GPCE Melbourne 2025: Three Days That Changed Healthcare’s Future

Key Takeaways: 

• More than 1,000 healthcare professionals came together in Melbourne, with the majority being GPs and GP registrars shaping the future of primary care. 

• 135 exhibitors filled the floor, showcasing the latest in allied health, medical devices, software, pharmaceuticals and beyond. 

• Delegates walked away with up to 43 hours of professional development—covering 86% of a GP’s annual requirement in just three days. 

• GPCE marked its 30th year of delivering world-class education and connection for general practice. 

• MCEC’s flexible spaces and agile AV team kept every session, keynote and workshop running seamlessly.

Melbourne in the Spotlight 

For three days in July, delegates streamed into Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) for a milestone anniversary, a shifted mid-year date, and a program designed to challenge, inspire and upskill. From the first keynote to the last conversation on the exhibition floor, there was a constant hum...ideas being shared, tested and turned into action.  And in a city celebrated worldwide for its culture, creativity and curiosity, GPCE’s 30th anniversary thrived in our spaces, surrounded by the energy and ideas that define Melbourne. 

Numbers Behind the Story 

From packed seminar rooms to a buzzing exhibitor floor, the event was a true snapshot of healthcare today. The numbers reveal just how wide the reach and impact really was: 

• 1,046 attendees filled the program. 97% from across Australia and 3% flying in from New Zealand, Qatar, Norway, China, and Indonesia. 

• Victoria led the way, with 73% of delegates calling the state home. 

• 82% were GPs or GP registrars, joined by a diverse mix of Allied Health professionals, medical students, nurses, and practice staff. 

• 135 exhibitors showcased the latest across Allied Health, Diagnostics and Imaging, Medical Devices and Equipment, Nutrition, Software Solutions, Pharmaceuticals, and Not-for-Profits. 

Together, these numbers tell a bigger story: a national meeting place for Australia’s primary healthcare community with a growing profile on the world stage. 

Why Education Matters?  

Every consultation starts with knowledge and in primary care, that knowledge is constantly evolving. At this year’s gathering, education wasn’t an add-on; it was the heartbeat. Across 15 therapeutic areas, the program gave GPs and their teams the chance to sharpen their skills, test new ideas, and walk away with learning they could use the very next day in practice. 

Some sessions drew crowds for the way they tackled urgent, real-world challenges. One was the launch of Australia’s new National Lung Cancer Screening Program a landmark public health initiative aiming to detect cancer earlier in high-risk people aged 50–70. Guided by program leads and screening specialists, GPs heard directly how to integrate guidelines, referral pathways, and trial learnings into their day-to-day systems. 

Another standout was Beyond HbA1c: A New Era in Type 2 Diabetes Management. Here, a panel of clinical experts reframed the conversation around prevention-first care, showing how recent PBS changes can reduce complications before they occur. The energy in the room was tangible — delegates scribbling notes, asking questions, and swapping ideas about how to put these strategies into action back home. 

The impact was clear in their feedback:  

• “Attended to achieve the maximum knowledge in the three days from excellent speakers and evidence-based education.” 

• “Very useful and well-organised conference.” 

• “Good range of up-to-date topics.” 

• “Very practical discussions & presentations with a great selection of topics and CPD hours on offer.” 

For delegates, the benefit went far beyond collecting CPD hours. In just three days, they could complete up to 43 hours across all three MBA channels; nearly a full year’s worth of learning.  

But the real impact came from being in the room: asking questions in real time, sharing experiences with peers, and gaining practical strategies they could take straight back to their patients. It’s the kind of connection and confidence that only face-to-face education can deliver. 

Spaces for Learning 

Across three days, GPCE Melbourne 2025 delivered 79 hours of education, but what made the experience unique was how it played out across our venue’s connected spaces. 

Inside the session rooms, delegates immersed themselves in evidence-based education, from intensive courses to focused updates and high-impact keynotes. Goldfields Theatre set the stage for plenary sessions, while Eureka, Sovereign, and VIP rooms along with combined spaces hosted more intensive, hands-on learning. 

Outside the session rooms, a different kind of education took over. The centrally placed exhibition became the event’s town square, linking content and commerce with constant traffic between sessions. Delegates trialled new products, spoke directly with suppliers, and continued conversations sparked in earlier lectures. 

Dedicated networking areas and informal spaces encouraged conversations to flow, whether swapping ideas over coffee, catching presenters after their talks, or building connections that stretched beyond the program itself. 

Behind the scenes, flexibility kept it all moving. When a delayed flight threatened one session, MCEC’s AV team pivoted instantly, streaming it via Zoom without missing a beat. Clear signage, upgraded AV, and strategic wayfinding kept delegates confident as they navigated the program, ensuring the focus stayed on ideas, not logistics. 

It was this blend of structured education, spontaneous exchange, and seamless delivery that gave the event its pulse, turning formal learning into lasting professional connection. 

Pushing the Boundaries 

That energy carried onto the expo floor, where ideas moved from theory into practice. Across diagnostics, digital health, telehealth, point-of-care testing and practice management, exhibitors brought technology and techniques out from behind brochures and into the hands of delegates. 

At Medilogic’s stand, a steady stream of visitors gathered for live wound care demonstrations — part practical workshop, part product showcase that bridged the gap between learning and doing. A few aisles over, Novartis took a lighter approach, drawing laughter and queues with a life-sized “Operation” game that proved as effective at breaking the ice as it was at keeping their stand busy. 

But beyond the individual activations, a common thread ran through the conversations: the future of general practice, and how innovation can help time-poor GPs work smarter without losing the personal connection at the heart of patient care. 

Doing Good While Learning 

From the moment delegates walked in, small but deliberate choices signalled a commitment to reducing impact and giving back. These included: 

• Sustainable stand packages for exhibitors, with clear criteria for custom designs 

• 100% natural cotton, biodegradable showbags paired with recycled paper notebooks 

• Recycling bins positioned across the floor 

• Lanyard recycling stations at exits 

• Digital event guides accessed via QR codes to reduce printing 

• Encouragement for exhibitors to hire reusable stand components 

• LED lighting only, with halogens banned 

• Public transport and journey-planning tips for delegates, especially during Run Melbourne disruptions 

Exhibitors were also equipped with tools to connect more meaningfully: a Passport Competition that sent delegates racing between stands for the chance to win $5,000, a Lead Manager App for digital capture and real-time data, exclusive Lead Booster offers to attract qualified leads, and an Exhibitor Dashboard providing live performance insights and matchmaking recommendations. 

30 Years Young 

In 2025, GPCE celebrated three decades of educational excellence. The move from November to July meant delegates could complete CPD earlier, avoiding the year-end rush, another example of how the event continues to adapt to the needs of practitioners. It was both a celebration of GPCE’s legacy and a sign of how it keeps evolving for the next generation of healthcare professionals. 

The Last Word 

For 30 years, the General Practice Conference and Exhibition has been where primary care’s brightest minds come to connect, challenge, and change the future. 

And this year in Melbourne, those connections were everywhere in session debates, across exhibitor stands, in cafés beside the river, and later in clinics around the country. 

It’s no coincidence this all happened here. MCEC is built on ideas and forward thinking, just like GPCE. For three decades we’ve been shaping industry-leading events, creating spaces that don’t just host them but bring them to life designed around the needs of the people who attend. 

Your turn? Let’s make it happen.