If you have been to a WMS Congress before, you will have a good idea of how everything works. If you haven’t been before, you might have some questions.
Our 2026 Congress guide helps answer those questions so you can prepare for WMS 2026 and make the most of your time at the Congress.
WMS 2026 will take place in Hiroshima, Japan from 29 September to 3 October 2026.
Using the guide
You can use the menu at the bottom of this page to skip between sections, either by day or event type, or use the search bar at the top of the page to search for a particular term. If you have a question about the Congress, the Congress guide probably holds the answer. If you have checked the Congress guide, but still have a question, please get in touch with the Congress Organising Team.
Throughout the Congress, members of the Azura Events Congress Organising Team are on hand to help. We'll be dressed in black and pin badges with the Azura Events logo to make it easy to identify us. Please feel free to approach any of us with questions, for help, or if you would like an introduction to someone else at the Congress.
Our 2026 Congress will take place at the International Congress Center Hiroshima (ICCH). Hiroshima is a small and walkable city, and the ICCH is in the centre of the City in the Peace Memorial Park. As well as being walkable, Hiroshima has an efficient network of trams and buses. The closest tram stops are a 10-minute walk from the ICCH at the Atomic Bomb Dome, Fukuromachi and Chudenmae.
Hiroshima airport is served by domestic flights from Tokyo and international routes via Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and China. Most international flights will arrive into Tokyo. From Tokyo, you can fly or take the bullet train (Shinkansen) directly to Hiroshima. To support our sustainability ambitions, we encourage you to take the bullet train. It's a high-speed, four-hour journey across Japan, including views of Mount Fuji.
When you arrive in Hiroshima at the Shinkansen station, you can take the tram/streetcar Route 1 directly from the station to Fukuromachi Station and walk from there to the Congress Centre. If you are arriving with luggage, you may prefer to take a taxi from the station.
This year, we will be using coaches to get from the Congress Centre to the group activities and the Congress Dinner. Because of this, and because Hiroshima is a small city, travel passes will only be provided on request. You can request one when you register at the ICCH for the Congress
The Japan Travel website includes a lot of information about travelling to and around Hiroshima. We recommend taking a look before you travel.
The currency in Japan is the Japanese Yen. Major credit cards are widely accepted, but Japan is still a cash-based society, so it's worth carrying some cash for small purchases. You can find out more about currency, denominations and ATMs here.
The official language in Japan is Japanese. Many people speak English, but it's always nice to be able to say please and thank you in the local language. This website includes some popular Japanese words and phrases. Written Japanese looks very different from standard western alphabets, but many signs use both Japanese and standard western words.
The ICCH is in the heart of the city within the Peace Park. While public transport doesn't enter the park itself, it is only a short walk from the nearest tram stops on the edge of the Park. WMS 2026 has exclusive use of the venue, which is organised across five floors, three above ground and two below ground, which is where the Congress will be held. The main entrance is on the ground floor and has step-free access. Within the venue, there are stairs, escalators and one lift, which can take one wheelchair at a time. The dimensions are height: 2m, depth: 1.35m, width: 0.9m, and the load capability is 750kg.
The WMS Pre-Congress Teaching Course takes place for the day and a half immediately before the Congress begins. This year, that’s 28 and 29 September.
The venue is the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel, Hiroshima, which is also the Congress headquarters hotel. For the duration of the Course, registration for the Pre-Congress Teaching Course and the Congress will also be in the hotel.
Our Pre-Congress Teaching Course Co-Chairs, Nicol Voermans and Jorge Bevilacqua, will host the Course.
The Course will be delivered and attended by established and young physicians, researchers, therapists, and neuropathologists from all over the world.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the modern approach and developments in myology during the Course, which will also be streamed for online-only attendees.
The first day of the course (Monday 28 September) features presentations from established experts in the field, including new interactive sessions, and participant case presentations. The second day will focus on live patient examinations and outcome measure assessments. You can find the summary programme for the WMS 2026 Pre-Congress Teaching Course here. Delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions about the diagnosis, treatment, symptoms and progress of each of the patients. In the interests of patient confidentiality, we are unable to live-stream the sessions on Tuesday.
Throughout the Course, there will be refreshment breaks, including lunch on the first day. We encourage all delegates to use these breaks as opportunities to network. If you don’t know anyone in the room, feel free to approach one of the Congress Organising Team. We can provide introductions.
If you have registered with specific dietary requirements, you will find a dedicated "special diets" table as part of the food service. Event staff can help answer any questions you may have about allergens or food content.
