Informa Markets and HIMSS partner to grow the HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition

Photo: HIMSSMedia

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and Informa Markets have announced a strategic partnership to grow and expand the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition. 

Informa Markets will take on management of the HIMSS exhibition, while HIMSS will continue to oversee developing content and programming.

"We have so much in common in terms of our goals," said HIMSS President and CEO Hal Wolf. "We have a common vision for the health ecosystem."

Informa Markets has a strong presence in the Healthcare and Medtech space through brands such as FIME, Arab Health and IME. Under its leadership, the 2024 version of the HIMSS Conference and Exhibition will have improved digital features, enhanced registration processes, marketing tools and cutting-edge product-discovery applications.

Informa's goal is to add value to what it does for the HIMSS global conference, according to Ken McAvoy, president of South Florida Ventures at Informa Markets.

The estimated 40,000 HIMSS global health conference attendees, including leaders from the 120 chapters in North America, will get the same experience and programming and will be working with many of the same people for a seamless continuity, according to McAvoy.

"We're not changing the name," McAvoy said. "That HIMSS brand is a golden brand."

Informa was attracted to taking on the HIMSS annual conference because of its status as being number one, according to McAvoy.

"It made a lot of common sense to do what we've done," McAvoy said.

HIMSS has been thinking about bringing on a partner so it could focus on thought leadership and professional development, Wolf said. 

The conference, Wolf said, "has been back so strong since the pandemic. There's been a 34% increase in general attendance. If we could find the right partner, we could focus on the level of content and programming." 

HIMSS has expanded its presence worldwide. In the last three years, membership has grown from 80,000 to 120,000 members, with much of that growth coming from outside of North America, according to Wolf. Six years ago, membership stood at around 76,000. 

The continuing effects of COVID-19 pandemic show digital health is what is needed to sustain the ecosystem, Wolf said. Governments are coming to the HIMSS conference to talk about strategy. This has been a critical component as healthcare is one of the world's largest industries. 

"It's about a global health ecosystem, it's not just about a show," Wolf said. "This is a global community. This is our opportunity to expand the global conference and the global health ecosystem at large."

Informa understands how HIMSS works and both organizations will be working together, he said.

When Informa saw the international growth of HIMSS acting as a feeder to the conference, it gave them the impetus to make sure the association is the number one benefactor of this relationship, McAvoy said.

"Our goal is not just to improve and expand the trade show, it's to expand the association," McAvoy said.

Informa Markets is a U.K.-based company that ranks among the 50 top stocks in that region. It has over 400 events in the United States, Europe, Middle East and China. It is a leading exhibition organizer across diverse sectors, ranging from fashion to engineering, health and wellness, construction, and others.

"We like to have the number one event in the industry," McAvoy said.

Informa's South Florida Ventures team has recently added Art Miami, the Miami International Boat Show and Premiere Beauty to its growing luxury lifestyle portfolio in the region, under the leadership of McAvoy.

HIMSS held its first Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition in 1961, and about five years ago changed the name to the HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition to reflect its growth. The conference, originally meant for Technologists and CIOs now has such programs as nursing informaticists, Wolf said. This year at the global conference in Chicago, HIMSS added the National Indian Health Board to connect tribal communities through health IT modernization. 

After a successful 2023 conference hosted in Chicago, the 2024 HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition will move to Orlando, Florida, on March 11-15 for the inaugural edition under this new partnership.

"The HIMSS 2023 Global Health Conference and Exhibition was an outstanding success. We are determined to continuously advance this conference and exhibition, delivering ever greater value to everyone who attends: speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and healthcare professionals," said  Wolf in a statement. "With the remarkable growth that the Global Conference has reached, it's the right time to partner with North America's leading exhibitions organizer, Informa Markets, who shares our vision to make the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition the best it can be for the entire ecosystem."

McAvoy said by statement, "We are thrilled to expand our work connecting the healthcare community with the addition of the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition. Drawing on our extensive experience in organizing some of the largest and most successful events in the U.S., combined with HIMSS' unparalleled expertise in the digital health space, we are excited to collaborate and leverage our resources to deliver even greater benefits and value to the HIMSS community and its members."

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org