Dear Colleagues, Dear Friends,

It is with particular enthusiasm and humility that we send you this message on the occasion of a historic event:

the 100th SOFCOT Congress, to be held in Cannes from 11 to 13 November 2026.

This year marks a turning point, a renewal, with a change of venue: we are leaving Paris for Cannes, with its Croisette, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, and the arrival of our new organising partner, MCO Congrès.

Cannes is no stranger to professional medical events; it was voted the best destination in 2024 for events and festivals. The city, the department and the region are all geared up for the success of this 100th edition, aiming to make it a unique and exceptional congress, rich in conviviality, sharing and knowledge transfer.

The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, ideally located in the heart of Cannes, is a stone’s throw from the SNCF train station, and numerous pleasant hotels and restaurants will make your stay even more enjoyable. Once in Cannes, everything can be done on foot. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, the second largest in France, is a 35-minute drive away.

True to our quest for scientific excellence, we will honour our elders while affirming our commitment to openness and innovation, giving young generations a place at the table. The central themes of this edition will focus on prevention, the cornerstone of our practice, and the 4.0 surgeon, connected, innovative and at the heart of technological developments.

We will have the honour of welcoming Italy as our guest nation and the SFA will be the featured society. The 2026 Congress will be resolutely focused on Europe, the Mediterranean from the Maghreb to Greece, and more broadly on the international scene, with the participation of seven scientific partner societies: AAHKS, APOA, AORecon, EKS, ESSKA, IHS, and JOA. Sessions in English will be spread over the three days to listen to and share the vision of our French, European and international experts, and abstract submissions will be in French and English, with an audience also focused on our European colleagues.

We are continuing our efforts to make this conference even more attractive and interactive, with more discussions, while maintaining a very high scientific standard and ensuring essential exchanges between our valued partners and medical and paramedical conference attendees. We have so much to learn from each other and so much to share. This quote from Saint-Exupéry will be our motto: ‘As for the future, it is not a matter of predicting it, but of making it possible.’

We look forward to seeing you in Cannes, where we will roll out the red carpet for you, walk up the steps on the evening of 11 November and celebrate this 100th congress together at a unique charity dinner on November 12th.

With our sincere gratitude and trust.