An Extraordinary Event
by: Andrew Roberts
Like many of the readers of this blog, I have been to countless healthcare conferences and tradeshows over the years. Last year was my first attending the Healthcare Internet Conference, and I can honestly say that I had never been to an event quite like it.
For starters, the breakout speakers are all from hospital and health system Web departments (your peers). Presenters are carefully vetted so that topics and discussions cover current industry trends and issues. I sat in on several memorable sessions that covered a broad range of “how to” topics, including measuring ROI, leveraging a hospital intranet following an acquisition, new trends in usability testing, rebranding a service line, and building a mobile-friendly version of your Web site. I was amazed with the openness of the presenters and the quality of the follow-up discussion. On more than one occasion, I was floored when a speaker shared specific ROI and revenue numbers. In my experience, this level of openness is extremely rare at a tradeshow or conference – or anywhere for that matter.
Then there are the keynote speakers. At other events I have been to, keynote speakers are selected primarily for their name recognition. If you’ve been to enough events, you know that the biggest names are not always the best presenters. At the Healthcare Internet Conference they are chosen because they are currently involved in cutting edge work in the industry, either as a participant or as an observer in the media. I enjoyed some of the presentations more than others, but I learned something from each one.
Unlike many tradeshows I have been to where there is a contest to see who has the biggest, loudest, and shiniest booth, the focus at the Healthcare Internet Conference was clearly on solutions. The vendor exhibition is open and friendly. The venue is intimate enough to promote real networking, and the schedule is carefully designed so that exhibition hours overlap with snack time or happy hour. This means that you are never wandering around the exhibitor area empty-handed, adding to the openness and networking.
If the mark of a useful conference or a tradeshow is to come back with several actionable “take-aways”, then consider the Healthcare Internet Conference a slam dunk. I can’t tell you how many times in the last year I have referenced one of the presentations in a conversation with a customer, or went back to my notes to pull a quote or a statistic. We know that travel budgets may be tight at many hospitals and health systems. However, if you do have one event that you can attend this year, I highly recommend that you consider this one. You can save $100 if you register by September 4th.
I hope to see you in Vegas on November 2nd!
I was at last year’s conference as well, I came back with pages and pages of ideas and notes, it was well worth the trip.
One thing to keep in mind, they give your info to a long list of vendors when signing up, that got old real fast getting calls for weeks after…
The other perk is just being able to talk with people who understand your job and who have the same experiences.
James,
The vendors are a mixed blessing to the Annual Healthcare Internet Conference. By exhibiting at the meeting they let the attendees shop and to talk to a vendor’s current or past clients (references). Also, they pay a fee to exhibit which helps cover the costs of the conference and allows us to offer lower registration fees to attendees.
I would hope they realize that aggressive marketing and follow-up would be counterproductive. I am sorry some give a bad name to all. I’ll send along a note to the vendors and share your issue — maybe they will take it to heart and be a bit more prudent in their follow-up initiatives.
Thanks for letting us know what is happening post-conference. We need and welcome the feedback. I hope you are joining us again this year, and have signed up for the online community at http://www.healthcareinternetconference.com. Also, follow our Twitter comments using the hashtag #hcic.
John Eudes
Greystone.Net
Me too I was at the last years, it was great if anybody can make it, it will well worth your time.
If not for anything else the networth ability, you never know who might meet. Nice post by the way I like the sequence and the way you presented it.