HITMC20 – COVID19 Update

UPDATE 09-17-20

While we made every effort to try and hold the in-person conference in 2020, we’re disappointed to share that HITMC20 has gone fully virtual. We were informed by the venue for our 2020 event that they won’t be opening for the forseeable future. Combine that with all the other COVID-19 unknowns and we’ve decided to move HITMC20 fully virtual. We appreciate all of your support during these challenging times and we’re excited to share the initial details for Virtual HITMC20 – Part Deux including an updated program.

Update 05-19-2020

We are happy to share that we’ve finalized a date with the venue for the postponed HITMC20 conference. We’d hoped to postpone the conference until August 2020, but the hotel was unable to accommodate those dates. However, we were able to move the event to November 17-19, 2020 in Las Vegas.

We are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely – especially as health authorities extend stay-at-home orders. Since our conference has now been postponed until November, we believe that is far enough away that the worst of the pandemic will be behind us. In fact, it might be the perfect time for the healthcare marketing community to come together and share best practices on how to navigate the path forward.

However, we are not taking anything for granted. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be keeping tabs on the availability of our hotel venue, company travel restrictions and government guidelines on gatherings of >50 people.

Our primary concern is the health and safety of attendees.

In light of the disruption, we are working with our speakers to adapt the agenda to include sessions that address the unique situation we all find ourselves in. Once we finalize the changes with our speakers and modify the schedule, we’ll share it on the programs page. Plus, we’ll be working with the hotel to ensure we implement the latest safety precautions at the event itself.

We have also extended the Early Bird Pricing deadline to August 28, 2020. Take advantage of this discount by registering today.

Update 04-02-2020

On May 12th and 13th (the original dates of the in-person conference), we will be hosting a Virtual HITMC Event. From 12:00 ET until 5:00pm ET each day, there will be educational sessions, panel discussions and even an unconference!

We wanted to do something that brought the HITMC Community together – while still adhering to physical distancing protocols. We hope this virtual event will tide us over until we can get together later in the year. Click the link for more information about the Virtual HITMC Event.

We are continuing to work with the hotel on a new date for the in-person conference. We will update everyone who has registered for HITMC20 via email when we have a set a date and we will also post information here on this website.

Update 03-17-2020

Due to the continued spread of COVID-19, the recent CDC guidelines regarding gatherings of 50 people or more, and travel restrictions, we have decided to postpone the 2020 Healthcare and IT Marketing Conference (HITMC20) to later this year.

We are currently negotiating with the hotel for a new date in August 2020, but we do not yet have confirmation. As soon as we do, we will post an update. For those that have already registered for HITMC20, there is nothing you need to do at this time. Your registration has been preserved.

Only a short time ago, we felt optimistic that May was far enough to proceed. However, as it stands today, we cannot guarantee the one thing that our attendees and exhibitors expect us to deliver – a safe, high quality event.

We know that many of you in the Community were looking forward to getting together in-person. We were right there with you. It’s sad that we won’t be in Vegas in May, but we hope you can hang onto your enthusiasm for August.

To help tie us over, we are excited to announce the following:

  • On May 12th and 13th we will be hosting a HITMC Virtual Conference (4 Educational sessions each day + a unique virtual unconference). 12-5pm ET each day. Details soon.
  • On March 26, April 9, 23 and May 7, at 4pm ET, we will be hosting Online Networking Events. Think of these as a tweetchat + video conference call + meetup all rolled into one. Sign up for our HITMC newsletter to be notified of registration.

We are very thankful for the support that has already been shown to us and we are truly grateful for the Community’s support going forward.

Update 03-16-2020

The CDC has recently put forward guidance that “recommends that for the next 8 weeks, organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States.”

As the situation continues to get more critical, public health officials are asking the public to take more drastic measures to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Several Las Vegas hotel operators have heeded the call and have decided to close their casinos.

Today we are assessing our options and will be deciding next steps with regards to HITMC20.

We will have an update to our attendees, sponsors and community in the next couple of days.

Update 03-11-2020

To say that the COVID19 situation is dynamic would be an understatement. Every hour new information is coming to light. As tests for the virus become more readily available, we are learning of new pockets of actual and potential infection. There is a lot of information to synthesize and review.

The HITMC20 organizers recognize the need to be transparent and proactive with regards to plans for the 2020 Healthcare and IT Marketing Conference (HITMC20) in light of COVID19. We will be regularly updating this page as more information becomes available.

As of today, we are considering many factors including:

We are also looking at many things including (but not limited to):

  • precautions the venue is taking to ensure the safety of guests
  • potential travel restrictions
  • virtual conference options
  • reconfiguring conference seating for more space between attendees
  • non-buffet food options

We DO NOT want HITMC20 attendees and sponsors to be left scrambling at the last minute. Our goal is to give as much notification about HITMC20 as possible.

HITMC is first and foremost a community. We would welcome feedback and thoughts from the community about this situation. Has your organization restricted travel? If a virtual option was available, would you attend (if you aren’t already registered)? How do you feel about traveling on a plane right now?

You can send us your comments via our contact us page.

Our thoughts are with anyone directly impacted or who have loved ones affected by COVID19. We also want to thank all the nurses, clinicians, administrators, marketing, communications and IT teams at healthcare organizations who are helping to keep their communities informed, safe and healthy.