All in-person delegates are also invited to attend the Course dinner on Monday evening. It’s a great opportunity to network with other Course attendees and faculty. The dinner will take place in the restaurant on the ground floor of The Knot hotel, which is just across the road from the ANA Crowne Plaza. The event starts at 19:30 and the Congress team will help make sure you get to the right place at the right time. There is no formal dress code for the Course dinner.
If between registration opening and the date of the dinner you haven't yet confirmed your place or you no longer wish to attend, please contact [email protected] so we can amend the booking.
Whether you’re joining in-person or virtually, you can take advantage of our live translation service, Wordly. We will publish a link in the days running up to the Congress opening. With the link, simply select the language you want the translation in through the Congress virtual platform or the app.
When you registered for the Congress, you will have had the opportunity to select a number of additional activities such as the Peer Networking session and group activities. You’ll find a full list of what you have booked in your confirmation email. We will also send you an email with your joining instructions in the days before the Congress, which will provide this information again.
When you first arrive at the Congress, you will need to visit the reception desk. On Tuesday 29 September, you will be able to collect your name badge, lanyard and legacy token from 13:00 to 18:00. We will have a registration desk at the ANA Crowne Plaza for people coming straight to the Opening Ceremony and Networking Reception and on floor B1 of the ICCH from 17:00 to 19:30. From Wednesday 30 September, we will only have a registration desk at the ICCH.
On Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, you should expect short queues or small crowds in the registration desk area as these are our busiest times, but we will make sure we have plenty of people processing registrations and answering your questions.
We will be using badge printing machines to print name badges on site. If you were a delegate at WMS 2024 in Prague or WMS 2025 in Vienna, you will be familiar with this process. To print your badge, you will need the QR code from your registration email or the Congress app. This year, you will also be able to add your QR code to your Apple or Google Wallet to make it easier to access. We are including instructions in the joining instructions email. We will have people on hand to help you with printing your badge.
At the registration desk we will also give you your lanyard and a legacy token. You’ll need to wear your name badge at all times so organisers can easily identify you. Your name badge will also feature a number of coloured symbols. These relate to specific pre-booked events, any dietary requirements you have made us aware of, and your ticket type to make it easy to see what you have booked. You will be able to find a key to these symbols at the registration desk, on the App and on the screens around the venue.
We have two lanyard types. Most delegates choose our standard lanyard. We also offer a social distancing lanyard. This reminds other Congress attendees that you have requested personal space. This may be due to a weakened immune system and caution around airborne viruses, or it may be because you are uncomfortable with close personal contact. If you would prefer a social distancing lanyard, you can select this when you visit the registration desk.
If you are arriving at the Congress with your luggage, we can store bags for you at the registration desk.
If you are presenting a physical poster you might want to head to the poster hall on floor B1 or the Himawari room on B2 to get set up.
This is a good time to find where you will be displaying your poster. All the posters are in numerical order and we will have put up individual signs to highlight first-time presenters and early to mid-career contributors. We will also provide pins to attach your poster to the poster board. There will be volunteers on hand to help you.
As it is an open area, you might find that some people start viewing your poster even though this won’t be one of the programmed poster viewing sessions. We encourage you to engage with any visitors and use the opportunity to talk about your work.
Our local partners, Pandora, are able to offer a poster printing service. Requests must be received by 16 September. The cost for an A0 poster is JPY 12,320 (around 60 GBP or 80 USD). To use this service, please email [email protected] before the deadline. Posters will be delivered to the Congress venue on the morning of Tuesday 29 September.
Due to space limitations in the venue, many of our posters this year will be ePosters. Anyone who has been awarded an ePoster will be invited to present their poster in a moderated ePoster session. There is no need to bring a printed poster. Details for uploading digital files for ePosters and printed posters are available on the abstracts section of the website. All ePosters and digital versions of printed posters will also be available to our audience through the Congress app and virtual platform.
This meeting is for members of the Executive Board and secretariat only. The Executive Board meets virtually once a quarter and has an in-person meeting on the opening day of the Congress.
The Early to Mid-Career Peer Networking session is an informal roundtable session, led by our Early to Mid-Career Executive Board Representatives. Participants will be invited to share their experiences of working in any aspect of neuromuscular disorders and discuss how the WMS can support those in the early to mid stages of their careers. A separate registration is required for this event, so if you have not pre-registered, please do not attend as the session is at capacity. This session will take place in the Cosmos Room at the ICCH.
