Overall, the 2022 edition of the annual HIMSS conference was a pleasant surprise. There was a buzz in the exhibit hall and in the sessions that was noticeably absent in 2021. From a marketing perspective HIMSS22 was less flash and more substance than prior years – a welcome pivot. There were still stylish booths, but nothing over-the-top or excessive.
Overall Impression
HIMSS22 was pleasant surprise. Given the low attendance in 2021 I was steeling myself for a similar turnout. It was clear from the start that 2022 would not be a complete repeat of last year.
The aisles and hallways were bustling, but not overly crowded. The sessions had decent attendance, and some even reached capacity. There was an excitement and energy in the air…and not because of the extra ventilation.
Everywhere I looked people were smiling and greeting each other. Everyone was genuinely happy to be back amongst friends and peers. In fact, if I was to use one word to describe HIMSS22, it would be “reunion”. It felt like getting back together with high school or college friends who you haven’t seen in 5 years. Attendees were greeting each other and excitedly catching up on each other’s exploits. It was wonderful to see.
What struck me in particular was the number of exhibitors who commented to me that this was their first time meeting many of their coworkers. Over the past two years there has been a lot of turnover and anyone who joined has only been a face in a square box on a Zoom or Teams meeting. For many HIMSS22, was the first time they were seeing each other in 3D.
Exhibit Hall
One of the most noticeable differences at HIMSS22 was the exhibit hall.
The biggest improvement over 2021 was that everything was in the same place. You didn’t have to run to a completely different venue to get to the Interoperability Showcase or the Cybersecurity Pavilion. It made the conference feel more cohesive and a lot easier to navigate.
Many of the exhibitors were familiar names: Epic, Allscripts, Cerner, MEDITECH, AWS, TigerConnect, and DrFirst to name a few. It was a welcome sight. Having said that, it felt like many exhibitors opted for smaller footprints this year which I believe is both prudent and in keeping with the difficult times in healthcare.
I snapped this pic of the main aisle to capture how bustling it was.
No Over-the-Top Booths
One of my favorite things to do is walk the entire exhibit hall to see all the different booths. This year there was a remarkable lack of over-the-top booths. There were a few standouts, but in all but one case, the booths were a far cry from the heyday of Meaningful Use. There were no waterfalls that spelled out words. No booths made to look like baseball stadiums. Perhaps this was in recognition of the tough economic environment or the challenges facing healthcare.
No matter the reason, it was a welcome sight.
Gone too were the over-the-top booth enticements. There were lots of giveaways and a few spinning wheels-for-prizes, but there were no magicians, fortune tellers or sideshows. Instead, there was a lot of gourmet cookies, popcorn, smoothies, pretzels, and lots of coffee being offered by exhibitors. From that perspective it was like walking through Costco and getting free food every few steps.
Best Booths
Everyone is always curious to know which were the best booths at HIMSS. This year there were 3 standouts: Salesforce, Philips, and IBM.
The Salesforce booth was the only one in the exhibit hall that I would classify as “fancy”. It drew on their outdoors motif that has been a signature part of their brand. They even had 6ft versions of their cute mascots – the bear and the guide. The amount of greenery in their booth was also impressive.
The Philips booth was impressive because of the optical illusion they created with seamless displays on 4 sides of their presentation area. With video screens on the roof plus three walls, it made it look like you were actually in an exam room or CT suite. The images were clear and crisp. It almost felt like augmented reality. Kudos to the Philips presenters who were able to time their talks perfectly to sync up with the pre-programed video.
The IBM booth was elegant and eye-catching. There was a central cylinder that was lit up and cast the booth in colorful hues. It reminded me the lights they project onto Niagara and Horseshoe Falls at night. It was very calming.
Best Displays
In addition to the three standout booths, there were several amazing in-booth displays.
Canon Medical brought back their “retro-tech” museum that showed technology from yesteryear. My favorite was seeing the old cameras.
The Watcher Health booth had a holographic display that showed their catalog of devices. It was incredible to see everything so life-like.
Siemens Healthcare had a fantastic augmented reality display. They had a 3D model of a city that you could hold up an iPad to and explore. It showed how various modalities of care could be connected seamlessly together.
Best Giveaway
If you needed a water bottle, first aid kit, hand sanitizer, screen wipe, or phone holder, you could find one at every other booth. There was one, very unique and practical giveaway…Infor gave away Dr. Scholl’s shoe inserts. I can tell you after three days of walking over 25,000 steps these were a welcome sight for many at HIMSS22.
If you were at HIMSS22, I’m interested in what you thought about the event from a marketing perspective.
Can’t wait for 2023!
My favorite giveaway was Ellkay’s honey that comes from their own apiaries