Which epilepsy events and congresses does IBE take part in?

The International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) is listed on its own site as taking part in two major 2026 gatherings: the European Epilepsy Summit 2026 in Brussels on 4 November 2026, which IBE itself convenes, and the 16th European Epilepsy Congress (EEC 2026) in Athens, Greece, from 5–9 September 2026, organised by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), where IBE says it "will have a strong presence." Both are announced on the IBE homepage under Events and News, so the site is the place to confirm dates and follow updates.

The two 2026 events IBE names

European Epilepsy Summit 2026

This is the event where IBE is the convener rather than a participant. The site describes it as a single day focused on three things: measuring progress, identifying gaps, and turning evidence into action. The audience list is broad — people with epilepsy, patient organisations, policymakers, clinicians, researchers and other stakeholders — which tells you the format is aimed at policy and advocacy discussion rather than purely clinical sessions. If your interest is in the non-medical side of epilepsy (rights, care continuity, public policy), this is the event to watch.

16th European Epilepsy Congress 2026

EEC 2026 is an ILAE-organised congress, and IBE's role is as a presence within it rather than as organiser. The site's announcement does not spell out the exact format of IBE's participation (booth, session, satellite meeting), so treat "strong presence" as the confirmed level of detail and check the congress programme closer to the date for specifics.

How IBE shares event information

Event announcements appear as dated news items on the IBE homepage, each with a headline, a short summary and a "Read More" link. The items are tagged as Events, News, or both, which makes it possible to scan for upcoming gatherings separately from general organisational news. The same feed also carries policy and advocacy items — for example, a new Rights Charter on continuity of care for rare and complex epilepsies, a PARLASUR public hearing on a Latin American Epilepsy Awareness Week, and a global policy advocacy report launched at the World Health Assembly — so events sit alongside IBE's advocacy output rather than in a separate calendar.

Practical points before you plan around these dates

• Confirm before booking travel. The dates above come from IBE's own announcements; registration details, venues and programmes are not given in the material reviewed, so verify them on the site or with the organising body before committing.
• Distinguish organiser from participant. For the Summit, IBE is the host; for EEC 2026, ILAE is. Questions about congress registration and abstracts go to ILAE, not IBE.
• Watch for updates. The homepage feed is dated and updated over time, so re-check closer to each event for programme and participation details.

A caution that applies to any IBE-related contact

IBE's homepage carries a standing warning about email phishing scams: fraudulent emails have been sent claiming to come from members of the IBE Executive Committee, and the organisation states these have nothing to do with IBE. If you receive an uninvited message about an event, registration or payment that appears to come from IBE, treat it with suspicion and verify through the official website rather than replying or clicking links. This matters especially around event dates, when fake invitations and registration requests are common.