The first International Short Break Conference was held in the Canadian city of Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1995. This initiative was taken in an effort to create an international network for the exchange of knowledge and working practices, focused on Short Break Care for the disabled and their families. The central theme of the Conference was “Best practices in caring”.

Since then there have been 12 further conferences around the world, usually every two years.

• 2021 – 12th ISBA Conference in Madison, U.S.A – due to the Covid-19 pandemic the conference was held virtually
• 2018 – 11th ISBA Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland
• 2016 – 10th ISBA Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland
• 2014 – 9th ISBA Conference in Wolfenbüttel, Germany
• 2012 – 8th ISBA Conference in Toronto, Canada
• 2010 – 7th ISBA Conference in Galway, Ireland
• 2008 – 6th ISBA Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark
• 2006 – 5th ISBA Conference in Paris, France
• 2003 – 4th ISBA Conference in Orlando, U.S.A.
• 2001 – 3rd ISBA Conference in Sydney, Australia
• 1999 – 2nd ISBA Conference in Canterbury, England
• 1995 – 1st ISBA Conference in Thunder Bay, Ontario