PMWC 2026 Recap: Fewer Handshakes, Stronger Connections

By Inga Rose, Founder & CEO, Reference Medicine

We’ve attended (and exhibited at) a lot of conferences over the years, and most of them follow a pretty familiar rhythm - separate expo halls and conference sessions, tightly scheduled meetings, and a long list of new contacts that all start to blur together by the time you’re on your flight home.

PMWC felt noticeably different.

One of the biggest differences was the setup. The talks and the expo weren’t separated - they were all happening in the same space. At first, we weren’t quite sure how that would work. Would it be distracting? Would it feel chaotic?

And to be honest… it was.

A unique setup, a unique experience

There were definitely moments at PMWC where my ADHD brain went into full overstimulation mode - so much happening, so many conversations, so many sounds and directions to look. A true “oh, squirrel!!” situation more than once.

But the trade-off? The entire experience felt noticeably more connected.

Instead of being pulled in different directions, everything was layered together in a way that made the science, the conversations, and the people feel more integrated. And in the end, those chaotic moments felt completely worth it.

We didn’t have to choose between being at the booth or attending a session. The science, the conversations, and the energy of the conference were all happening together. You could listen to a talk, turn around, and immediately be in a conversation about it. It made the content feel more present - less like something you step away for, and more like something you’re part of throughout the day.

Another thing we noticed pretty quickly: we kept running into the same people.

At most conferences, you meet a lot of people once. Maybe twice if you’re lucky. At PMWC, we saw the same faces over and over again across the three days. At first, it felt like coincidence. By the end, it felt like a feature, not a bug.

Those repeat interactions made a real difference. Conversations didn’t have to restart from scratch every time. You could pick back up where you left off, go a little deeper, or just say a quick “hey again” without the awkward reintroduction moment that we’ve all been there for.

It also made it much easier to actually remember people - which, if we’re being honest, is not always the case after a conference where you meet 100+ new contacts in rapid succession.

AI, giggles, and NFC chips, oh my!

AI was everywhere. That probably won’t surprise anyone.

It was the topic of presentations, the focus of booths, and the subject of just about every other conversation. It also became a bit of a running joke: “Just slap ‘AI’ on it!”

But jokes aside, there’s clearly something real happening. People are actively building, testing, and trying to understand where AI fits into diagnostics, data, and clinical workflows. It feels less like a question of if and more like a question of how - and maybe also how much is too much.

One of our favorite parts of the conference, though, had nothing to do with our specific space.

We ended up learning about all kinds of technologies that were completely outside of oncology - or even healthcare. And honestly, those were some of the most fun conversations.

For example, we learned about something called a “Giggle Gauge,” which is essentially a wearable that tracks how often you laugh throughout the day. Like a Fitbit, but for joy - which I am 100% on board with (I may have signed up for the waiting list mid-convo)

We also met people who have implanted scannable chips under their skin so they can share contact information without a phone or business card. Yes. Really.

We’re not quite ready for that level of commitment to networking - but it definitely sparked some interesting conversations.

Some of these ideas made us think, some made us laugh, and some made us pause and say, “Okay… that’s either the future or a Black Mirror episode.” But all of it was fascinating, and all of it was a good reminder of how broad and creative innovation can be.

Coming home with more than just leads

Overall, PMWC gave us a different perspective on what makes a conference valuable.

We probably made fewer total connections than we would at a larger meeting. But the connections we did make felt stronger, more familiar, and easier to build on. The structure of the event made it easier to engage more than once, and those repeated interactions added up in a meaningful way.

Congratulations to the PMWC team for hosting a truly unique and thoughtfully designed event!

By the end of the conference, we didn’t just have a list of names - we had conversations we remembered, people we recognized, and relationships that felt like they had been building for years.