Looking Back at #SHSMD18 With a Sense of Optimism

Sometimes I leave conferences feeling disappointed; I let things get to me. If there isn’t a healthy conversation on Twitter, I get disappointed. If the sessions aren’t good, I get disappointed. If the attendees seem uninspired, I get disappointed. Fortunately, none of that was the case with the 2018 SHSMD Connections Conference.

As I posted earlier, the Twitter activity during #SHSMD18 was through the roof – at a time when I was worried that Twitter analytics might be trending downward. Let that be a lesson to me, one year does not make a trend. The SHSMD Social Media Advocates and members of SHSMD’s Digital Engagement Task Force did an amazing job leading the conversation and engaging others.

For me, the defining moment of the conference was the New Member Reception. Wow. That event was rocking. It was so loud and full of energy. This event filled me with optimism for the future of the healthcare marketing/strategy profession and for the future of SHSMD. My congratulations go out to the committee members who organized the 2018 reception. It was a huge hit.

During the first two days of the conference, my coworker (Jason Stepanek) and I were busy recording video interviews with various SHSMD members, conference attendees and board members. Hearing these professionals talk about what this organization and conference mean to them was incredibly powerful. Selfishly, I regret that I don’t serve on the SHSMD board; there are so many sharp, really cool board members with whom I would love to have more interaction. I guess I can interact with them outside of board meetings!

Overall, I left the #SHSMD18 conference more encouraged than ever. I see a bright future ahead and look forward to being a part of it. Today I learned that one of the young up-and-comers in the healthcare marketing field, Amy Jose of Spectrum Healthcare Partners, is being recognized tonight with a 40-under-40 award! Amy is one of our SHSMD Social Media Advocates and was one of the top Twitter influencers during the conference (as she is at all conferences she attends). It is people like Amy, young people with grit, smarts, and drive, that get me excited about the future of our field. Congratulations Amy! The honor is well deserved.