Major Medical and Pharmaceutical Congresses in France 2026: The Life Sciences Professional’s Guide

Every year, thousands of doctors, pharmacists, researchers and industry professionals gather in the same congress halls, often in the same Paris hotels, for reasons that go well beyond keeping up with the science. These events are crossroads. Clinical data is presented, of course, but collaborations are also formed, unexpected profiles are met, and the direction a specialty is taking becomes visible long before the press releases confirm it.

For professionals working in pharmaceuticals, medical devices or cosmetics, these congresses are also a field for market intelligence and recruitment. Spotting a specialist who is shifting direction, or meeting a medical director who has held the same post for ten years and is starting to look elsewhere: that kind of interaction does not happen on LinkedIn.

This guide covers the 15 most significant medical and pharmaceutical congresses in France, ranked by reputation and professional attendance. It is designed to stay useful from one year to the next, whatever the dates of each edition.

The 15 Essential French Medical Congresses

1. SOFCOT: Congress of the French Society of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery

SOFCOT runs one of the best attended surgical specialty congresses in France. Every autumn, usually in November in Paris, several thousand orthopaedic surgeons, trauma specialists, rheumatologists and allied health professionals come together for three days of scientific sessions and industry exhibition.

On the industry side, it is a major date for manufacturers of implants, joint prostheses and osteosynthesis hardware. The big names (Stryker, Zimmer Biomet, DePuy Synthes) maintain substantial stands there. For a recruitment firm specialising in Life Sciences, this congress is an excellent barometer of demand for sales engineers, orthopaedic product managers and medical directors.

👉 Roles recruited in connection with this congress: medical device sales engineers, orthopaedic product managers, medical education managers, medical directors.

2. ADF Congress: French Dental Association

The ADF Congress takes place every November at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. With more than 25,000 visitors per edition, it is one of the largest gatherings of oral health professionals in Europe. Dentists, orthodontists, dental technicians, dental assistants and students attend over several days.

The exhibition area, known as the Dental Expo, hosts hundreds of exhibitors: dental equipment suppliers, materials manufacturers, practice management software vendors, and companies working in digital impression and CAD/CAM. The digitisation of the dental practice has been the common thread running through recent editions.

👉 Roles recruited: dental sales representatives, dental sector marketing managers, regional directors for medical equipment.

3. JFR: Journées Francophones de la Radiologie (French-Language Radiology Congress)

The JFR are held every October at Porte de Versailles. This is the largest French-language radiology congress in the world (around 15,000 participants per edition) and one of the few to reach beyond France, bringing together radiologists from Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa.

The scientific programme covers magnetic resonance imaging, CT, ultrasound, interventional radiology and artificial intelligence applied to medical imaging. That last topic has taken up more and more space since 2019. Exhibitors include Philips, Siemens Healthineers, GE HealthCare, Canon Medical and a constellation of medical AI start-ups.

👉 Roles recruited: imaging application engineers, CT and MRI product managers, regulatory affairs managers for class IIb and III medical devices, regional sales directors.

4. JDP: Journées Dermatologiques de Paris (Paris Dermatology Days)

The JDP take place in December at the Palais des Congrès in Paris and are the leading medical and aesthetic dermatology event in France. More than 5,000 dermatologists, allergists and allied health professionals attend each year.

The scientific programme covers medical dermatology (psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, inflammatory skin diseases) as well as aesthetic dermatology, dermatological surgery and cosmetology. On the industry side, dermatology laboratories (Leo Pharma, Sanofi, AbbVie, UCB, Galderma) are present in force. The rise of targeted biologics in inflammatory skin conditions has intensified pharmaceutical presence in recent years.

👉 Roles recruited: dermatology Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs), specialist pharmaceutical sales representatives, product managers for skin biologics.

5. AFU: Congress of the French Association of Urology

The AFU Congress is held in November, usually at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. It brings together between 4,000 and 5,000 urologists, oncologists and surgeons each year. It is the reference forum for advances in urological oncology (prostate, bladder and kidney cancer), andrology and robotic surgery.

Surgical robotics holds a particular place there: Intuitive Surgical, Medtronic and manufacturers of surgical consumables exhibit as a matter of course. The development of new prostate cancer therapies (enzalutamide, apalutamide, radiopharmaceutical therapies) is drawing a growing pharmaceutical presence.

👉 Roles recruited: oncology medical affairs specialists, surgical robotics sales engineers, oncology MSLs, market access managers.

6. Pharmagora: The Community Pharmacy Trade Show

Pharmagora is the leading trade show dedicated to community pharmacy in France. It is held in spring at Paris-Le Bourget and draws around 25,000 visitors, mostly pharmacy owners, associate pharmacists and pharmacy students. It is one of the few sector events to reach that level of attendance outside a medical specialty.

The show covers pharmacy management, over-the-counter advice, the new services pharmacists are now authorised to provide, parapharmacy products and the pharmacist’s expanding role in prevention. For manufacturers of family medicines, dermocosmetics and food supplements, it is unavoidable. Pharmacy management software vendors (Winpharma, SmartRx, LGPI) have a long-standing presence.

