What SantExpo does

SantExpo is an annual healthcare and medical-social trade show held in Paris, France, founded in 1966 and co-organized since inception as a joint venture between the Fédération Hospitalière de France (FHF), the main French public hospital federation (a loi 1901 non-profit), and GL events Exhibitions Opérations, the exhibition operations arm of the GL events group. The 2026 edition, marking the event's 60th anniversary, was held May 19-21 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles Hall 1 and attracted 37,180 participants, 696 exhibitors, 749 speakers, 304 sessions, and 156 journalists. Programming is organized across five healthcare universes: IT and Digital Technologies, Medical Equipment, Building and Technical Platform, Institutions and Services, and Hospitality and Logistics.

The core product is the annual three-day event itself, complemented by an iOS/Android mobile application powered by the Inwink event platform that provides exhibitor discovery, interactive floor plans, real-time program updates, participant networking, and integrated messaging. Supplementary program modules include FHF-organized Conferences and Agoras covering policy, innovation, AI in health, cancer care, mental health, and human resources; themed Expert Tours (Parcours Experts) curating guided visits of selected exhibitors; a Networking Platform for participant-to-participant and participant-to-exhibitor messaging; and a pre-event Newsletter Service. The underlying technology stack is the Inwink event management and registration platform, with FHF owning the website domain and GL events handling infrastructure, logistics, and platform development.

The business model is two-sided and primarily exhibitor-funded. Visitor admission is free with required professional registration (badge nominatif), meaning attendee growth is not a direct revenue lever. Revenue is generated from exhibitor booth fees (quote-based, varying by booth size and positioning across 696 exhibitors), branded sponsorships and partnership packages, and partner promotional placements across event materials, the website, the mobile app, and on-site signage. Go-to-market relies on the FHF public hospital network for visitor recruitment, direct sales outreach via the GL events exhibitor platform for booth sales, and content marketing (newsletter, YouTube replays, social media) for year-round engagement. The 6-person direct team is supplemented operationally by GL events infrastructure and FHF scientific and institutional resources.

Name

SantExpo

Legal name

Fédération Hospitalière de France (FHF)

Website

https://santexpo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SantExpo is an annual Paris-based healthcare and medical-social trade show co-organized by the Fédération Hospitalière de France (FHF) and GL events, drawing over 37,000 participants and 696 exhibitors across five healthcare universes including digital health, medical equipment, and hospital infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor Fees: Companies and organizations pay to exhibit at the event, gaining visibility and networking opportunities with healthcare professionals
2. Visitor Badges/Registration: Free admission for registered healthcare professionals; revenue model supports exhibitor investment return
3. Sponsorship and Partnership: Branded sponsorship opportunities, partner logos, and promotional placements throughout the event and materials

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SantExpo is an annual healthcare and medical-social trade show held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, bringing together healthcare professionals, institutions, and industry vendors across five universes (IT & Digital Technologies, Medical Equipment & Devices, Building & Technical Facilities, Institutions & Services, and Hospitality & Logistics). The offering centers on physical exhibition space for vendors, a conference and agora program organized by FHF, expert-led themed tours, and a dedicated mobile application supporting on-site navigation, exhibitor discovery, and participant networking.

Product overview

SantExpo is a single unified product — an annual healthcare and medical-social trade show event platform organized by the Fédération Hospitalière de France (FHF) and GL events. The offering consists of the core SantExpo Event Platform (the main trade show), supplemented by the SantExpo Mobile Application for on-site experience, FHF Conferences and Agoras programming module, Expert Tours (Parcours Experts) for guided thematic visits, Networking Platform for participant connections, and Newsletter Service for pre-event communications. The event serves as a major convening point for the French healthcare ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SantExpo Annual Trade Show Annual healthcare and medical-social trade show held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, bringing together over 37,000 participants including healthcare professionals, institutions, and innovators across five universes: IT & Digital Technologies, Medical Equipment & Devices, Building & Technical Facilities, Institutions & Services, and Hospitality & Logistics.
• SantExpo Mobile Application iOS and Android mobile application providing exhibitor discovery, real-time program tracking, interactive floor plans, participant networking, agenda management, appointment scheduling, and integrated messaging for healthcare professionals and exhibitors attending SantExpo.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37,180 participants in 2026 (+6% growth from 2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FHF CancerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026FHF thematic committee focused on oncology, coordinating cancer-related sessions and discussions during SantExpo.
• BPIFRANCEminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2026French public investment bank partnering through convention signature with FHF and Acteurs de la French Care.
• Acteurs de la French CareminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Alliance of French healthcare actors; partnership convention signed with FHF during SantExpo for collaborative initiatives.
• Courir pour toiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Mental health awareness association; convention signed with FHF during SantExpo for youth mental health initiatives.
• Fédération Hospitalière de France (FHF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of SantExpo alongside GL events. FHF is the main French hospital federation representing public hospitals and healthcare institutions. FHF provides scientific programming, speaker coordination, and access to its extensive hospital network for participant recruitment.
• GL events Exhibitions OpérationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer and technical developer of SantExpo. Responsible for exhibition infrastructure, logistics, registration platform, and event management. Also handles design and development of the website according to source documentation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Informa Markets: Informa Markets operates a global portfolio of healthcare trade shows (including FIME, Arab Health historically) and is the largest B2B exhibition organizer. Comparable to GL events as the broader incumbent trade show platform under which SantExpo competes.

Direct peers

• Salon Infirmier (RX France): Salon Infirmier is the leading French nursing and healthcare professional trade show, organized by RX France. Directly comparable to SantExpo as a French healthcare professional event targeting the medico-social ecosystem.
• HIMSS Global Health Conference: HIMSS Global is the leading healthcare IT and digital health conference worldwide, attracting hospital CIOs, IT directors and digital health vendors. Highly comparable to SantExpo's digital health, AI and cybersecurity programming targeting French hospital DSIs and decision-makers.
• Arab Health: Arab Health is one of the largest healthcare exhibitions globally, held annually in Dubai and serving the Middle East/Africa region. Comparable to SantExpo as a multi-universe healthcare B2B trade show targeting hospital decision-makers and medical technology vendors.
• EHPAD Expo: EHPAD Expo is a French trade show focused on elderly care facilities and the medico-social sector — a sub-universe that SantExpo also addresses, making it a closely related direct peer within the French healthcare events market.
• RSNA Annual Meeting: RSNA is the world's premier radiology conference, combining a large exhibition floor with a multi-thousand-delegate scientific program — a comparable model of combining healthcare equipment exhibitors with extensive expert content programming as SantExpo does.
• FIME (Informa Markets): FIME is a major medical device and equipment exhibition held in the Americas (Miami), organized by Informa Markets. Directly comparable to SantExpo's Medical Equipment universe and B2B trade show model for healthcare vendors.
• MEDICA (Messe Düsseldorf): MEDICA is the world's largest medical trade fair, held annually in Düsseldorf and covering medical technology, digital health, laboratory equipment and hospital supplies — directly comparable to SantExpo's healthcare/medico-social focus and B2B trade show model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SantExpo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SantExpo
• Instagraminstagram.com/santexpo_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/santexpo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SantExpo