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From HIMSS 02/19/12

February 19, 2012 News 10 Comments

Mr. H

I got into Las Vegas late, so I don’t have much to add to Inga’s writeup below, except:

  • The engineer who designed the airport baggage carousels here must have hated people and/or their luggage. The conveyor shoots the bags forcefully up at an angle, ensuring that they tumble out of control as they careen over other bags and sometimes off the carousel entirely. The belt was littered with luggage parts that had been stripped off by the force.
  • Thanks to the McKesson Horizon sales guy who elbowed me out of the way at the carousel, then slung his bag carelessly and darned near took my kneecap off it without so much as a “sorry.” Good luck moving Horizon, jerk.
  • There’s a casino between Harrah’s and the Venetian that has $1 Michelob. It’s not my favorite beer, or at least hasn’t been until now. They have $1.99 foot-long hot dogs if you are in need of unmentionable animal parts formed into torpedoes of nutritional death.
  • Las Vegas is my least favorite city in the world, full of loud drunks, long hotel check-in lines, and sensory overload. It’s like Orlando except with obnoxious adults instead of obnoxious kids.
  • It’s 1:30 in the morning as I write this (4:30 for bodies on Eastern time) and the band is still playing loud outside in somewhat cool weather. I think I actually like that.

Inga

2-19-2012 4-50-30 PM

Welcome to Las Vegas and HIMSS12. Today is Sunday and exhibitors are moving in, but the masses have yet to descend on sin city. However, I arrived Saturday afternoon, just in time to attend World Wide Technology’s big bash.

2-19-2012 4-48-52 PM

I don’t know the official attendance for the party, but I understand the WWT folks were expecting 600. Based on the line to get into the party, I would guess they had far more than that. WWT provides system integration services primary to the federal government, but also has a rapidly expanding commercial health segment. As soon as I entered the main party area, I observed WWT’s prominently displayed displayed banner promoting their support of HIStalk – very cool, indeed. Thank you to WWT’s Mike Francis, who I happened to meet at the bar, for giving me a thorough overview of the company.  The crowd seemed to be having a great time eating great sushi and of course, drinking plenty of adult beverages. I was exhausted and didn’t stay too long, but I am sure the party went on into the wee hours.

2-19-2012 4-46-59 PM  2-19-2012 4-45-39 PM 

I’ve never had the chance to see any big trade show behind the scenes during setup, so when a friend offered a loaner badge, I jumped at the chance. Basically the exhibit floor was chaos, with fork lifts, crates, boxes, and workers scrambling to construct massive booths. Knowing that by Tuesday afternoon the floor will be pristine makes the setup all the more an amazing sight to see.

2-19-2012 4-41-17 PM

I found the giant shoes at the Cosmopolitan. OMG this one was beautiful and I need one as yard art.

2-19-2012 4-42-16 PM

I also happened on First, the site of Tuesday night’s HIStalkapalooza. Giddy thinking of how much fun that evening will be.

2-19-2012 4-48-02 PM

Vegas offers a great opportunity to see all sorts of, um, fashion. Though I have seen lots of hot outfits, I’ve observed plenty that have left me asking, “what were they thinking?” I assume this laptop-toting gentleman in the Apixio shirt was a HIMSS attendee. I thought it was highly unfortunate that he failed to remove the jean size sticker off his right leg.

Gorgeous weather today, if not a little bit cool and windy. More meaty updates tomorrow.

Inga large

E-mail Inga.



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Currently there are "10 comments" on this Article:

  1. Sorry to hear of your airport exploits.

    How about some pictures of the ONC, CMS, and HHS folks at the parties and bashes.

  2. Inga…one of the little perks of a job like yours: when a lout commits one of those acts of airport rudeness, you can “out” him in public. You can expect that a salesperson will be polite and differential when he is trying to sell you something; the way he acts in public when he thinks no one (who counts) is watching is informative.

  3. Inga,

    I love the fashion commentary, especially because it isn’t me you’re calling out : )

    I propose a new HISTalk fashionista “what were they thinking” section, a la Joan Rivers.

  4. Inga – Remember Glamour Magazine’s Do’s and Don’ts page each month? You need to do the same for HIMSS.

    Mr. HIS – As for the Horizon guy, don’t sweat it. This is his last HIMSS.

  5. On SW flight from BWI to Vegas — 1/2 plane heading to HIMSS — a handful of grumblings similar to yours on the pick city this year. I am just amped for the party-o-the-year Histalkpalooza — it could be in Akron (I can say that I was born there) and you’d still sell it out! Exciting times at GetWell can’t wait to spend time with team and some of our hospital partners.

  6. Inga – I also spotted a great similar size shoe outside of Barney’s New York and you can probably catch it if you come that way to HIStalkapalooza.

    You may be able to take a “rest” on one within the party as well 😉

  7. Loved the wake up call this morning; Elvis saying “Viva Las Vegas” and pitching entertainment options…Vegas Baby!

  8. One question- How can an IT conference not be able to print a readable Vendor Map? I even asked at the registration and info booths- and what you have in the conference books – small and large- is what you get. I would like a map to highlight vendors that I would like to see so I can find them easily…

    Did I just answer my own question?

  9. On behalf of the more than 8000 technologists at McKesson, we want to apologize for the Horizon Sales Rep at the luggage pickup.

    [From Mr H] Why, thanks! It wasn’t that big of a deal. I figure he’s probably not rude, just self-absorbed. I’m sure he didn’t notice that I almost went down from the impact and had to do some knee-testing afterward to make sure nothing was broken – it was a hard shot right on the kneecap.

  10. Agree on the apologies from McK, as well as not liking the baggage system at LAS. Sounds like he had no idea you were actually hit?

    On a similar note my own baggage peeve is people who crowd around the carousel and don’t let the folks whose baggage is actually coming down the line have enough space to get their luggage off. Human nature, I guess.

    Now let’s move on to jetway rudeness for gate-checked stuff…







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