9 lessons from HIMSS’ COVID-19 strategy

In late February 2020, our team was in the final stages of preparation for HIMSS20, the annual HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) conference.

There was a record number of approximately 45,000 health care technologists and practitioners from around the world planning to attend. For the first time, a sitting U.S. President would deliver a keynote address at the conference. There were record numbers of broadcast, national and top-tier industry media scheduled to attend, as well as a rich attendee news lineup with several hundred new products being introduced. Thousands of exhibitors were beginning to descend on Orlando. It seemed that HIMSS20 was set to be one of the best conferences in our 58-year history. COVID-19 had not yet been declared a pandemic—and no one could have predicted what would happen next.

On March 5, two days after the White House publicly announced its participation and three days before the conference kick-off, HIMSS took forced action to end the conference, one of the first global events to make this move. The following week a pandemic was declared by public health agencies, which would have occurred in the middle of the conference had it proceeded.