How do you convince 30,000 people from around the world to leave their businesses, jobs and homes for nearly a week to immerse themselves
in education, exhibits and networking?
That is the question the Health Information Management Systems Society’s
marketing team faces every year when it
begins planning its annual conference.
Despite the challenge of answering
it, however, the HIMSS conference is
always successful — thanks in large
part to its integrated master marketing
plan.
Developing and Extending the
Brand/Value Proposition
The HIMSS conference marketing flows
from a central theme based on the
organization’s brand. HIMSS is a cause-based organization with a mission of
advancing the best use of information
technology for the betterment of health
care. A value proposition is created and
messages are developed that resonate
across all platforms and audiences. For
the 2011 HIMSS Annual Conference —
HIMSS11 — the branding focused on
three key elements: people, technology
and outcomes. The outcomes element
was new for HIMSS11, focusing on
the patient side of health care information technology, and the result was
the theme: HIMSS11: Linking People,
Potential and Progress. An overview of
each conference event and its advantages and benefits for various audience
segments was developed, critical for
creating sub-messages based on the
many ways HIMSS connects these audiences through a common focus on positive patient outcomes.
Messaging helps determine the
look and feel of all conference market-
ing, the website and onsite materials
and signage. An effective design must
clearly communicate the value proposi-
tion, grab the audience’s attention and
support the goals of the plan. Histori-
cally, stock photos were used in creat-
ing the conference look and feel. For
HIMSS11, stock photos that illustrated
patient outcomes were not available
in the style and quantity needed. To
remedy this, a special photo shoot was
scheduled. In many respects, the shoot
was typical, involving the usual ele-
ments: finding a photographer, develop-
ing the shot list, choosing models, and
determining clothes and props. To focus
on patient outcomes, the shoot also
required an extraordinary venue search
and selection. A state-of-the-art hospi-
tal had to be contracted — one willing
to let HIMSS use many of its spaces
and specific equipment. The shoot was
extremely successful in that the associa-
tion was able to create the exact images
it needed not only for the conference,
but for future HIMSS marketing.
Going Beyond Current
Each year, HIMSS introduces new
programs and activities to ensure
the conference remains relevant, yet
vibrant and cutting-edge. Two unique
programs for HIMSS11 were planned
