcher in simulation and workforce equity, who will reflect on how culture and inclusive practice can enhance patient safety. Later, SESAM Executive Board members Pier Luigi Ingrassia, Cristina Diaz-Navarro, Pedro Cartaxo Cintra, Kirsty J Freeman, Aida Camps, Gustavo Norte, and Serena Ricci will discuss how to shape SESAM for tomorrow, celebrating achievements in advocacy and quality assurance. To finish the day, Méryl Paquay, a Professor and Quality Manager at University of Liège, and François Lecomte, an emergency physician and Vice President of SOFRASIMS, will deliver a joint keynote on the evolving landscape of simulation in the Francophone world.
Day 3
It will start with Réka Mihálka, a lecturer at ETH Zurich specializing in generative AI, who will examine the responsible and effective use of AI in education, research, and writing. James Tiernan and Ed Mellanby, both clinician-educators from Edinburgh, will invite the community to reflect on creating meaningful and inclusive learning experiences. The final keynote will be delivered by Professor Sarah Saxena (University of Mons) who will address the 2026 challenges of AI and inclusion in simulation leadership.
The Case for Coming to Lyon
The scientific programme alone would justify the trip. But the true currency of SESAM 2026 is not the research itself. It is what happens when the people behind it are finally in the same room. Ideas that have been developing in isolation across different institutions, countries, and clinical cultures will collide, merge, and evolve in ways no conference platform can replicate.
Attending SESAM 2026 means arriving in Lyon with questions and leaving with more than just answers. It means gaining access to interactive sessions covering every aspect of the field of simulation, engaging directly with researchers, clinicians, and educators who face the same challenges from different perspectives, and a program that intentionally bridges the gap between theory and immediate practical application. It also means being part of the conversation: one more voice in a community that grows stronger and more credible as it becomes more diverse. Just as this year’s conference theme celebrates.
Before the Meeting Begins: The Pre-Congress Programme
The pre-congress programme opens on 15 June and runs through 16 June, offering two full days of activities before the main meeting begins.
The first day is oriented around exploration and connection, with off-site visits to Lyon’s simulation institutions, offering delegates an early opportunity to engage with healthcare infrastructures and the city before the main programme opens.
The second pre-congress day is structured around six full workshops, each addressing a distinct dimension of simulation practice. Topics include the pivotal role of the simulation technician; simulation excellence across different resource contexts; best practice standards for simulation design across modalities; a global perspective on human simulation; and a practical introduction to 3D printing as a problem-solving tool in simulation environments. A full-day Writing Retreat rounds out the offer, designed for those looking to make progress on manuscripts and research outputs in a structured, peer-supported setting.
Where Science Meets Technology
Running alongside the scientific programme, the Exhibition Hall is where the field becomes tangible. The exhibitor line-up reflects the full breadth of the sector: specialists in digital and extended reality simulation, task trainers, anatomical models, and video debriefing systems. A place to put hands on the tools, to ask the manufacturers the questions that papers cannot answer, and to discover what is coming next before it reaches the wider market. In a field where technology is constantly evolving, the exhibition area becomes not just a break from the program, but almost an extension of it.
A clear act of academic advocacy: Sim University
Sim University is a flagship SESAM initiative bringing together interprofessional teams of undergraduate students from Europe and beyond to engage in high-quality simulation-based experiences that promote clinical reasoning, teamwork, and shared decision-making in complex care environments.
The 2026 edition follows a structured two-phase format. Teams first competed in a virtual preliminary round earlier in the year, a process that is itself an educational experience, requiring preparation, the kind of deliberate practice that simulation-based training is built upon. This year, six teams have earned their place in the on-site finals in Lyon: Romania, Qatar, Morocco, Portugal, Georgia, and France.
Arriving at SESAM means stepping into direct contact with a community of educators, researchers, and clinicians working at the forefront of the field and gaining first-hand exposure to the most advanced simulation technology currently available.
SESAM INN: An Incubator for New Ideas
SESAM INN, the Innovation Nest, is the new SESAM initiative designed to foster creativity within the simulation community. It offers a platform for simulationists, educators, researchers, and innovators to develop and showcase projects, prototypes, educational programmes, and proofs of concept across educational, diagnostic, and intervention levels.
The process follows a simple progression. Applicants submit an elevator pitch video presenting their work, and from all submissions received, ten finalists are selected and announced, each invited to present at the SESAM INN Showcase held during the pre-congress programme on 16 June. The following day, the Lou Oberndorf Innovation Nest Award is presented to the winning project.
Conclusions
The work of healthcare simulation is, by definition, collective. It improves through shared practice, honest feedback, and the kind of trust that takes time, and proximity, to build. SESAM 2026 is one of the few occasions in the European calendar where all of that can happen at once.
“We cannot wait to be in Lyon, enjoy the company of simulation colleagues, and be inspired by our common goals. Looking forward to seeing you there!“, says Michaela Kolbe, Chair of the SESAM Scientific Committee
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