Helping ESPEN to reach more delegates at the "Congress of the Year"

ESPEN 2025 needed to serve a highly specialised global audience with a dense, high-value scientific and educational programme. With up to five sessions running in parallel, delegates could not attend every session relevant to them in person. Travel challenges also affected some participants, including delegates who could not easily reach Prague. Alongside these access needs, the congress had an important association challenge: to make the value and activities of ESPEN beyond the annual congress more visible to a broader audience. 

MCI supported a congress experience designed around access, learning and engagement. The scientific and educational programme was delivered across 99 sessions, giving clinical nutrition specialists multiple ways to learn, exchange knowledge and connect with current developments in the field. To extend the value of the programme, congress content was recorded and made available to delegates after the sessions. Live online access helped participants who faced travel difficulties follow the congress remotely. MCI also supported a new interactive format for the opening ceremony, replacing traditional official speeches with a lively ESPEN leadership panel after an impressive opening video. 

ESPEN 2025 brought together 4,772 attendees and gave remote access to 102 Ukrainian participants. The congress delivered a broad scientific and educational programme with world-renowned speakers and interactive discussions. The 99 sessions covered educational learning, practical workshops, scientific exchange, poster tours, satellite symposia, state-of-the-art lectures and new ESPEN guidelines sessions. More than 1,500 abstracts were submitted, showing the congress’s strength as a platform for global research exchange. The refreshed opening ceremony helped present ESPEN’s wider association value in a more engaging way, while recorded content extended the life of the programme. 

The 47th ESPEN Congress on Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism was named Congress of the Year 2025 at the Prague Convention Bureau’s Ambassador Awards. The recognition reflected the congress’s role in bringing leading experts together, presenting Czech expertise internationally, supporting research and contributing to the education of healthcare professionals in the Czech Republic.  

MCI’s continued partnership with ESPEN reflects the value of long-term collaboration, where each congress builds deeper audience understanding and stronger support for the association’s wider goals. 

Q1. How can our association extend learning beyond a congress? 
A. Recording congress sessions and making them available after the event helps delegates continue their learning journey, especially when parallel sessions mean they cannot attend every topic in person. 

Q2. How can we support delegates who face travel barriers? 
A. Live online access and recorded sessions can keep international delegates connected to the programme when travel is difficult, helping associations protect participation and widen access to specialist content. 

Q3. How can we add interest to our opening ceremony in a way that still demonstrates the value of our association? 
A. A more interactive opening format, such as a leadership panel, can help move beyond formal speeches and give delegates a clearer view of the association’s purpose, activities and wider value. 

Q4. How can we manage a complex scientific programme with many sessions? 
A. Strong congress planning, clear programme structure and content capture can help delegates benefit from a large multi-track scientific programme during and after the event. 

Partner with MCI to design congress experiences that extend learning, improve access and strengthen association value. Contact us today.