How Strategic Storytelling Elevated a Premier Healthcare IT World Event

The Challenge

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) needed to elevate its annual global conference—a premier event focused on improving healthcare through information and technology.

Leadership wanted to sharpen their marketing strategy and increase registrations by connecting more meaningfully with diverse healthcare professionals. The task was to develop omnichannel pre-conference campaigns and in-conference editorial content that spoke directly to the unique needs, challenges, and aspirations of their attendees.

The Solution

I partnered with HIMSS as both a content strategist and creative copywriter to build a comprehensive messaging framework. This included:

• Brand voice and tone refinement to bring consistency across all channels.

• Development of 25 detailed attendee personas—ranging from CIOs and clinicians to data scientists and policy makers—each with custom storylines designed to resonate with their specific professional goals.

• Targeted retail copy for sign-up engagement, strategically aligned with each persona to make event registration both relevant and compelling.

• Feature articles, stories, and blog posts delivered during the conference, capturing the event’s energy and reinforcing HIMSS’s leadership in the industry.

The creative strategy ensured every touchpoint—from digital ads to in-depth articles—built anticipation, spoke with clarity, and inspired action.

The Impact

The results were striking: the HIMSS Conference drew over 40,000 attendees, representing an 18% increase in registrations compared to the previous year. By tailoring messaging to distinct professional audiences and weaving a cohesive brand voice throughout, the campaign didn’t just fill seats—it deepened HIMSS’s reputation as the essential convening point for healthcare innovation.e