11:00am-12:00pm
Sponsor Expo
A first opportunity to engage with our sponsors.
12:00pm-12:15pm
PRESENTATION
Welcome to Growing Stronger Together 2024
Sean Feehan, HCEA President, welcomes attendees to Growing Stronger Together 2024.
12:15pm-1:00pm
OPENING SESSION PRESENTATION
Feeding Critical Change: Modernizing Healthcare Conventions through Inclusive, Sustainable Food Experiences - Sponsored by Crepes a Latte
We open GST24 with an enlightening exploration into the future of food and beverage at healthcare conventions and in healthcare exhibits.
Whether you are a corporate, association, or industry supplier member, Tracy Stuckrath will challenge and inspire you to reimagine how you approach catering and hospitality, emphasizing the profound impact of food safety, inclusivity, and sustainability on attendee engagement and overall event success.
As the founder and president of thrive! meetings & events and the host of the "Eating at a Meeting" podcast, Tracy Stuckrath has been revolutionizing the event planning industry for over three decades. Her personal health journey in 2009 inspired a pivotal shift to focus on creating equitable event dining experiences, setting new industry standards in safe, sustainable, and compassionate catering. Tracy's work with organizations worldwide improves engagement, reduces risks, and drives revenue, enhancing every aspect of food and beverage management.
Drawing on real-life conversations with convention attendees who face daily challenges due to dietary restrictions, Tracy will illuminate the stark realities and potential transformative impacts of modernizing food and beverage offerings. Learn about the latest trends and innovative strategies that not only meet but exceed environmental and dietary expectations, turning every meal into a statement of care and inclusion.
You'll gain a fresh appreciation for the overlooked, yet critical role of food and beverage services in the engagement continuum, and you'll learn how to leverage these insights to create not just meals but memorable, health-conscious experiences that reflect the values and needs of all participants. This session promises to equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to modernize your approach and make a lasting impact on your next healthcare convention or exhibit.
1:00pm-2:15pm
PRESENTATION
Sustainability: I Know It’s Important, but Where do I Start? - Sponsored by Access TCA
Sustainability is a global issue, with real financial and legal consequences. And taking better care of the planet is the right thing to do.
And even at this early stage, the ramifications on healthcare conventions are far-reaching, influencing how we design, build, transport, staff, and even cater our exhibits.
In this lively presentation, Glenda Brungardt, former Global Event Manager of HP and current Vice President of The Exhibitor Advocate, and Sam Bourque, Head of Congress Excellence at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, will bring internal and external (to healthcare) insights, connecting all the dots, suggesting where to start, shedding light on the risks and rewards, and explaining which steps convention marketers should take to prepare for what’s next.
2:15pm-2:30pm
Spotlight Session: Derse
What does a visit to an ice cream shop have in common with an Alaskan Uber driver? And what might both have in common with transforming mere transactions into magical interactions between you and your HCP audiences? (hint: more than you think). Get the, um, scoop with Derse’s Executive Creative Director (and Chief Storyteller) Pete Riddell in an inspirational espresso shot that will leave both you and your healthcare audiences wanting more.
If you are interested in how to present your offerings (science, content, etc.) as magic gifts without breaking the bank … have we got a story for you.
2:30pm-3:15pm
Sponsor Expo + Refreshment Break
Take a breather, enjoy some refreshments and snacks, and network with our sponsors
3:15pm-4:00pm
PRESENTATION
The Un-artificial Hype Behind AI
You're probably hearing the hype around artificial intelligence (AI). And with all the possibilities and opportunities, you may also have concerns, questions, ideas. Or like many people, you're not sure where to start.
In this session, we'll answer all of those questions, exploring how AI is already impacting the events industry at large, and more specifically, healthcare exhibitors and events.
What does the future hold for event managers, meeting planners and exhibitors when it comes to implementing AI?
Will AI affect healthcare conventions? Reduce costs? Make us more productive? Creative? (Hint: You'll be surprised at the answers.
In 45 short minutes, you'll raise your AI IQ, learning:
Best practices for using and implementing AI
Understanding policies for usage as well as the risk versus reward
How AI can complement your event (and our industry)
AI and its impact on design
How to help your team and colleagues embrace AI
4:00pm-4:45pm
PRESENTATION
How Show Organizers Can Ensure the Future of Healthcare Conventions: A New Roadmap for Reducing Costs and Increasing Value
While efficiency and transparency have revolutionized just about every modern industry, even our biggest advocates admit that conventions remain frustratingly un-efficient and un-transparent. While conventions are unique in their ability to create face to face engagement with HCPs, costs are skyrocketing, fueling skepticism among marketers.
Building on her provocative presentation last year in Philadelphia, Jessica Sibila, executive director of The Exhibitor Advocate, returns with fresh data and to support her organization’s belief that spiraling costs and other, less obvious factors, are a real threat to our medium – and livelihood.
Jessica will then explain how convention marketers are part of the solution – how your expertise is our community's resource – and she will reveal several specific steps innovative associations are using to create win-wins for their exhibitors
This seminar serves as more than a learning opportunity—it is a collaborative think-tank designed to empower you with new tools to affect positive change – and ensure the future of our medium.
4:45pm-5:15pm
PRESENTATION
Welcome to Tampa!
Adam DePiro, Chief Sales Officer at Visit Tampa Bay, will give us an overview of the region's many offerings for meetings and events.
6:30pm-9:00pm
Rooftop Reception at the Tampa Club - Sponsored by Spiro
Join us 42 stories above the city for drinks and appetizers at the exclusive Tampa Club.
A short 10-minute walk from the Hotel Flor, the Tampa Club recently completed a $1.7M renovation project of its meeting spaces will host us in its Channelview Room and adjacent outdoor terrace, each offering spectacular views of downtown Tampa and the Florida coastline.