The Regional Networking session invites participants from all WMS regions to learn more about the work happening in the regions and meet fellow delegates from their own region and others in a bid to foster collaboration and networking across borders. This session is led by our Global Myology Outreach Committee with the aim of reducing geographical barriers to collaboration. A separate registration is required for this event, so if you have not pre-registered, please do not attend as the session is at capacity. This session will take place in the Cosmos Room at the ICCH.
The first industry symposia take place from 16:00-17:00 on Tuesday 29 September. You can register your interest for these in advance and will have received emails describing what will be included in each one along with the booking link.
Industry Symposia will also take place on:
Wednesday 30 September 07:45-08:45
Wednesday 30 September 19:00-20:00
Each session will have two symposia running in parallel, except the final session, which will have three. Please check the Congress programme for the venue for your selected symposium as two of the sessions on Wednesday evening will take place at the ANA Crowne Plaza. You can catch up with the ones you are unable to attend using our virtual platform.
The Industry Symposia are 60-minute sessions provided by our industry sponsors. The topics are designed to be interesting and relevant to our audience and have been selected by the WMS Programme Committee. Each session will include a presentation and the opportunity to ask questions. You can ask a question by raising your hand in the room or you can submit a question through our Congress app or virtual platform.
Many of the industry symposia sponsors will provide food and drinks as a part of their session, which will be available from 30 minutes before the symposium starts. You are invited to help yourself to these and then take a seat for the presentations. If you would like to follow up with the presenters, you will be able to find them at their exhibition stand throughout the Congress or use the directory feature in the Congress app to contact them virtually.
The Opening Ceremony marks the official start of the Congress. It will take place from 18:00-18:45 in the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel, Hiroshima. It will start with a short welcome from this year’s Local Organising Committee representatives, who will hand over to the evening’s entertainment. Joining the audience for the opening ceremony will provide you with your first opportunity to feel part of the whole Congress. There won’t be audience participation in this session.
The Networking Reception is an informal event that provides the first opportunity for delegates to meet and catch up. You will need to have registered and paid to attend the opening ceremony and networking reception. Your name badge will have WMS2026 icon on a blue background if you are registered to attend. If you are not registered to attend, your time is your own to explore Hiroshima, meet colleagues or head back to your hotel.
The Networking Reception will take place from 18:45 to 21:00 and will follow on immediately after the Opening Ceremony. We will be serving food and drinks and will provide options that meet all dietary requirements. If you have registered with specific dietary requirements, you will find a dedicated "special diets" table as part of the food service. Event staff can help answer any questions you may have about allergens or food content. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink options will be available. There will be some music playing but this event is an opportunity for people to network and chat so the volume won’t be overwhelming.
As with all Congress events, there is no official dress code. Some people will be wearing the clothes they have travelled in, some will be in business dress, and others will be dressed more casually. As the networking reception starts immediately after the opening ceremony, there is no real opportunity for or expectation of people changing their clothes for the evening.
You are welcome to leave whenever it suits you. The event will finish at 21:00. In previous years, some delegates have made plans to meet colleagues for social activities after the Congress activities draw to a close; you may prefer to head back to your hotel. Your time is your own.
From 07:45-08:45 our second set of industry symposia take place. There will be light refreshments served so if you want to skip breakfast at your hotel you can get food and drink at the Congress. You can find out more about what happens in the industry symposia using the day one description.
The Congress welcome will be hosted by the WMS President, Laurent Servais. It will take place in the main Congress hall and we encourage you to attend. It’s an event that helps set the tone for the whole Congress and describes what to expect from the coming three days.
The morning programme continues in the main Congress hall with the first scientific content following straight on from the Congress welcome. Sessions run from 09:30-11:00 and 11:30-13:30 with a 30-minute break from 11:00-11:30 for refreshments and exhibition/poster viewing.
The scientific presentations on day one all follow Topic 1: Myotonic disorders (DM1/DM2 and non-dystrophic myotonias), basic biology and treatment options. Invited speakers (INV in the programme) will start each of the morning sessions with oral presentations (O in the programme) to follow. Each of the invited speaker presentations will last 30 minutes and each oral presentation will last 15 minutes including time for questions. There will be time for questions after each presentation.
You can ask questions by putting your hand up in the room. We will have microphones in the room to make sure you can be heard by the speakers on the stage. Alternatively, you can submit questions via our virtual platform and app. The moderators on stage will be responsible for selecting the questions.
If your question isn’t selected, you can follow up with the speaker during the Congress. There are many scheduled networking events and refreshment breaks. If you particularly want to speak to one of the presenters, you can ask the team at the registration desk to provide an introduction. Within the Congress app, you also have access to a full directory of Congress attendees and can contact them through the app.
