February ushers in the mega football game of the year where typically fans see an East Coast- West Coast mash up, but the big game events extend into the later part of the month when Los Angeles hosts the Super Bowl of healthcare conferences – ViVE!

ViVE is a well-attended premier event where digital health decision makers come together to engage in meaningful discussions around challenges or obstacles within healthcare, share groundbreaking advancements within the industry and shape the future of our healthcare.

What will be the emerging conversations coming out of ViVE?

While we don’t have a Magic 8 Ball, we know the future of healthcare is poised for transformative changes with artificial intelligence (AI) playing a pivotal role in revolutionizing healthcare from personalized and efficient patient care, to early disease detection and improved overall health outcomes, and ViVE is the epicenter for these advancements to unfold!

Beyond AI, nurses will take center stage at ViVE 2024. The nursing sector of the healthcare industry has significantly declined since the pandemic and has struggled to recover. According to a recent survey conducted by the American Organization of Nursing Leadership, 23% of nurses surveyed said they are considering leaving their jobs within the next six months. Facts are facts, and fewer students are attending nursing schools, creating an even wider gap in the availability of nurses. Healthcare is breaking down because nurses’ voices are not being heard, and ViVE wants to be at the forefront of real change for nurses. There is a new generation of nurse innovators redefining the industry, and nurses are taking an entrepreneurial approach with their careers.

Now you may be thinking: I’m not a company that directly reaches nurses and or has an AI component, so how will I get noticed at the conference? I’ve been asked many times by clients how to break through the noise at these types of conferences. Clients also frequently ask: How can we get in front of the media while at the conference?

With thousands of attendees at ViVE, your company needs to have a strategy in place to be heard and seen, and you need to make that plan well before ViVE’s start date of Feb. 25, 2024.

Here are a few tips:

Join in the Conversation Early

• Pre-conference buzz can be powerful! A simple way to join in the conversation before the event starts is to join the conversation online with #ViVE2024. Look to see if there is an organic opportunity to insert your brand or your executives into the conversations that will allow the spotlight to turn to you and or your company. Start conversations earlier on and continue them on site at the conference
• Networking in advance of the conference can be lucrative. Review the agenda and connect with speakers on social media to start to build relationships and engage with their posts and conversations.

Dangle the Carrot

• If getting media coverage at the conference is a priority, then offer the media something innovative and groundbreaking. That doesn’t always have to be in the form of a product or new offering. It could take shape in the form of data. Media love data, and data-driven stories get coverage! 68% of journalists want to see original research and trend data in pitches. Consider releasing survey findings timed to the start of the conference to create the buzz on site.

Break out of the Box

• Getting creative with a 10×10 exhibitor space can be tough, but finding a way to stand out among the crowd will serve you well. Years ago, I was at a conference where there was a line wrapped around the show floor aisles, and the line caught my attention. I followed the line to find that a fresh produce company created a pop up bog experience to immerse attendees “in the health, taste and heritage of this exceptional fruit.” Attendees suited up to wade in water up to their knees to bog for cranberries. Beyond experiential, memorable and creative!
• Other ideas can go beyond the exhibitor booth space. Consider taking over a high-traffic area on the show floor and explore an off-brand activation that is on-brand! A previous conference I attended had a dried fruit brand (prunes) hosting yoga sessions on the show floor. My initial thought was: How can I do yoga in business attire, and what does yoga have to do with dried fruit? Well, I took the 20-minute yoga session where I found out yoga is good for bone health, and so too are prunes! This was a brilliant way to get across the company’s key message about bone health.

Creating positive awareness for your brand is super important, and that is where PR can help!

A wise man once told me that the only thing you own is your reputation. That applies for businesses, too. The right PR partner will help build both brand affinity and will elevate your brand awareness.

Healthcare clients rely on the Bospar PR and marketing team to help build buzz, maintain a positive reputation, develop messaging and create contributed content.

We would love to do the same for you! When can we talk?