Mention an ultrasound and most of us probably think of ‘taking a look at the baby’. For almost 2000 participants at the IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), however, it is an advanced technology with countless life-saving applications. The world’s largest conference in this field took place in Utrecht in September 2025, with 10 parallel sessions, around 50 exhibitors and a strong, content-driven programme transforming Royal Jaarbeurs into the beating heart of the ultrasound sector. 10
It really is a wonderful location for this kind of event. Everything is close by and you can walk from the furthest room to another within two minutes. That’s really quite special on the international stage.Chris de Korte, professor at Radboud University Medical Centre and General Chair of the IUS
While a large Dutch hospital will typically have four MRI and four CT scanners, staff will also have access to more than 200 ultrasound devices. As one of the most widely used diagnostic methods, global innovations related to ultrasound come thick and fast. And it was these developments which took centre stage at IUS. As the largest international conference on ultrasound, the event alternates between North America, Europe and Asia, with 2025 being Europe’s turn. Following a competitive bidding process, the Netherlands earned the honour of hosting the congress with Royal Jaarbeurs being chosen as the venue.
This selection was the result of a seven-year process. Jaarbeurs was approached as a potential venue and joined forces with partners such as the Utrecht Convention Bureau, the Municipality of Utrecht and various local stakeholders to ensure the congress a warm welcome. The first bid had already been submitted in 2018 and, while that edition went to Venice, the good contacts between the parties remained. Utrecht returned to the spotlight the next time the IUS organisers set out to find a European location and this time the bid was successful.
Central location
The regular format of the congress played a key role in the selection of Jaarbeurs. Each edition expects about 1,500–2,000 participants, with a large number of parallel sessions, a large exhibition floor and a range of poster presentations. “For this you need a venue where everything is close together,” says Chris de Korte, professor at Radboud University Medical Centre and general chair of IUS. “The fact that Jaarbeurs is right next to the central station and has good hotels and other facilities within easy walking distance is ideal.”
Smart use of routing
The many options of the Jaarbeurs venue were used to great effect, including the Media Plaza and Supernova conference zones, plus additional halls in the adjacent Kinepolis cinema. The plenary opening session took place in the Beatrix Theatre while a welcome reception was held at the Speys restaurant. “This involved excellent teamwork between five venues within one location,” says Kelly van der Velden-Otten, key account and event manager at Jaarbeurs. Smart routing was required, something which Chris says the organisers turned to their advantage: “There was lots of interaction between exhibitors and participants. The moment the latter went to grab a coffee they passed a stand and exhibitors told me afterwards that they’d never had so much foot traffic.”
It's a compliment that is music to Kelly’s ears: “This was a complex event involving many parties. In addition to our own suppliers, we had international and local organisers, as well as a local committee and various international stakeholders. Considerable flexibility was required with constant coordination in relation to planning, spaces and technology. Things can often change at events of this size and there’s a clear need to respond quickly and think through the impact on all fronts… This is exactly where our strength lies at Jaarbeurs.”
Precision matters
Jaarbeurs was proud to host such a distinguished conference, one which perfectly aligns with its focus on the Life Sciences & Health sectors. Kelly: “This is Life Sciences & Health at its best. Attracting such a major congress to the Netherlands — and to Utrecht — with participants from so many countries, is exactly what we and the city aim to achieve.”
Chris is pleased to recommend Jaarbeurs for conferences on this scale. “It really is a wonderful location for this kind of event. Everything is close by and you can walk from the furthest room to another within two minutes. That’s really quite special on the international stage.”
A perfect fit
Jaarbeurs was proud to host such a distinguished conference, one which perfectly aligns with its focus on the Life Sciences & Health sectors. Kelly: “This is Life Sciences & Health at its best. Attracting such a major congress to the Netherlands — and to Utrecht — with participants from so many countries, is exactly what we and the city aim to achieve.”
Chris is pleased to recommend Jaarbeurs for conferences on this scale. “It really is a wonderful location for this kind of event. Everything is close by and you can walk from the furthest room to another within two minutes. That’s really quite special on the international stage.”
Facts & Figures
- Number of visitors: 1,920 international visitors
- Location used + session rooms: Media Plaza (3 rooms), Supernova (1 room) and Kinepolis (7 rooms)
- Added value of Jaarbeurs to the event: For this event, various rooms were used within Jaarbeurs but also at Kinepolis. Many halls were on the same floor in parallel at a short walking distance from each other, making the routing perfect.
- Purpose of meeting: Knowledge exchange of ultrasound equipment developers
- Special feature: Utrecht is the perfect city for an international congress. Offering Dutch authenticity without mass tourism.