👉 Roles recruited: community pharmacy sales representatives, parapharmacy area managers, regional managers for OTC laboratories.

7. SFED: Congress of the French Society of Digestive Endoscopy

The SFED congress is held every spring, usually in March, in Paris. It brings together French gastroenterologists, hepatogastroenterologists and digestive surgeons around the latest advances in therapeutic and diagnostic endoscopy.

Digestive endoscopy is a fast-moving technology sector: capsule endoscopy, AI-assisted endoscopes for polyp detection, endoscopic tumour resection systems. Olympus, Fujifilm Medical and Karl Storz dominate the industry exhibition.

👉 Roles recruited: endoscopy application engineers, product managers for digestive medical devices, medical education managers.

8. Cosmet’Agora: Active Cosmetics and Sustainable Beauty Trade Show

Cosmet’Agora is the main B2B trade show for formulated cosmetics in France. Held every January at Paris-La Défense, it brings together formulators, development managers, R&D directors and buyers from the major cosmetic brands. The tone is resolutely technical: raw materials, manufacturing processes, packaging, and European cosmetics regulation.

The rise of sustainable cosmetics, naturally derived ingredients and regulatory requirements (EC Regulation No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products) has changed the visitor profile. Regulatory affairs and product safety teams are now as numerous as R&D teams.

👉 Roles recruited: cosmetic formulators, cosmetics regulatory affairs managers, product development project managers, toxicologists.

9. SFNV: Congress of the French Neurovascular Society

The SFNV congress brings together vascular neurologists, interventional neuroradiologists and emergency physicians around stroke management. It is a smaller event than the major specialty congresses, but scientifically and industrially dense.

Mechanical thrombectomy for ischaemic stroke has transformed the field in just a few years. Stent retriever manufacturers (Medtronic, Stryker Neurovascular, Penumbra) attend every edition. Drug therapies (thrombolysis, anticoagulants for secondary prevention) also sustain a regular pharmaceutical presence.

👉 Roles recruited: interventional neuroradiology sales engineers, neurology MSLs, product managers for neurovascular devices.

10. SFD: Congress of the French-Speaking Diabetes Society

The SFD congress, held in spring, is one of the most closely followed pharmaceutical events in France. Diabetology has returned to the front rank of the pharmaceutical sector with the rise of GLP-1 analogues (semaglutide, tirzepatide), whose indications now extend well beyond type 2 diabetes.

Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim invest heavily in this congress. For professionals moving into the pharmaceutical industry, the diabetes, obesity and cardiometabolic area has been one of the most active in recruitment since 2022.

👉 Roles recruited: diabetology and endocrinology MSLs, hospital pharmaceutical sales representatives, market access managers, GLP-1 and SGLT2 product managers.

11. SPLF: French-Language Respiratory Medicine Congress

The SPLF congress is held every winter, usually in January or February, and brings together pulmonologists, allergists and thoracic oncologists. Respiratory medicine is a specialty in deep transformation: lung oncology (immunotherapies, EGFR and ALK targeted therapies), severe asthma (anti-IL-5 and anti-TSLP antibodies), COPD and pulmonary arterial hypertension concentrate most of the industry stakes.

AstraZeneca, Roche, MSD, GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim attend every edition. The development of immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer has made this congress an essential date for oncology medical affairs teams.

👉 Roles recruited: thoracic oncology MSLs, hospital respiratory sales representatives, product managers for respiratory biologics, medical directors.

12. JFA: Journées Françaises d’Allergologie (French Allergology Days)

The JFA take place in spring and are the main scientific meeting for French allergists. Allergy is a steadily growing field: allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, food allergy and atopic dermatitis, with boundaries against dermatology and respiratory medicine that grow more porous every year.

The companies present cover both biologics (dupilumab foremost) and more conventional treatments (antihistamines, inhaled corticosteroids). Manufacturers of allergy tests and of allergen immunotherapy products (desensitisation) also have a marked presence.

👉 Roles recruited: specialist allergy pharmaceutical sales representatives, immunology and biologics MSLs, biologics product managers.

13. Journées Françaises de Rhumatologie (French Rheumatology Days)

The Journées Françaises de Rhumatologie are held every autumn in Paris. Rheumatology is one of the specialties where the pharmaceutical industry is most active in France: rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, lupus and psoriatic arthritis are all indications where biologics (anti-TNF, anti-IL-17, anti-IL-23, JAK inhibitors) have profoundly changed practice.

AbbVie, Pfizer, UCB, Novartis, Janssen and Lilly attend with substantial medical and commercial teams. The growth of anti-TNF biosimilars is also creating rising demand for market access and regulatory affairs skills.

👉 Roles recruited: rheumatology MSLs, hospital sales representatives for biologics, market access managers for biosimilars, immunology product managers.

14. SNITEM: Health Industries Forum (MedTech)

SNITEM, the French national medical technology industry association, organises the main professional forum for medical device manufacturers in France. Unlike learned society congresses, it addresses the industry directly: executives, regulatory managers, sales directors and hospital buyers.