None of the scientific sessions are mandatory. We encourage you to attend all of the sessions to get the most out of the Congress, but if there are sessions that aren’t relevant to your work or you need to spend some time catching up on emails, there are plenty of spaces throughout the Congress venue where you can sit away from the presentations.
Throughout the Congress, you can access our live translation service, Wordly. We will share a dedicated translation link in the days running up to the Congress. You can use this link when you are streaming any Congress session and have live written or audio translation in your preferred language.
We have scheduled refreshment breaks at frequent intervals throughout the day. We encourage you to use these breaks in the schedule to attend to any personal needs, stay hydrated, and network with other Congress delegates. At each of the breaks, we will provide a selection of food and drink designed to meet all dietary needs. If you have registered with specific dietary requirements, you will find a dedicated "special diets" table as part of the food service in the Sakura room (where the Myology Cafe is located) with dedicated staff ready to help answer any questions you may have about allergens or food content.
Our industry exhibitors and poster displays are both within easy reach of the Congress hall, so refreshment breaks provide the perfect opportunity for you to interact with our exhibitors or view posters.
We encourage our industry exhibitors and patient advocacy groups to send their scientific representatives to the Congress so they can share their latest projects, trials, and breakthroughs. Away from the presentations in the Congress hall, the networking opportunities are the biggest draw of the WMS Congress. Please do take the time to visit our exhibitors and find out what they can share.
If you need to use our refreshment breaks to take a break from the crowds and the stimulation the Congress provides, you might be glad to know we have dedicated spaces to support you. Our quiet room is a tech, food, and chat-free space where you can go to decompress. Our multi-faith room is a space for prayer or quiet reflection.
The NMD Board Meeting is for members of the NMD Journal Board only. If you are not on that Board you do not need to attend.
Now in its fifth year, our Congress Debate has become a popular session. The topic for this year's debate is: Can the neuromuscular field discontinue the use of animals in research?
The debate team includes world-renowned experts in muscle biology and translational research: Hidetoshi Sakurai (Japan), who will argue in favour of discontinuing the use of animals in research, and Emma Rybalka (Australia), who will be arguing against, with expert moderation by Francesco Saverio Tedesco (UK).
In an effort to demonstrate differing viewpoints, as well as to educate and entertain, Hidetoshi and Miranda will intentionally present extreme positions that may not convey their actual and nuanced perspectives on this important issue.
To round off this interactive discussion, the debaters will offer their genuine reflections on the future of disease modelling and present their insights regarding the real-world complexities of translational research.
Our poster sessions continue throughout the Congress. There are scheduled poster sessions in the programme each day, but feel free to walk through the posters during any of the refreshment breaks.
During each of the dedicated poster sessions, we will be serving drinks and light refreshments. We will cater to all dietary requirements.
There will be around 800 posters representing the latest work of some of our delegates. Of these, many will be presented as ePosters. The ePoster sessions will be moderated.
Because so many of our delegates are presenting posters, you may find that presenters aren’t with their posters when you view them. There are four poster sessions throughout the programme so you can try another time. Alternatively, if you particularly want to speak to a poster presenter, we recommend you try to contact them through the attendee directory in the Congress app.
If you are a poster presenter, we recommend you spend at least some of the poster session near your poster, that way if people want to ask questions, you can be there to answer them. We understand that you’ll want to view other posters too so try and balance your time. Our Prize Committee will tour the poster presentations to make their prize selections.
Immediately following each of the poster sessions, we are holding short oral presentations. These will take place in the Ran and Cosmos rooms. These last 30 minutes and each will feature five presentations. These have been selected from submitted abstracts and provide an opportunity for people to share their work in more detail and ask questions. Our moderators in each room will manage questions and keep everything running to time.
Each presentation will last five minutes including two minutes for questions. We will run three short oral presentation sessions simultaneously. We will post a timetable outside each room so you can check you’re in the right place for the session you want to see. You can ask a question by raising your hand in the room. If you don’t get a chance to ask your question, you can follow up directly with the presenter through the directory in the Congress app or by visiting their poster in the poster hall. For the first time, this year we will live stream the short oral presentations and host them on the virtual platform following the Congress.
If you are presenting, you will have received an invitation by email to present your work. We will tell you in advance of the Congress when and where you will be presenting and invite you to attend a virtual briefing. You will also be able to find this information in the Congress programme on our website or in the Congress app. You should make your way to your allocated presentation room about 10 minutes before the full session starts even if you’re not on first. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the room, ask any questions of our technical team or the moderator, and make yourself comfortable before the session starts.
