Planning for a Successful HIMSS 2023

It’s official! Formstack will be at HIMSS 2023. 

Since HIMSS will be a large and jam-packed event, we’ve compiled these tips to help you get the most out of your attendance. 

Aside from stopping by the Formstack booth (#7510), here are a few things you can do to have your most successful HIMSS yet.

HIMSS 2023 Information

We can't dive into the helpful tips before sharing the what, when, and where.

What: HIMSS 2023 is the most influential health information technology event of the year, where 40,000+ healthcare industry professionals meet to build relationships during lively networking events, learn from experts in hot topic education sessions, and discover innovative health tech products to solve their greatest challenges.

Where: Chicago, IL at the McCormick Place. Fun fact: It is the largest convention center in North America!

When: April 17-21, 2023

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Bring Your Walking Shoes

The heart and soul of the HIMSS event is the Exhibition Floor. Each year, more than 1,000 vendors set up shop to share the latest advancements in technology and innovation. HIMSS has added a very useful feature to their exhibitor map that lets you search for vendors by booth size, type, hall, and pavilion. 

You might think I’m joking when I say, “bring your walking shoes.” I’m not. If you’re attending in-person this year and are planning to network around the Exhibition Floor, you’ll likely log quite a few steps. Make sure you’re prepared by dressing comfortably and breaking down the pavilion into sections—you don’t have to knock it all out in one go. 

Schedule Time to Meet with Contacts

After months of virtual events and Zoom calls, you have likely met new people in your industry who you’ve never had the chance to see in person. If you're heading to Chicago this year, reach out to your account representatives, partners, and customers to schedule a time to chat. These folks are probably already planning parties and happy hours or speaking on panels. Talk to the people you know you want to hear from so you can pencil them into your calendar first before making additional plans.  

Learn Something New

If your ticket to HIMSS this year means manning a booth on the exhibition floor, you may be limited on when you’re able to leave for a session. Consider making a schedule for who will be at the booth and when. This will help you squeeze in a session where possible. If you’re flying solo in the exhibition hall, your slowest time will be first thing in the morning and toward the end of the day. 

The sheer number of sessions can be overwhelming, so rather than going through every single page of the schedule, use the search function to look up terms associated with topics you’re interested in learning more about.

To get you started, here are some interesting sessions from this year’s lineup:

• Beyond the Status Quo: Conquering Healthcare's Digital Paradox
• Interoperability and HIE Forum Keynote: The Future of Data Exchange
• A Deep Dive into Digital Front Door & Patient Access
• Governance for Digital Transformation: A CIO Perspective
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Meet New People

HIMSS is a great place for networking. One of the key takeaways from my first HIMSS experience was that I didn’t take advantage of enough networking opportunities. Here are a few ways to meet new people at this year’s HIMSS:

1. Scheduled Networking Events: HIMSS hosts after-hours receptions for networking. These are events with an additional cost where you can interact with healthcare professionals who have similar interests to you.
2. Company Parties: As you interact with organizations on the exhibition floor, you’ll likely get invited to happy hours at their booth or after-hours parties at local restaurants. These are great opportunities to learn how these organizations' tools can support your company and meet other businesses with similar needs and problems.
3. Networking Areas: HIMSS provides several networking areas where you can sit and interact with your peers. Some of these locations will be accompanied by educational sessions and Q&As to spark discussion amongst attendees.
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Want to join our happy hour? Wind down after a long day on the show floor by joining Penrod and Formstack for a happy hour at VU Rooftop on April 20 from 5-7 p.m. Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot ASAP.

Tell Us You’re Coming

Make sure to follow @Formstack on Twitter, and tweet us using the hashtag #HIMSS23. We’ll be sharing special events, demos, and further details on our Lunch & Learn with Emory Healthcare.

Other companies are already taking to Twitter to promote their booths, speaking sessions, and other activities. LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram are all great ways to interact and keep a pulse on what’s going on throughout the week.

Catch a Podcast Recording

Formstack's Practically Genius podcast will be hosting live podcast recordings at Booth #7510 for our special Future of Healthcare mini-series. Host Lindsay McGuire will be interviewing healthcare industry leaders to hear about their thoughts, predictions, and advice for healthcare professionals focused on digital transformation. You don't want to miss out on grabbing a seat and listening in on these powerful discussions. Topics and guests include:
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• Improving Your Digital Front Door with Maria D. Moen, Senior Vice President, Innovation & External Affairs at ADVault inc. - April 18 at 1:00 PM
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• ‍What You Need to Know About Personalizing Patient Experiences with Alexa Cushman, Director of Global Product Industry Marketing, Healthcare & Life Sciences at MuleSoft - April 18 at 1:30 PM
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• ‍Keeping Up With Changes in Healthcare with Tom Hoffman, Salesforce Practice Lead at Crowe - April 19 at 9:30 AM
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• ‍The Ties Between Interoperability, Technology, and Burnout with Jessica Sweeney-Platt, Vice President, Research and Editorial Strategy at athenahealth -April 19 at 1:00 PM
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• ‍How to Decomplex Digital in Healthcare with Matin Saiyed, Senior Director, HLS Alliances at Mastek - April 19 at 1:30 PM
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• ‍Digitization: The Key to Creating Long-Term Patients with Lawrence Burningham, AVP of Digital Strategy at MaineHealth - April 20 at 9:30 AM 
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• ‍Providing Patients Excellent Digital-First Experiences with Chris Widmayer, CEO of Penrod - April 20 at 1:00 PM
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• How to Adapt to the Changing Expectations of Patients with Jim Rogers, RN, SVP, Healthcare & Life Sciences at Gerent - April 20 at 1:30 PM
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Space to listen in during these conversations is limited, so make sure to reserve your seat here.

Come Find Formstack 

This year at HIMSS, you can hear from us during our Lunch & Learn, Beyond the Status Quo: Conquering Healthcare's Digital Paradox. On Wednesday, April 19, at 11:00 a.m., Formstack’s Lacey Jackson and Emory Healthcare's Denise Davis will be discussing how Emory Healthcare improved the patient and provider experience by standardizing data collection across hundreds of locations and thousands of employees. 

If you’d like to meet with a member of our team during HIMSS, you can find us at Booth #7510 in the Main Hall. We hope to see you there!