Recurring themes include implementation of the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR 2017/745) and the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR 2017/746), cybersecurity for connected medical devices, and hospital market access. For regulatory affairs and quality professionals (ISO 13485), it is a strategic date.

👉 Roles recruited: MDR and IVDR regulatory affairs managers, ISO 13485 quality managers, hospital sales directors, market access project managers.

15. SFAR: Congress of the French Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

The SFAR congress is held every autumn in Paris and gathers between 5,000 and 7,000 anaesthetists and intensivists, nurse anaesthetists (IADE) and critical care specialists. By audience size, it is one of the largest medical congresses among the hospital and academic specialties.

The operating theatre and the intensive care unit consume medical devices in volume: patient monitors, ventilators, infusion consumables, anaesthetic agents. Draeger, Mindray, Fresenius Kabi, Baxter and B. Braun are regular exhibitors. Chronic pain management and perioperative medicine also sustain a steady pharmaceutical presence.

👉 Roles recruited: operating theatre sales engineers, medical education managers in anaesthesia, anaesthesia and critical care product managers, hospital pharmaceutical sales representatives.

Medical Congresses and Recruitment: What These Events Reveal About Life Sciences Careers

Talent pools for pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers

It is no accident that large pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers commit significant budgets to medical congresses. Between stand costs, satellite symposia and the teams deployed on site, a single congress can absorb several hundred thousand euros for a mid-sized laboratory.

These events make it possible to identify qualified profiles in their natural environment: a hospital physician who asks precise questions about clinical trial data is often a potential candidate for an MSL or medical director role. A department head more interested in real-world outcomes than in registration data may well be considering a move into market access.

The medical specialties most active in industry recruitment

Not every specialty generates the same volume of opportunities in industry. Certain factors amplify hiring needs: the arrival of a new therapeutic class, a cycle of simultaneous launches, or a wave of generics or biosimilars that forces companies to reposition their commercial teams.

At present, the most active areas are oncology across all indications, immunology and rheumatology, diabetes and obesity (driven by the GLP-1 boom), and neurology. Medical devices, for their part, are going through a period of regulatory restructuring (MDR, IVDR) that is creating sustained demand in regulatory affairs and quality.

How CDG Conseil supports healthcare professionals through career transitions

CDG Conseil is a recruitment firm specialising in the Life Sciences sectors: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics, biotechnology and medtech. We work both with companies building their medical and commercial teams and with healthcare professionals (doctors, pharmacists, biomedical engineers) considering a move into industry.

Through the INRALS network, of which CDG Conseil is the French member, we connect our clients with candidates and opportunities across Europe. That international reach is particularly useful for regional manager, medical director and regulatory affairs director roles, which frequently sit within multi-country matrix organisations.

How to Make the Most of a Medical Congress for Your Career or Your Hiring

Preparing to attend: what to do before the congress

A useful congress is prepared in advance. Before you travel, identify the scientific sessions that match your interests or your commercial scope. Go through the exhibitor list and note the ones you want to talk to. If you are actively looking, research the companies attending: their pipeline, their recent hires, their regulatory news.

For healthcare professionals weighing a move into industry, satellite symposia (the 90-minute sessions companies run alongside the official programme) are particularly instructive. They show how a company positions its products, how it trains its medical teams and what level of expertise it expects from the people it deals with.

Networking effectively: meeting the right people

Congress receptions and lunches are often more useful than plenary sessions for making real connections. Avoid staying inside your usual circle. If you are a clinician trying to understand how industry works, go to the stands: the medical teams there have time to talk, and that is exactly why they are there.

If you are on the industry side looking for talent, keep in mind that the best candidates are not necessarily the ones who come to you. Watch who asks relevant questions during sessions, who debates with the KOLs, who commands the clinical data better than their peers.

After the congress: turning contacts into real opportunities

The value of a congress is often decided in the two weeks that follow. That is the moment to send a follow-up message to the people you met, to share an article or a study mentioned during a session, to pick up a conversation left hanging. Most opportunities, whether hires, collaborations or partnerships, come out of that post-event follow-up rather than the congress itself.

CDG Conseil, Recruitment Partner for Life Sciences Professionals in France and Europe

The 15 congresses covered in this guide are so many windows onto the skills the Life Sciences industry needs. Each edition traces, in outline, the profiles that pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers struggle to find through conventional channels.

CDG Conseil has worked in these markets for several years. Our understanding of the medical specialties, of the regulatory issues (MDR, IVDR, marketing authorisation, DPC) and of the recruitment dynamics specific to each sector (pharma, biotech, MedTech, cosmetics) allows us to support companies searching for talent and healthcare professionals moving into industry alike.

Through our INRALS network, we operate Europe-wide, with partners in Germany (Ageneo), Spain, the Benelux countries and beyond. That international dimension is a concrete asset for recruitment assignments with a European scope, and for candidates considering international mobility in the Life Sciences sector.

Are you hiring in Life Sciences, or considering a career move into industry? Get in touch with our team for an initial conversation.