By Erin Register
MD Expo, MD Publishing’s signature healthcare technology management (HTM) event, welcomed more than 700 HTM professionals in Las Vegas at the M Resort Casino & Spa.
The event kicked off with a TN20 dinner, sponsored by Mammo.com, where HTM leaders from across the country were able to connect. The dinner, combined with the TN20 leadership summit, received wonderful feedback from those in attendance.
“It was outstanding,” said Shawn Molloy, system director with Trimedx at the University of Chicago. “I reconnected with a friend who I was an entry-level biomed with 20 years ago, and now we’re both at the top of academic clinical engineering. Reconnecting in this small community is always great.”
The reverse expo, which involved the TN20 leaders speaking to several vendors in a “speed dating” format, also received positive comments.
“It’s awesome,” said John Muir Health Biomedical Engineering Manager Nader Hammoud. “It’s totally different, and I really liked it. For me, it was extremely efficient. The time dedicated was enough for me to decide ‘Is this something of interest for me, so I can spend more time with them at the booth or no?’ I was able to collect some information that was really useful. It’s the best practice.”
“There was no time wasted,” added Gideon Nyakundi of Denver Health. “I had the opportunity to meet with about 17 manufacturers and innovation companies. It was very fast. A lot of information was shared in terms of technology. One thing that I picked up was that cybersecurity is a big threat and an evolving challenge that we are having. I was very impressed that so many companies were coming up with solutions to help us as health care leaders.”
Educational sessions began Monday, and attendees were able to earn up to eight continuing education credits. Two of the presentations were Texoma Medical Center Director of HTM Ryan Harris’s “Maintaining Hospital Beds and Nurse Call Systems” and “HTM Emergency Prep and Business Continuity,” presented by Carol Davis-Smith of Carol Davis-Smith & Associates LLC.
“The ability to put a program together that focuses on relevant topics in a short period of time is what makes MD Expo stand out from other industry conferences,” said Izabella Gieras, director of clinical technology at Huntington Hospital. “Everyone is busy, and taking time away from day- to-day operations isn’t always as easy. I feel like MD Expo is able to condense everything but still give you the value you’re looking for.”
After the educational sessions, attendees were able to enjoy complimentary food and drink in the exhibit hall, where vendors from all over the country came to exhibit. The exhibit hall was filled with a variety of new technologies and solutions, as well as some showgirls and Elvis Presley!
The Young Professionals of MD Expo (YP at MD) held its annual event Monday night at the Raiders Tavern Bar & Grill, sponsored by Pioneer Biomedical and Adepto Medical. A large group of young professionals attended in their favorite sports team’s jersey to network and watch Monday Night Football.
The exhibit hall and education sessions continued on Tuesday. Also, attendees were able to win several prizes from vendors during a raffle prize drawing.
When asked why they enjoyed attending MD Expo, attendees shared a variety of reasons.
“I love MD Expo,” FOBI Vice President of Business Development and Owner of the Better Biomed YouTube channel Justin Barbour said. “The reason I love it is because of the people – the retailers and the intermingling and the business-to-business operations that we’re able to do here. Already today, I’ve done so many business deals. I get to do a lot of stuff really quickly. Everyone I need to talk to is in one spot.”
“Multiple reasons,” added Hammoud. “One off the top of my mind is that it’s free for me. I don’t have to spend closer to a thousand dollars to come here. The staff are amazing. The organization is awesome. It’s straightforward.”
MD Expo Las Vegas concluded with a finale party, sponsored by AIV, at the Ravello Lounge. All in attendance enjoyed live entertainment from “Status the Band.”
MD Publishing President John Krieg and Vice President Kristin Leavoy shared their thoughts about the conference.
“When we decided to return to Las Vegas, we knew it would be the perfect opportunity to return back to normal,” Krieg said. “It certainly didn’t disappoint! Pre-COVID numbers, attendees from all over the country and the incredible vendor support lead to one of the most special and rewarding shows we’ve ever held. We will continue this momentum and look forward to seeing you all at MD Expo Atlanta in April!”
“The MD Expo Las Vegas event was a flashback to the conferences of old,” added Leavoy. “It was so refreshing to see so many smiling faces from vendors, attendees, speakers and colleagues. The buzz of excitement around being together after a trying couple of years and getting back to business was truly energizing.”
For more information, visit mdexposhow.com.