HIMSS 2018 is less than one week away and the DRI Healthcare IT team is gearing up to join thousands of professionals to learn, network, and collaborate at the leading health information and technology conference. As the DRI HIT team attends annually, there are five key tips and tricks to remember each year, or to take along with you as a first-time attendee.

1. Be prepared before you leave for the conference. Do your research regarding keynote sessions, exhibitors, and educational sessions and be sure to establish what your goals are for the conference, what you plan on attending, or who you would like to meet. This will give you the opportunity to make a game-plan for the conference, and allow you to schedule meet-ups with other attendees. Downloading the HIMSS18 Mobile app can also help you plan.
2. Get involved on social media before, during and after the show. Connecting with HIMSS Facebook page, as well as the HIMSS Twitter handle is just one extra way of networking and following what’s happening at the conference. Use the hashtag #HIMSS18 on Twitter and be sure to post your photos and insights including it to gain more traction with other attendees.
3. Wear comfortable shoes, your nametag, and bring business cards and snacks. Being such a large conference, you will be doing a lot of walking; do yourself a favor and wear shoes that won’t hurt your feet, and snacks to keep you fueled all day. In addition, you should be prepared to brand yourself from wearing your nametag to handing out multiple business cards to other industry professionals.
4. Take notes. Stay focused during the event, be sure to write down who you meet, interesting facts you learn, or reminders for follow-up after the conference. Listen and observe attentively and engage with as many professionals as possible.
5. Enjoy the conference! Whether it is your first time attending, or you are a HIMSS conference veteran, enjoy the opportunity to connect with others in an environment focused on Healthcare IT and how to make it even better as a whole.

   As we prepare to put these five tips into action, let us know about your experience at previous HIMSS events, what you are looking forward to, or if you have tips to add to our list. If you are attending HIMSS, the DRI team would be happy to schedule a time to meet up with you to network. Please contact a DRI team member to set up a convenient time to network!