With nine weeks to go, officials are reporting that early registration for the 2009 Annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Conference & Exhibition (HIMSS09) is running ahead of the 2008 trend.
The boost in attendance is being credited to employment growth in the healthcare sector, an increase in federal funding for health IT, as well as the show's location in Chicago this year.
The HIMSS Analytics database shows more than 10,300 healthcare organizations (hospitals, physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, etc.) are within driving distance or a short flight to Chicago, keeping travel costs low for these organizations.
Last year the show drew a record 29,174 attendees but total registration for this year's conference, which is slated for April 4-8 in McCormick Place, stands at 5 percent over this same period of time last year, with non-exhibitor attendance showing an almost 3 percent increase.
"Healthcare organizations and physician practices have heard President Obama's call for computerized health records for all Americans in the next five years, and they recognize the likelihood of billions of dollars in investments coming from the federal government for the acquisition and implementation of health IT," said H. Stephen Lieber, HIMSS president and CEO.
"Hospitals and physician practices will be aggressively pursuing the acquisition of electronic medical record applications this year and will be in search of IT solutions providers, consultants and all other ancillary services necessary for them to be eligible to receive the federal funding Congress is posed to enact," he said.
HIMSS has also implemented new events, engaged new audiences and expanded educational options for this year's conference, including:
- Weekend-only registration for the first time, allowing professionals to attend the conference during non-business hours;
- Expanded education sessions and events to help clinician attendees understand the healthcare IT provisions included in the economic stimulus package;
- Called for HIMSS chapters in the Central U.S. to organize delegations, and in some cases, bus or train transportation to Chicago;
- Engaged its Web-savvy audience by expanding its information and updates to popular social media outlets, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, outreach that contributed to the 15 percent increase in traffic to the conference's Web site.