It's natural to be nervous. If you are, we recommend breathing deeply before you start, speaking slowly, and remembering you’re the expert; you’ve been invited to speak because our Programme Committee was so impressed with your work. The moderator for your session is there to support you and will help with the questions.
Short oral presenters will not have physical posters this year. Instead, we will be hosting their posters digitally. They will be available on ePoster screens in the venue and on the virtual Congress platform and in the app.
To follow up on our networking sesssion on Tuesday, we are hosting a 30 minute drop in breakfast session. This is available to all delegates, regardless of whether or not they attended the Tuesday event and requires no pre-registration. Feel free to come along to build your network and catch up with colleagues in the Myology Café in the Sakura Room.
Our Interesting Case Discussions session has become a highlight of WMS Congresses. Following feedback from last year’s Congress, we have moved the session into the main Congress hall and increased the session from one hour to two hours.
With around 1,500 specialists in the field of neuromuscular disorders together in Hiroshima, we’re taking the opportunity to solve some of the complex cases that have challenged clinicians.
Following feedback from WMS 2025, we have reinstated the group activity options for WMS 2026.
When you register for WMS 2026, you will have the opportunity to choose between four options: a local walking tour of the Peace Park, a trip to Miyajima Island, Saijo Sake Street Strolling Tour or the Iwakuni Tour. You can find more information about the group activities on the relevant page of the Congress website. We have also created a dedicated section in the Congress app. These resources will contain the specific information about where to go and at what time in order to start your tour.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Peace Museum tour
This tour offers a poignant and reflective journey through Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site dedicated to remembering the victims of the atomic bombing and advocating for lasting world peace. Led by a knowledgeable guide, visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the devastating impact of nuclear weapons, the resilience of the human spirit and the ongoing efforts towards a peaceful future. As well as touring the Peace Park, participants will visit the Peace Memorial Museum (the museum entrance fee is included in the group activity fee; there will be no additional fee to pay).
As the Congress venue is within the Peace Park, the walking tour will start from the International Conference Center Hiroshima. Groups will leave at 16:30, 17:30 and 18:30. The tour will last for approximately two hours. After the tour, participants are free to enjoy the rest of their evening.
The cost of this tour is £35.
Miyajima Island
Miyajima, officially Itsukushima, is a sacred, scenic island in Hiroshima Bay, renowned for the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Itsukushima Shrine and its "floating" torii gate.
Participants will meet at the Congress venue, leave together and travel by coach and then boat to the island. When booking your group activity, you will have the option to explore the island on your own. You can also choose one of three organised activities:
We will confirm your start time in your joining instructions in the days immediately before the Congress. Outside of your organised activity (if you choose to do one), you will have time to explore the Island at your own pace.
Should you wish to stay on the island longer you can do so and take the ferry back at your leisure. The last ferry departs at 22:14 and the last tram is at 23:07 and takes approximately 66 minutes back to Hiroshima Station.
The cost of this tour is £35.
Saijo, Sake Brewery Street Strolling Tour
This cultural tour will depart by coach from the ICCH at 16:00 and head to Saijo (approximately an hour away), widely regarded as one of Japan's leading sake-producing regions and home to numerous long-established breweries.
You can enjoy a stroll along Saijjo Sake Brewery Street, where traditional white-walled storehouses line the road, each marked by a distinctive cedar ball indicating active brewing. The tour will last approximately 90 minutes and include a visit to a local brewery such as Kamotsura, where you will learn about the sake making process, regional characteristics and seasonal production, followed by sake tasting.
The coaches will return to the Congress venue at around 19:30.
The cost of this tour is £65.
Iwakuni - Iwakuni Tour
This scenic and cultural tour will depart from the ICCH and will travel by coach (approximately 1 hour 20 minutes away) to the historic city of Iwakuni, known for its elegant landmarks and tranquil setting. The tour will include a visit to the Iwakuni Castle as well as Kikko Park, home to the Kikko Shrine (Kikko-jinja) and the Former Mekata Family Residence, a well-preserved samurai residence that offers a glimpse into the traditional architecture and lifestyle of a high-ranking samurai family.
The tour will last approximately 4 hours (including the transfer time) and will return to the Congress venue at around 20:30.
The cost of this tour is £40.
Because we'll have delegates in different locations with different finish times, there is no group activity reception this year.
The General Assembly is for current WMS members. It’s our equivalent to an annual general meeting. Members of our Executive Board, including the WMS President, will provide an update on the Society’s progress over the previous year, current priorities, and achievements. There will also be an update on WMS finances from the WMS Treasurer and a WMS membership update from the WMS Secretary. The Executive Board will also announce the host city for WMS 2030.
