Julie Goldman

HIMSS 2011 CFP Deadline Looming: OMG!

Are you a healthcare technology vendor with at least one great customer reference?

If so, have you submitted a speaking proposal for HIMSS 2011?

NO?

Well, you’d better get going! It’s not too late, but time is getting tight. The submission deadline is Monday, May 24, 2010.

HIMSS 2011 will be in Orlando next February. Most healthcare technology companies are thrilled when one of their customers is selected to present. (HIMSS doesn’t allow vendor presentations.) But the field is competitive. HIMSS reports that more than 600 proposals were submitted for the 2010 conference and approximately 120 were selected. Providers and IT experts discussed EMRs, HIEs, interoperability, meaningful use, ARRA and HITECH funding, and many other topics of interest to the healthcare information technology industry.

Let’s keep it real: crafting a winning HIMSS speaking submission is no light task. It’s not about the fact that your company’s product/service is fantastic, it’s about the customer having a compelling story from beginning to end, with key lessons and takeaways for the audience. Ask yourself:

Do I have a customer with a great story?
What would someone learn from hearing it?
Can I speak with that customer within the next 1-2 days to understand their story and how it would fit into one of the 20+ categories at HIMSS?
Am I willing to spend the next week working on a proposal draft, and getting edits/approvals from the customer and executives at my company?
Do I want to feel the pride of having one of my customers stand up in front of industry peers to tell their story (and describe how my company’s solution helped them achieve success)?

What are you waiting for?