From HIMSS with Dr. Jayne 3/3/25

It was a chilly opening day at HIMSS, punctuated by high winds and a splash or two of rain. The check-in process was smooth for those of us who had our barcodes at the ready. This year’s conference bag is definitely on the smaller side, with my hand model noting that it would probably make a good lunch bag.

Temperatures were in the low 60s, and people were fairly bundled up for the outdoor opening reception. HIMSS is under new management and the opening event wasn’t its finest effort from a food and beverage standpoint. Offerings were minimal (sliders, spring rolls, hummus cups with vegetables that weren’t long enough to scoop the hummus) and ran out early. Napkins and utensils were nonexistent.

Lines were long and the buffets frequently ran out of food, waiting for staff to bring more trays. Having worked as a “cater waiter” in a past life, it’s easier to work an indoor conference space because there are usually access hallways that let you replenish food from multiple points. In this arrangement, staff had to wade through the crowds to bring food to the buffets and could only do so from one side of the venue.

The entertainment consisted of circus-type acts and a band, which was good but so loud you couldn’t have any kind of sustained conversation despite the outdoor location. The hula hooping dancer was good, as was the performer in the mirrored suit balancing on a giant ball that he rolled throughout the venue.

As the evening unfolded, it became apparent that there weren’t enough trash receptacles or bus trays for people to drop off their plates, so they were piling them up underneath serving tables and on lighting stanchions. It felt more like a trip to the ballpark than a professional networking event. It’s a good thing the entertainment was solid because that distracted people from the fact that the food serving tables were broken down before the reception was even over.

Overall, I give the event space (which was basically a large concrete patio adjacent to the High Roller observation wheel) a B-minus and the food and beverage a solid C.

A reader shared this pic from inside the exhibit hall during setup. It looks like Epic’s iconic hanging butterfly artworks travel in style. I’ve been backstage at other trade shows but never at HIMSS, and from what I understand it’s a mammoth effort to get it all together. Can’t wait to see it in person tomorrow!

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