Australia’s largest digital health festival returns to Melbourne 19–20 May 2027 with 11 theatres, 400 speakers, 350+ exhibitors and a dedicated Start-up Arena.
Dates
19–20 May 2027
City / country
Melbourne, Australia
Venue
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
Event overview
Digital Health Festival 2027 is Australia's largest gathering for the people building the digital future of care. Across two days at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, more than 8,000 health executives, clinicians, policymakers, investors and founders move between eleven theatres of content, an exhibition floor of health-tech suppliers and a dedicated Start-up Arena.
The programme follows the issues shaping Australian healthcare: artificial intelligence, virtual care, interoperability, cybersecurity, aged care and the re-engineering of clinical workflows. It is a working festival rather than a passive conference, designed for deal-making, peer learning and hands-on product discovery in one of Asia-Pacific's most active health-tech markets.
TL;DR
See how Australian hospitals, primary care, aged care and government are actually buying and deploying digital tools. The festival packs eleven theatres, a large exhibition and a start-up arena into two days, so a visitor can compare vendors, test products and sit in on candid operator sessions without a month of separate meetings.
DHF concentrates the buyers who sign off on clinical and IT spend: C-suite health service leaders, clinical heads, government digital-health teams and investors. A stand puts a product in front of more than 8,000 attendees, with the Start-up Arena giving younger companies a lower-cost route to the same audience.
Attendees, exhibitors & solutions
Visitor profile
Typical attendee groups you can expect to meet.
Exhibitor profile
Main supplier and exhibitor segments present at the show.
Product categories
Key solution areas showcased across the event.
Location & Facilities
Halls & areas
1Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 2 Clarendon Street, South Wharf, Melbourne VIC 3006, Australia
Entrances & gates
Clarendon Street entrance
Main visitor entry from South Wharf; accessible ramp and lifts nearby.
Multi-level on-site parking beneath the Exhibition Centre; pre-book or arrive early on show mornings.
Step-free access, lifts and accessible toilets are available; contact MCEC ahead for mobility assistance or a companion ticket.
Cloakroom facilities are available in the MCEC foyers; collect bags before the halls close.
Food options
MCEC South Wharf food outlets, South Wharf restaurants
On-site diningParking: MCEC operates secure on-site parking in the Exhibition Centre and Convention Centre car parks; enter from Normanby Road or Clarendon Street and keep the ticket for validation at the venue.
Gate: Use the Clarendon Street entrance for the Exhibition Centre. Have your QR badge ready; bag checks may apply at peak arrival times.
Attend
Complimentary VIP Pass
Free for eligible healthcare leaders, clinicians, investors and government health staff; the organiser values the pass at AUD 1,795. Apply before 1 April 2027.
Two-day festival pass
Paid pass; the 2027 rate was not published on the official pages. The 2026 standard rate was AUD 1,595.
Ticket info
Badge collection
Bring photo ID and the registration QR code to the Clarendon Street entrance; badges are printed on site.
Ticket notes
2027 daily opening hours were not published at the time of research. The 2026 edition ran 08:30–17:00 on day one and 08:30–16:00 on day two.
Registration deadline
2027-04-01
What's on
How the last edition performed
Last edition
2026
Visitors: 8,000
Exhibitors: 300
This edition
2027
Visitors: 8,000
Exhibitors: 400
Next edition
Not announced yet
Edition recap
The 2026 Digital Health Festival filled the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with more than 8,000 attendees, 400 speakers and over 300 exhibitors across 11 theatres.
New this edition
Impact
DHF sits at the centre of Australian health-tech procurement. Bringing 8,000+ health leaders, 350+ exhibitors and 11 theatres into one Melbourne venue creates a short, high-density window for vendors to meet the executives, clinicians and government teams who control digital-health budgets.
Audience quality
The audience is deliberately senior: the organiser reports that 43% of attendees are decision makers, with C-suite, clinical heads and government digital-health leads well represented. That makes a stand or a session more valuable per contact than a broad consumer health expo, though visitors still include early-career clinicians and founders.
Exhibitor outcomes
ROI depends on meetings booked before the show. With two days and eleven theatres, diary time is scarce; exhibitors that pre-book hospital, aged-care and government meetings and use the Start-up Arena for investor introductions should get the strongest return. No audited rebooking or satisfaction figures are published, so treat ROI as a planning estimate.
Intelligence
Key market insights, trends, news and related events to help you understand the bigger picture.
Why it matters
Australia’s health system is digitising quickly, but hospitals, aged care and primary care still run fragmented systems. DHF is the market’s main meeting point for the buyers and builders trying to close that gap, and it sits inside a wider Asia-Pacific push toward virtual care, interoperable records and AI-assisted clinical workflows.
Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.
AI moves from pilot to clinical workflow
Australian health services are testing ambient documentation, triage and imaging AI, with buyers now asking for evidence, governance and integration rather than demos.
What it changes: Vendors must show safety, data-governance and workflow fit to win hospital procurement.
