It's a rainy gloomy January afternoon here in Evanston, Ill., as I write this post and it's giving me the post-holiday blues. So, what better to do than think about the opportunities for those of us in the U.S. healthcare and senior living design and construction industry to gather, learn, and celebrate each other in 2024?
Here's a list of the major conferences in chronological order:
The International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction
March 17-20, San Diego, Calif. Known as the PDC Summit, this conference is produced by the American Society of Healthcare Engineers (ASHE) and is supported by a number of industry organizations. Top attendees are construction management consultants, architects, healthcare facility engineers, and healthcare facility administrators.
I haven't attended this one in a long time, but it's a must-attend event for ASHE members. If you're looking to network with those folks, this is the conference for you. Plus, there are a lot of good educational sessions and exhibits. Register before January 19 for Early Bird pricing.
Environments for Aging Conference + Expo
April 13-16, Atlanta, Ga. I don't go to EFA every year, but have been for the past two years and helped start it when I worked at The Center for Health Design. Produced by Emerald Expositions in association with the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID). AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community, International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE), this is the only conference dedicated solely to long-term care and residential design and construction.
It's small (@500 attendees and @100 exhibitors), which I like, and the "who's who" in this sector are usually there. Atlanta should offer some interesting senior living communities to tour.
NeoCon
June 10-12, Chicago, Ill. I've been to every NeoCon since I started working at The Mart as a communications coordinator in 1982, so I know it well. Produced by The Merchandise Mart in association with a bunch of industry associations and media partners, the focus of this mega event is always the products -- and mostly office products, but there are plenty of healthcare products to see as well. And there's always some educational programming about healthcare and senior living design. It isn't the reason most people go to NeoCon, though.
If you're interested in speaking at NeoCon, there's still a little time to submit a presentation proposal. Deadline is January 15.
Healthcare Facilities Symposium and Expo
September 20-26, Austin, Tex. I hadn't been to this conference since it left Chicago, but attended last year and was impressed by the quality of the educational sessions and how well it was run. Produced by JD Events, the industry's first conference dedicated to healthcare design is still going strong after 37 years, although it has changed and evolved to focus its educational programming and exhibits more on facility planning, construction, and operations and less on design.
If you're interested in speaking at the Symposium, there's still time to submit a presentation proposal. Deadline is February 16.
More details about the Symposium>>>
Healthcare Design Conference + Expo
October 5-8, Indianapolis, Ind. This is one I've been to every year since it began, so I also know it well. Produced by Emerald Expositions with the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health and other partner associations, the healthcare design industry's largest conference just celebrated its 20th anniversary.
It's so big that you don't always see everyone you know who's there unless you make a special effort to meet up. And there are usually more interior designers at HCD than the PCD or Symposium, if that matters to you. All the educational sessions, tours, awards programs, networking events, and exhibits offered at this event can be a bit overwhelming, but I guess that could be said of any of these conferences.
If you're interested in speaking at HCD, there's still time to submit a presentation proposal. Deadline is February 2.
A Couple More
If you're a healthcare facilities executive, you may want to request an invite to attend HealthSpaces, June 2-4 in Scottsdale, Ariz. The invite includes two night's accommodations, full meals, and access to all educational sessions and networking excursions. Produced by Influence Group, this is a small retreat limited to 260 attendees.
I spoke at this event last year in Dallas and enjoyed the experience. There were no exhibits, but manufacturer sponsors are in attendance. And while I wasn't there for the entire retreat and didn't attend many of the other educational sessions, I thought the topics were timely.
The same company also produces similar retreats for senior living housing leaders, called Senior Living Innovation Forum.
Other Healthcare and Senior Living Design Conference News
This week, The Center for Health Design (CHD) announced that it is no longer involved in the Environments for Aging conference or Healthcare Design Conference + Expo. I doubt this will affect attendance, exhibitors, or the quality of educational programming at either of these events very much, but they will feel different.
I predict that CHD will either partner with one of the other conference organizers or start a new event. And it will continue to produce high-quality workshops and webinars -- some of which you can access free if you're a CHD Affiliate or for a fee if you're not.
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