Top 5 Healthcare Conferences in 2024: Facility Guide
Attending healthcare conferences is a great way for facility executives and leaders to network with diverse professionals and learn about new industry trends. Each year, leading healthcare organizations across the country offer a wide range of conferences for healthcare professionals.
The topics and quality of information covered at these conferences can vary, so it’s important to put your time and resources into those that are professionally vetted. We’ll outline five popular types of conferences for facility leaders and provide recommendations on which events to attend in 2024.
Why Attend Healthcare Conferences?
Conferences connect healthcare professionals from all walks of life and enable them to share information to help one another grow. For hospital leaders, strategically attending the right conferences can bring many benefits, such as:
- Networking: Individuals attending conferences are all highly invested in the industry. This means that you’ll be meeting other talented professionals who may want to partner with, or support, your organization in the future.
- Marketing: Many leaders attend conferences to share the contributions that their organizations are making to the healthcare field. Being a panel speaker or hosting a presentation is a great way to get your facility’s name out there and share your strengths with like-minded professionals.
- Development: Beyond sharing your own contributions, you gain access to dozens of workshops and presentations from healthcare innovators outside of your organization. You can learn about new industry trends, technological advancements, or research that may provide insight on how you can improve your operations.
Top Healthcare Conferences (2024)
There are hundreds of healthcare conferences held each year, so it’s important to narrow it down to the ones best suited to the goals of you and your facility. Below are five popular types of healthcare conferences for facility leaders and upcoming events from notable organizations.
1. Healthcare Technology Conferences
Technology is advancing rapidly within the healthcare industry, and adopting new and suitable systems can significantly enhance your operations. Stay on top of all the latest digital tools and trends by attending a healthcare technology conference.
Recommended Conference: Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Health Conference
Dates and Location: March 11-15 in Orlando, Florida
Summary: HIMSS is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving care delivery through information technology. Their global conference brings together thousands of professionals from all over the world to share the latest, cutting-edge technologies impacting the healthcare industry.
What it Offers: Attendees will have access to exhibits from over 1,000 healthcare IT vendors and companies, continuous education (CE) courses, and various panels to discuss the latest healthcare technology issues and innovations.
2. Healthcare Operations and Policy Conferences
It’s crucial for those at the executive level to keep up with emerging healthcare trends and policies. Attending a conference is a valuable way for executives across different healthcare organizations to exchange ideas on improving provider workflow and enhancing patient care.
Recommended Conference: Becker’s Healthcare Annual Meeting
Dates and Location: April 8-11 in Chicago, Illinois; April 16-17 virtually
Summary: Becker’s annual meeting brings together thousands of healthcare executives to exchange ideas and best industry practices. Discussions will center around executive-level strategies to improve care, enhance operational efficiency, and address financial challenges.
What It Offers: Attendees will have access to four days of renowned keynote speakers, workshops, and presentations about the most pressing industry-related issues. This includes topics like health IT, consumerism, executive leadership, value-based care, telehealth, burnout, and pharmacy costs.
3. Nursing Management Conferences
It can also be quite valuable to home in on conferences that are specific to your professional focus within healthcare. If you’re a nursing leader who wants an opportunity to connect strictly with other nurses, attending a nursing management conference can provide you the network you’re looking for.
Recommended Conference: American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) Annual Conference
Dates and Location: April 8-11 in New Orleans, Louisiana
Summary: If you’re looking for healthcare conferences geared specifically toward nursing leaders, AONL’s annual conference is for you. Each year, the AONL invites hundreds of nursing professionals across all levels to connect with one another and learn about the latest nursing management strategies.
What It Offers: Attendees will have vast networking and learning opportunities led by other nursing leaders, practitioners, and educators. There will also be over 4,000 exhibitors and sponsors offering workshops and presentations on the latest care delivery models.
4. Healthcare Recruiting Conferences
Recruitment can be challenging in any industry, but it’s especially difficult in healthcare. By attending a conference on healthcare recruiting, you can learn novel recruitment strategies and connect with experts who can help you address challenges at your own facility.
Recommended Conference: National Association for Healthcare Recruitment (NAHCR) Annual Conference
Dates and Location: July 16-19 in Norfolk, Virginia
Summary: NAHCR’s annual conference is made by and for healthcare recruiters, so it’s a great event for professionals seeking innovative solutions for healthcare recruitment. This conference welcomes and provides opportunities for recruiters at all stages of their careers, from hospital executives to recruiting directors and managers.
What It Offers: Attendees will be trained on proven recruitment strategies from leading experts, learn how other recruiters tackle challenges in the healthcare space, and connect with vendors offering individualized recruitment tools.
5. Healthcare Leadership Conferences
For facilities, stronger leadership leads to a more effective and resilient workforce. It’s never a bad time to learn additional leadership skills or techniques — and attending leadership conferences is a great way to do so.
Recommended Conference: American Hospital Association (AHA) Leadership Summit
Dates and Location: July 21-23 in San Diego, California
Summary: The AHA Leadership Summit is an annual event bringing together top healthcare leaders and experts to discuss approaches to hospital management. There are a lot of different topics covered, such as ensuring financial stability, addressing current workforce challenges, and improving the patient experience.
What It Offers: Attendees will connect with hundreds of other healthcare executives, leaders, and providers across the field. There will be dozens of workshops and panels that educate trustees about current governance issues and train emerging leaders on management competencies.
Take Practical Steps to Enhance Your Operations
Not sure how to translate the knowledge you gain from healthcare conferences into practice? IntelyCare has your back. Our free, expert-written management articles are available to you whenever you need them.