Interoperability becomes the buying criterion
Health services are consolidating records and demanding FHIR-based integration across EMR, aged care and community systems.
What it changes: Point solutions that cannot exchange data are being squeezed out of larger deployments.
Virtual care settles into hybrid models
Telehealth is no longer a pandemic stopgap; health services are redesigning outpatient, chronic-care and remote-monitoring pathways around it.
What it changes: The show is a venue to compare virtual-care platforms that can plug into existing clinical workflows.
Buyers who work across Asia-Pacific and the United States typically pair DHF with a global HIMSS meeting and a regional informatics conference.
HIMSS27 Global Health Conference & Exhibition
Las Vegas, United States
Edition calendar not confirmed in this run; dates are the customary March slot.
websiteHIC 2027 — Health Informatics Conference
Sydney, Australia
Dates indicative; confirm with HISA before booking.
websiteHLTH 2027
Las Vegas, United States
Dates indicative; HLTH typically runs in October.
websiteQ1 global
Book flights and hotels early; the HIMSS block sells out.
Q3–Q4 follow-up
Use these to follow up Australian and US leads from DHF.
Circuit dates are planning estimates from the events’ usual calendars, not fetched 2027 confirmations.
Plan your trip
Choose from the following airports, with convenient access to the event and venue.
Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine)
Main international gateway; SkyBus to Southern Cross then tram or walk to South Wharf.
22 km
to venue
30–45 min
by car
Secondary airport serving some domestic and low-cost routes; allow extra time.
55 km
to venue
45–60 min
by car
A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.
USD 90–140 / night
Compact rooms near Elizabeth Street; 15–20 minutes by tram to South Wharf.
USD 170–250 / night
Walkable to MCEC; book early because the venue block fills during DHF.
USD 280–450 / night
Largest rooms and river views; 5–15 minutes on foot or a short tram ride to the venue.
Get around the city with these convenient transport options.
Tram
Trams run every few minutes; the CBD free-tram zone does not cover the venue.
Rideshare / taxi
Pick-up at the designated rideshare zone outside the terminal; allow 40–60 minutes at peak.
SkyBus
Frequent express service; then tram or a 15-minute walk to MCEC.
Plan your trip
Check the latest visa requirements and entry guidelines before travelling.
| Type | Who needs it | Fee | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eVisitor (subclass 651) | Eligible European passport holders visiting for business visitor activity | — | Usually 1–3 days | |
| Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) | Eligible passport holders from the US, Canada, Japan, Singapore and others | $20.00 | Usually minutes to 2 days | |
| Visitor visa (subclass 600) | Passport holders not eligible for eVisitor or ETA | $130.00 | 2–6 weeks |
eVisitor is free for eligible European passport holders; ETA carries a small service fee.
Australia accepts ATA carnets for temporary admission of exhibition goods; confirm with the freight forwarder and Australian Border Force.
Official visa pageWeather
May is late autumn in Melbourne: cool, changeable and often showery. Expect 9–17°C, with a jacket and a compact umbrella for the walk between hotels and the venue.
Plan for the climate
Check temperatures and pack accordingly
Venue connectivity
Free Wi-Fi is available in MCEC foyers; mobile coverage is strong. Buy a local eSIM or prepaid SIM at the airport for data outside the venue.
Ride-hailing
Taxis
Public transit
Car rentals
Useful information to help you have a smooth and respectful visit.
Coffee and laneway culture
Melbourne runs on espresso and laneway cafes. A 15-minute walk from South Wharf into the CBD grid gives better coffee and quieter meeting spots than the venue foyer.
Tipping and payment
Tipping is not expected; card and contactless payment are standard. Restaurants may add a weekend surcharge, which is normal in Melbourne.
Practical guides
Everything needed to arrive prepared, navigate the event, and make the visit productive.
Destination: MEL
Book 8–12 weeks ahead for May; Sunday and Monday arrivals are busiest.
Most business visitors need an eVisitor (651), ETA (601) or visitor visa (600); check eligibility before booking.
Estimated cost: USD 0–130 depending on nationality
Processing: 1 day to 6 weeks
Carry a letter from your employer stating the purpose of the visit and your return date.
OfficialGet to the venue and around the city with these options.
Airport → venue: SkyBus to Southern Cross, then tram 96/109 or a 15-minute walk; taxi or rideshare is 30–45 minutes.
Hotel → venue: Walk from South Wharf hotels; tram from the CBD or Docklands.
Ride-hail: Uber and DiDi operate across Melbourne; use the designated MCEC pick-up zone on Normanby Road.
Public transit: Myki card or contactless payment on trams, trains and buses; daily cap applies.
Parking: MCEC on-site parking is limited on show days; pre-book or use Docklands car parks.
Plan and pack for the event climate.
Month: May
Temperature: 9–17°C
Seasonality: Late autumn; frequent light showers and cool evenings.
Packing: Bring layers, a water-resistant jacket, comfortable shoes and an umbrella.
Plan your trip
Best day to visit: Wednesday 19 May 2027
Day one carries the opening keynote, the fullest exhibition floor and the best chance to catch senior buyers before diaries fill.
