Our colleague and friend, Worldwide Wes Bates, recently returned from the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) trade show and conference. He filed this report for our blog.
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Java! Java! Java! If that’s what you crave then get your fix at the 2011 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference & Exhibition (HIMSS) show. It never occurred to me how much the general populace loves their morning and afternoon coffee. When I returned from this year’s HIMSS healthcare show in Orlando, the leading commonality among every booth was coffee. Juan Valdez must have had a co- sponsorship because every booth at the show either had a large coffee station or a full-time barista operating industrial-sized espresso machines. These days it seems every show-goer must demand the opportunity to walk up and order a: tall, skinny, light-whip, tell me about your services and how can I register for the iPad giveaway… to go! The HIMSS show was no exception.
If you have never been to the HIMSS show, promoters describe this event as being the one-of-a-kind forum where you can DISCUSS the nation’s most critical topics and NETWORK with your peers… COLLABORATE and devise approaches to solving the latest health IT issues… EXPLORE innovative products and solutions. This year marked the 50th year of HIMSS which, unlike NRF or OpenWorld, is a traveling show. Las Vegas will be the location for the 2012 event but this year’s show was held in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
The Orange County Convention Center is owned and operated by Orange County Government and located in the heart of the area’s tourism district, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) serves as the perfect event destination. Whether you are visiting as a planner, an exhibitor, an attendee or a member of the community, the OCCC is committed to making every experience a success. (OCCC website)
I was attending this show to promote my organization’s healthcare offerings through social media efforts with our twitter program while obtaining video interviews of visiting clients. I also was very fortunate to meet John Lynn of EMRandHIPPA.com and talked me into participating in a “Spot the Blogger” contest. All I had to do was take a picture with the blogger (John), tweet the pic and I would be entered in a drawing for a free 42’’ HDTV. I tweeted the picture and found out later that week that I had won the TV. It’s a great TV, looks nice in my living room and only cost me one tweet. So, I offer proof positive that participating in social media efforts can pay off.
So I returned to Texas with plenty of caffeine in my system and a new TV in-tow. I must say that the HIMSS show is a very large event with over 35,000 attendees. I can see why it lasts for three days. It takes that long to see everything and attend some of the speaking engagements. This event is a testament to how the healthcare industry has remained strong, especially in regards to IT spending. If you are a technology vendor or a representative of a healthcare system, you will definitely benefit from this event. I recommend booking this show as soon as you can and planning your activities in accordance with the challenges your organization needs to meet.
Well, I am three months and two trade shows into 2011. I will not be traveling any more for a little while but I will be sure to check in on other shows my company will be participating in later this year. I hope to see you at the next event and be sure to look for me at the coffee station.
Follow Wes on twiiter: www.twitter.com/WesBates
About Wesley:
Wesley Bates is the public relations manager for one of the top three information technology companies in the world. His duties include media and analyst relations. He graduated from Texas A&M University and then worked with the St. Joseph Health System in Bryan, and with Texas Health Resources before taking his current position. Last year, he served as the Technology Director for the Dallas chapter of IABC.