WMS members will be asked to approve the content of the meeting via the app. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions. Lunch will be provided for General Assembly attendees.
If you are not a WMS Member or if you would rather spend the time viewing the poster exhibition, the industry exhibition and poster exhibition will continue throughout the session and lunch will be served.
This is an internal meeting for selected industry representatives, WMS Executive Board members, and Congress organisers. If you have not been asked to attend this meeting, you can continue to enjoy the lunch break and poster session.
Our Congress Networking Dinner will take place on Friday night. To attend, you need to have registered and paid in advance. The dinner will start with a drinks reception and the ceremonial opening of a sake barrel. After the starters and main courses have been served, a live band will perform and teams from each of the WMS regions will join in with live karaoke while people enjoy desert and dancing. There is no formal dress code but people who attend the Networking Dinner tend to use the opportunity to dress up.
When you arrive at the venue we will check you in and give you a dietary requirement place card if appropriate. Please place this card in your place setting for your server to see clearly. We will work to ensure there are menu options that meet all dietary requirements. There is no table plan, though two tables are reserved as alcohol-free tables. No alcohol will be served at these tables for the duration of the evening. This is to provide a comfortable environment for those who would be more comfortable sitting with others who don’t drink alcohol.
Coaches will be provided to and from the ICCH. If you would like to make your own way to the venue and/or stay out in Hiroshima the event, you are welcome to make your own travel arrangements.
This is our keynote lecture named after WMS founder Victor Dubowitz.
The 30-minute lecture will include time for questions and the session will be moderated. Our keynote speaker this year is Gisèle Bonne, who will discuss her journey around the nuclear envelope.
Each year our Prize Committee reviews all of the presented abstracts and selects those that are most deserving of prizes. You can read about previous prizewinners here. Everyone who submits an abstract is eligible for consideration by the Prize Committee. There is no additional application process.
If your name is called during the Prize Giving Ceremony, please make your way to the stage. You will be presented with a certificate alongside the other winners and runners-up in your category. You will be asked to stay on the stage for a moment while we take photos of individual winners and then a group photo before returning to your seat.
If you need to travel home before the Ceremony and win a prize, we will arrange to mail your certificate to you.
You can find more information about the categories and prizes on the relevant page of the Congress website.
We will briefly showcase the forthcoming 2027 WMS Congress, which will take place in Helsinki, Finland. No audience participation is required.
In a symbolic ceremony, the Local Organising Committee of the 2026 Hiroshima Congress will hand over the WMS flag to the Local Organising Committee for the 2027 Helsinki Congress. No audience participation is required.
After we close the Congress, we will serve a bento box homeward lunch. It’s a final opportunity to catch up with fellow delegates, say goodbye, and have something to eat before heading home. If you need to get to the airport, there’s no need to stay and if your flight isn’t until later, you’re very welcome to stay for a while.
Whenever you’re ready to leave, you can head to the airport or train station to start your journey home. We will provide luggage storage on the Saturday for anyone who needs to check out of their hotel before coming to the final Congress day.
The Congress finishes at 14:30, but organisers will remain on site until around 15:30 when we have been asked to vacate the venue. You are welcome to use the space until then.
The WMS prides itself on being inclusive and making our Congresses as accessible as possible. We appreciate that people with very young children may find it particularly difficult to travel. We have a family room at the Congress and you are welcome to bring young children. You will be responsible for supervising your children at all times. Typically, delegates travel with a partner or companion who can be responsible for the child(ren) while the delegate attends Congress sessions. The main Congress sessions will be live-streamed to the family room. For compliance reasons, we have to charge a small fee for use of the room. The fee is £1 per day or £5 for the entire Congress.
As well as snacks and activities for small children, our family room will include a private space for breastfeeding or pumping.
Alternatively, you may want to travel without children but struggle with the costs of providing care for them at home while you are away. Our Caregiver Grant provides up to £1,500 to people who either provide or need care to help cover the cost of replacing that care while you are away.
We encourage you to keep in touch with your loved ones while you are with us at the Congress. If you are video calling from the Congress, please be mindful of those around you and considerate of presenters. Taking or receiving calls of any kind during presentations is not allowed.
We all know the days at a WMS Congress can be long and full of great science and fantastic networking. To help you power through the sessions, we carefully cater for all dietary requirements.
We start planning the menus early in the year. We work with local catering companies who, in turn, work with local suppliers so we can bring you fresh, nutritious, seasonal food and drink with a minimal environmental footprint and maximum flavour.