Book travel and hotel — South Wharf hotels sell out around DHF; book a refundable rate.
Register and apply for a VIP pass if eligible — VIP applications close 1 April 2027.
Shortlist exhibitors and build a meeting list — Use the exhibitor list and event app to request meetings.
Download the agenda and plan theatre sessions — Pick two priority tracks and leave gaps for the floor.
Check badge, transport and weather — Myki card, umbrella and comfortable shoes; arrive for the 08:30 opening.
Registration and coffee
Clarendon Street entrance, MCECOpening keynote and AI track session
Main theatreSupplier meetings on the exhibition floor
Exhibition CentreLunch and Start-up Arena demos
Start-up ArenaAfternoon theatre sessions and follow-up meetings
Theatres and meeting podsGreat Ocean Road
Full-Day Drive
2.5 hours by car from Melbourne
Add a day before or after the show for the Twelve Apostles and coastal towns.
Yarra Valley
Wine and Food Day Trip
1 hour by car
Easy post-show break with cellar doors and produce stops.
South Wharf promenade
Riverside restaurants and bars
Walkable from MCEC; good for dinner meetings after the halls close.
Melbourne laneway bars
CBD evening venues
15–20 minutes by tram; book ahead for groups during the show week.
DHF compresses a month of health-tech meetings into two days. A disciplined 24-hour follow-up separates a useful pipeline from a bag of business cards.
Budget
Shell scheme
AUD 500–750 / m²
Raw space
AUD 350–500 / m²
Standard booth
9 m²
No 2027 exhibitor tariff was published. Bands are editorial estimates for the Australian market and must be confirmed with Terrapinn.
sourceAdjust the inputs below to create a directional event budget.
This is a directional estimate. Please verify live rates before booking.
Official cost items and estimated ranges for exhibitors.
Booth
exhibitor · standard
AUD 4500–7000 / 9 sqm shell
Hotel
both · mid
USD 170–250 / room/night
Flight
both · economy
USD 250–1600 / return
Per diem
both · standard
USD 60–90 / day
| Item | For | Tier | Estimated range | Status | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booth | exhibitor | standard | AUD 4500–7000 / 9 sqm shell | estimate | 2026-11-01 |
| Hotel | both | mid | USD 170–250 / room/night | estimate | 2026-11-01 |
| Flight | both | economy | USD 250–1600 / return | estimate | 2026-11-01 |
| Per diem | both | standard | USD 60–90 / day | estimate | 2026-11-01 |
Decision
Six quick questions to decide whether to attend, exhibit or wait.
QUESTION 1 OF 6
What is your main objective at DHF27?
Compare participation options side by side to choose the best fit for your objectives.
visit
You have an active digital-health project and can meet vendors face to face.
Best for
Health-service buyers, clinicians and policy teams evaluating tools
Min. budget
$1,200.00
Timeline
4–6 weeks to plan meetings
Risks
Diary overload across 11 theatres
Hotel rates rise close to the show
exhibit
You want qualified pipeline and can commit staff and a pre-booked meeting programme.
Best for
Health-tech vendors, start-ups and service providers selling into Australian health
Min. budget
$8,000.00
Timeline
3–6 months for stand, freight and meeting programme
Risks
Crowded AI category
Lead follow-up discipline is essential
skip
There is no funded project, no local partner and no plan to act within two quarters.
Best for
Teams with no active budget or Australia-Pacific remit
Timeline
Reassess in 2028
Risks
Missing competitor launches
Missing early relationship building
Book with
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
Melbourne’s principal convention and exhibition venue, hosting DHF27 in the Exhibition Centre at South Wharf.
Venue named on the official event and MCEC pages; not an announced commercial partner.
Visit Victoria
Victoria’s tourism and events agency, a useful source for pre- and post-show travel around Melbourne.
Public tourism body; not named as a DHF partner.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Victorian business membership body that can support introductions to local health-tech employers.
Public business body; not named as a DHF partner.
Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH)
Professional association for digital health in Australia and New Zealand, relevant to clinical and policy audiences.
Public industry association; not named as a DHF partner.
Recommended providers
Australian Department of Home Affairs
Use the official site only; check eVisitor, ETA or subclass 600 eligibility.
Walkable to MCEC; book a refundable rate through the hotel or a corporate travel agent.
Search Melbourne (MEL) fares; Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines also serve the route.
Specialist exhibition forwarder; confirm MCEC loading-dock slots and biosecurity paperwork.
Business travel policy should cover cancellation, medical costs and exhibition goods.
Official inspiration for Great Ocean Road and Yarra Valley itineraries.
Ask the organiser whether badge scanning or app lead retrieval is included with the stand.
FAQs & glossary
Frequently asked
Glossary
Also known as
Alternate names and search phrases for this event.
5 more alternate names hidden
Trust footer
4
References
2
Publishers
4
Date checked
Terrapinn
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Display a free company card at your booth, or share your professional card on the show floor.
