ICEM/IFEM 2026: Will we see you in Hamburg?

ICEM is the annual conference of the International Federation of Emergency Medicine. I went to the conference in Montreal last year (it was amazing). ICEM 2026 is heading to Hamburg — and it’s shaping up to be one of the standout EM meetings of the year.

👉 https://icem2026.de
👉 https://icem2026.com/program/scientific-program

If you’ve been to an IFEM conference before, you’ll know the deal. This isn’t just another conference. It’s a real insight into the global view of EM, different systems, different challenges, and a lot of shared problems. I like it because I often pick up ideas that are just not on my radar in the UK. People do some amazing things outside of your own sphere of influence and this is one of the places to feel that.

Why this one’s worth your time

ICEM has always had a slightly different feel.

Less tribal. More curious. More willing to ask: “How do you do it?” — and occasionally “Why do we do it like this?”

You’ll get the big topics — resus, trauma, education, systems — but often through a global lens that’s hard to find elsewhere. And that matters. Because context changes everything.

The programme

The programme is now live, and there’s plenty in there to get stuck into. Program is here https://icem2026.com/program/scientific-program

St Emlyn’s in Hamburg

There’s a decent St Emlyn’s showing this year.

I’ll be there, with a usual mix of EBM and a talk I’m really looking forward to on developing excellence in EM. I’m hoping to give gentle (or not so gentle) challenge to how we think about both. I’ve also geot a session on ethics in EM which is panel discussion that should be great. Zaf Qasim is also on the programme. If you’ve seen Zaf speak before, you’ll know this will be great as one of the best presenters on resuscitation science in the world. We’d love if you come to our talks, but please just come and chat. We love meeting new people from arou d the world of EM.

And yes…

We’re told that Noah Wyle (yes, that one) is making an appearance. We’re not entirely sure what that will involve, but it’ll probably be fun.

The real reason to go

The best bits of ICEM aren’t on the stage.

They’re in the chats between sessions.
The “how do you manage this?” conversations.
The realisation that someone, somewhere, has already solved the problem you’re struggling with.

Hamburg helps

It doesn’t hurt that it’s in Hamburg, I’ve never been but everyone I know who has tells me it’s a great city, easy to get around, and with plenty to do once the day job is done. I’ve also met the organisers and they are really really interested in making sure people enjoy the conference and the city. They are working really hard to make sure it works well, with loads of entertainment/experience around the talks. They are also really fun. and lovely people, you really want to meet them and chat 🙂

So… will we see you there?

If you’re into EM, especially global EM (and we’re guessing you are), it’s worth a look. I always put a caveat on that conferences, especially international ones are expensive in terms of time and money. For many it also means that families and partners get to look after normal life whilst we swan off to the airport. Not everyone will be able to make it, and we recognise that. There is an international program to support delegates from LMIC, but to be honest we are all feeling the financial stress at the moment. So we defo get that.

So If you can make it that’s amazing. If you cannot, we will try and share the best content here on St Emlyn’s in the Summer.