Reducing the amount of meat on the menu. Meat comes with a high carbon footprint. It is also an element of many meals that makes it difficult to provide kosher or halal options. By reducing the amount of meat on the menu, we are reducing our carbon footprint while increasing the number of options that cater to cultural dietary needs. We will have one fully meat-free day at WMS 2026.
Providing less food generally. We all hate to see food going to waste, so we are working carefully with suppliers to make sure there is always enough food, but never too much. We have chosen food options that can be left out for longer, so the same snacks can be left out all day until they are gone, instead of being cleared and thrown away.
Providing leftovers to service workers. We’re hoping there will be a lot less food at the end of each day. Due to local regulations, we are unable to partner with a community fridge or other food redistribution charity this year. However, we can allow individuals who work at the venue or for our suppliers to take leftover food with them.
Alcohol free as an option. Whenever we serve alcohol, we will also have a range of alcohol free options available. We will also have alcohol free tables available at networking events so people can sit with others who don’t drink alcohol if that is their preference. Please be aware that if you sit at an alcohol free table, we will not serve any alcohol to that table for the duration of the event.
Meeting your dietary needs. We recognise that there are various health and cultural/religious reasons why individuals adhere to a particular diet, and we strive to meet the needs of every individual. When you registered to attend the Congress, you selected your dietary preferences. In line with the points above about reducing food waste, we are carefully calculating the quantities of each dish to serve and are working hard to ensure that everyone has something to eat that meets their needs. For this reason, please stick to your selected dietary preferences and collect or accept the meal prepared for you, even if they are preferences rather than requirements.
Going local. As much as possible, we are using locally sourced ingredients and products. During our networking events, people serving the food should be able to tell you about where the food or drink has come from. You can also look out for the information cards which should feature allergy information as well as information about where the food has come from.
If at any point you are unable to find food or a drink that meets your dietary needs, please approach a member of the Congress Organising Team so we can assist you in finding something suitable.
At WMS 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina, USA, we launched our legacy tokens initiative. Instead of using Congress funds to create branded merchandise which is not in line with our environmental sustainability ambitions, we decided instead to dedicate £10,000 to our Congress legacy. We built on our 2023 success in Prague in 2024 and again in Vienna in 2025 and will once again be dividing a £10,000 donation between local good causes selected by our Local Organising Committee in Hiroshima.
You will receive a token (a small round wooden disk featuring the WMS logo) along with your name badge when you register on your first day of the Congress, and an additional token at each Industry Symposia you attend. You can "vote" for the charity you would like to receive the donation on your behalf by depositing your token in the corresponding box. The clear boxes make it instantly visible to all delegates how popular each charity is.
The full and summary Congress programmes are available on the Congress website. Once the app goes live in the few days before the Congress, you will also be able to access the programme there.
Our Congress app gives you access to all kinds of Congress information, from the programme to the attendees directory. If you need help with how to use the app, please visit the Congress registration desk and we’ll do our best to assist you. The app works best with a good mobile data signal so if you don’t have roaming in Japan, you’ll need to log on to the Congress venue wifi. Signs with the password will be up around the venue.
As well as our quiet room, we provide a multi-faith space for people to use for prayer and quiet reflection. At the ANA Crowne Plaza, the prayer room on the fourth floor will be available from 09:00 on Monday 28 September until 19:00 on Tuesday 29 September for delegates attending the Pre-Congress Teaching Course, Opening Ceremony and Networking Reception. At the ICCH, the multi-faith room will be in Waiting Room 1 on floor b2. It will be open at the following times:
To support early career researchers and clinicians as you raise your professional profile, we will once again be providing opportunities to have professional profile photos taken. You'll be able to use these photos for presentations, programmes and more.
Profile photo sessions will take place in the media room, near the registration desk on floor B1 at the following times:
We will aim to send you your photos by the end of November 2026.
Congresses are full of opportunities to learn and experience new things, but they are also rich in stimulation, and with the constant outward facing and switched on nature they can also be overwhelming, exhausting and triggering, both mentally and physically.
We will have a dedicated quiet space which we are calling our Quiet Room (it will be signposted in the venue) where you can take some quiet time to reground before returning to the congress activities. No devices, talking, eating or food will be allowed so that the space is truly welcoming and calming for all.
We also encourage you to take time out of your Congress day to get some fresh air and walk around the gardens surrounding the venue.
Food and drink will be available at intervals throughout each day. We have worked hard to make sure we are meeting the needs of all dietary requirements, whether health-based, cultural, or personal preference. You can find more detailed information about our food and drink in the dedicated section of this guide.
