The verdict in three sentences
For a PCO running 14 medical congresses a year with 25,000 delegates, custom software covering abstracts, registration and badges costs between 55,000 and 90,000 GBP in 2026. Against an event SaaS billed 8,000 to 20,000 GBP per congress, or 112,000 to 280,000 GBP a year, the investment pays back within the first season. The project takes 5 months and must include blind review, CPD credits and industry transparency reporting from day one.
The functional scope of a medical congress
A medical congress chains three cycles that rarely talk to each other in most agencies: the call for abstracts with a scientific committee, registration with differentiated rates (consultants, trainees, allied health, industry), then onsite operations with badges and attendance certificates. Unified software links these cycles around a single delegate record.
| Module | Content | Indicative budget |
|---|---|---|
| Abstract submission | Form per topic, co-authors, conflicts of interest | 9,000 to 14,000 GBP |
| Blind review | Reviewer assignment, scoring grid, arbitration | 8,000 to 13,000 GBP |
| Scientific programme | Sessions, rooms, speakers, mobile app | 7,000 to 12,000 GBP |
| Registration and payment | Rates per profile, industry-sponsored places, invoices | 10,000 to 16,000 GBP |
| Badges and access control | QR code, onsite printing, session scanning | 7,000 to 12,000 GBP |
| Credits and certificates | Attendance per session, CPD certificates, exports | 6,000 to 10,000 GBP |
| Industry transparency | Export of transfers of value from sponsors | 5,000 to 10,000 GBP |
A core version (abstracts, review, registration, badges) starts around 55,000 GBP. The full scope with mobile app and regulatory exports reaches 90,000 GBP.
Per-congress SaaS or owned platform: the 3-year math
| Item | Event SaaS | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Licence or build | 8,000 to 20,000 GBP per congress | 55,000 to 90,000 GBP once |
| Annual cost for 14 congresses | 112,000 to 280,000 GBP | Maintenance and hosting 10,000 to 16,000 GBP |
| Per-registration fees | 1.5 to 3 % or 2 to 5 GBP per ticket | Card fees only, about 1.2 % |
| Review customisation | Limited to vendor options | Grid specific to each learned society |
| Delegate data ownership | With the vendor | With the PCO, reusable across congresses |
| 3-year cost (estimate) | 336,000 to 840,000 GBP | 85,000 to 138,000 GBP |
Even on the low assumption, the SaaS costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, roughly four to five times more over three years at this volume. Custom becomes worthwhile from 5 to 6 congresses a year.
Compliance and timeline
Accredited congresses must record real attendance per session to issue CPD certificates. Industry sponsors funding registrations must disclose those transfers of value, and the PCO has to give them a clean export. No health data is processed, but clinicians' personal data falls under UK GDPR: UK or EU hosting, defined retention periods and a processing record.
| Month | Deliverable |
|---|---|
| Month 1 | Workshops with 2 learned societies, mock-ups, specifications |
| Month 2 | Abstracts and blind review |
| Month 3 | Registration, payment, invoicing and sponsored places |
| Month 4 | Badges, scanning, certificates, transparency exports |
| Month 5 | Pilot congress, fixes, project manager training |
Mini case study
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Emma, managing director of a medical PCO in London, paid a SaaS 14,000 GBP per congress on average, or 196,000 GBP a year, plus 2 % fees on 3.1 million GBP of registrations (62,000 GBP). She launches a 75,000 GBP project with 13,000 GBP of annual maintenance and now pays only 1.2 % card fees (37,200 GBP). First-year savings reach about 133,000 GBP, and her team no longer re-keys speakers between the abstract module and the programme, saving around 6 days per congress.
FAQ
Is the blind review truly blind?
Yes, reviewers see neither names nor affiliations, and the system blocks assigning an abstract to a reviewer from the same institution. In practice, 3 reviewers per abstract and a score out of 20 handle 1,500 submissions.
Can we manage industry-sponsored registrations?
Yes, a sponsor can buy a block of places and nominate delegates. The transparency export then groups amounts per clinician for disclosure.
What does an additional congress cost once the platform is live?
Setting up a new congress is 2 to 4 days of configuration by your team, with no licence fee. Only hosting and card fees change.
Can badges be printed onsite?
Yes, printed on demand when the QR code is scanned, in under 10 seconds per badge. For 3,000 delegates, 4 print stations are enough.
How early must we start before a call for abstracts?
Allow 5 months for the whole platform, but the abstract module can open at the end of month 2. Start the project 3 months before the call opens.
Let's scope your project. Share your number of congresses, delegate volumes and accreditation requirements: we will price a platform between 55,000 and 90,000 GBP delivered in 5 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
