First, I hope Mr. HIStalk and all readers will accept my apologies for my delay in writing this. I came home from HLTH with my first case of COVID-19 and it has taken some time to regain focus.
Which brings me to my first observation. HLTH 2022 had absolutely zero COVID-related safety protocols! Where last year’s conference — and the two Health Evolution Summit events that I attended since COVID became a thing — required both proof of vaccination and a negative antibody test, the HLTH organizers opted to eliminate both requirements this year. That’s a profound disappointment for a healthcare conference. I had heard that even the adjacent cannabis conference was mandating vax cards.
I would estimate fewer than one mask in 250 attendees, and I’m truly embarrassed to say that I, too partied like it was 2019 and doffed both mask and caution for the first time since March 2020, with sadly predictable results. I hope all who were exposed and their friends and families are not too seriously impacted and are recovering well.
Moving on. I think that for most attendees (although this could be sample bias), HLTH is all about networking, or, as the event organizers might call it, “convening.” HLTH does nothing if not excel at helping there. The seemingly limitless conversation spaces is always fantastic. Sharing a ride to the hotel with colleagues who I ran into on the plane and then running into both a former client and another long-term industry colleague as I first entered the hotel were just the first of the many synchronicities HLTH helped promote.
It was undeniably great to be back at a conference with both planned and random meetings. Biggest coincidence? I received a text message from a client thanking me for setting up a great investor meeting and, as I was reading it while walking the floor, I got stopped by the other person in the meeting telling me how impressed he was by the company!