Substantial food will be available at meal times. Snacks will be available during refreshment breaks and in the poster sessions. Water and fruit will be available at all times and tea and coffee will be served each morning as delegates are arriving.
If you need something to eat outside of these times, for example if you are diabetic, please let the Congress organisers know and we’ll be able to provide something appropriate for you.
We appreciate that your first Congress can be daunting, but rest assured our WMS audience is a very friendly one and delegates are eager to meet and learn from one another. If you would like to be introduced to other delegates when you arrive, please let us know via email in advance or at the registration desk at the venue. We will be happy to make some introductions so that you feel more comfortable.
The Myology Café is a regular virtual networking session for anyone involved in the field. At our Congresses, we bring our virtual Café into the real world. Our Congress Myology Café will be serving barista-made hot drinks. It will be open for all the programmed refreshment breaks. Check the signs in the Café to see when we’ll be holding meetings and other informal sessions.
The morning programme continues in the main Congress hall with the first scientific content following straight on from the Congress welcome. Sessions run from 09:30-11:00 and 11:30-13:30 with a 30-minute break from 11:00-11:30 for refreshments and exhibition/poster viewing.
The scientific presentations on day one all follow Topic 1: Myotonic disorders (DM1/DM2 and non-dystrophic myotonias), basic biology and treatment options. Invited speakers (INV in the programme) will start each of the morning sessions with oral presentations (O in the programme) to follow. Each of the invited speaker presentations will last 30 minutes and each oral presentation will last 15 minutes including time for questions. There will be time for questions after each presentation.
You can ask questions by putting your hand up in the room. We will have microphones in the room to make sure you can be heard by the speakers on the stage. Alternatively, you can submit questions via our virtual platform and app. The moderators on stage will be responsible for selecting the questions.
If your question isn’t selected you can follow up with the speaker during the Congress. There are many scheduled networking events and refreshment breaks. If you particularly want to speak to one of the presenters you can ask the team at the registration desk to provide an introduction. Within the Congress app, you also have access to a full directory of Congress attendees and can contact them through the app.
None of the scientific sessions are mandatory. We encourage you to attend all of the sessions to get the most out of the Congress but if there are sessions that aren’t relevant to your work or you need to spend some time catching up on emails, there are plenty of spaces throughout the Congress venue where you can sit away from the presentations.
Throughout the Congress, you can access our live translation service, Wordly. We will share a dedicated translation link in the days running up to the Congress. You can use this link when you are streaming any Congress session and have live written or audio translation in your preferred language.
We have scheduled refreshment breaks at frequent intervals throughout the day. We encourage you to use these breaks in the schedule to attend to any personal needs, stay hydrated, and network with other Congress delegates. At each of the breaks we will provide a selection of food and drink designed to meet all dietary needs. If you have registered with specific dietary requirements, you will find a dedicated "special diets" table as part of the food service, which will be located in the Sakura Room (where the Myology Cafe is based). There will be specific event staff there who can help answer any questions you may have about allergens or food content.
Our industry exhibitors and poster displays are both within easy reach of the Congress hall, so refreshment breaks provide the perfect opportunity for you to interact with our exhibitors or view posters.
We encourage our industry exhibitors and patient advocacy groups to send their scientific representatives to the Congress so they can share their latest projects, trials, and breakthroughs. Away from the presentations in the Congress hall, the networking opportunities are the biggest draw of the WMS Congress. Please do take the time to visit our exhibitors and find out what they can share.
If you need to use our refreshment breaks to take a break from the crowds and the stimulation the Congress provides, you might be glad to know we have dedicated spaces to support you. Our Quiet Room is a tech, food, and chat-free space where you can go to decompress. Our Multi-faith Room is a space for prayer or quiet reflection.
Our poster sessions continue throughout the Congress. There are scheduled poster sessions in the programme each day but feel free to walk through the posters during any of the refreshment breaks.
During each of the dedicated poster sessions, we will be serving drinks including drinks and light refreshments. We will cater to all dietary requirements.
There will be around 800 posters representing the latest work of some of our delegates. Of these, 280 will be presented as ePosters. The ePoster sessions will be moderated.
Because so many of our delegates are presenting posters, you may find that presenters aren’t with their posters when you view them. There are four poster sessions throughout the programme so you can try another time. Alternatively, if you particularly want to speak to a poster presenter, we recommend you try to contact them through the attendee directory in the Congress app.
If you are a poster presenter, we recommend you spend at least some of the poster session near your poster, that way if people want to ask questions you can be there to answer them. We understand that you’ll want to view other posters too so try and balance your time. Our Prize Committee will tour the poster presentations to make their prize selections.
