It has been just about a year since the last annual conference held by the Wisconsin Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society (WHPRMS) and the Illinois Society for Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations (ISHMPR). This year, we are teaming up, making this the first time both groups have joined forces to offer you an outstanding line up of speakers, activities and topics. It will be a powerful event. I promise you.

After talking with several speakers, board members from both organizations and other folks who helped organize this year¹s conference, here are the top 18 reasons YOU should go:

18. Team building activities may include a human pyramid. Just sayin’.

17. Get out of the office for a bit. Who doesn’t want to get out of the office from time to time? Plus, the experience you gain will only make you more productive IN the office.

16. Members will be rewarded for their exceptional work. On Thursday evening, both groups will award its members for the challenging, creative work they do. It’s always great to be recognized for a job well done!

15. Kickback, relax and enjoy refreshments. No explanation needed there.

14. It’s estimated that 300+ members will attend. Socializing is fun for most of us but this specific group is made up of industry leaders, movers and shakers, consultants and vendors. Bring business cards. Lots of them.

13. You can score cool stuff at the vendor booths. Plus, you’ll receive a free gift just for attending.

12. Thursday’s panel will be eye opening. If you have helped or are going to help plan the opening of a new hospital, this is a must-see presentation. I caught up with Kathy Schaeffer, President, Kathy Schaeffer and Associates, Inc., who will moderate the discussion. She says it is a must-see. “Three well-established suburban Chicago hospitals who recently unveiled new hospitals will share how they aligned communications with their organization’s goals, how to involve internal audiences and how to find the right stories for local media,” said Kathy. Fore example, she says we’ll hear from Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Illinois who created videos for their social media sites and internal cable channel.

 

For more videos, I suggest you attend!

11. Share stories, triumphs, and frustrations. We’re next-door neighbors, so our issues, concerns and challenges are similar. Who knows, you may meet your next mentor.

10. Delectable food that will make your taste buds dance.

9. There’s golfing and gambling If you come Wednesday, you can attend the Gold Scramble and meet some new social media gurus. Then, from 6-9 pm, test your luck at the “Casino Night” networking reception.

8. Someone will be crowned, Ms. (or Mr.) WHPRMS.

7. The keynote speaker has more than 30 years of health care marketing and brand building experience. That’s a wealth of knowledge you can take advantage of. Candace Quinn, CEO, senior brand consultant, Brand=Experience, says she is looking forward to attending this year. “The informal nature of the gathering, the collegiality of the group and the quality of the presenters is always high,” said Candace. “Whether you are a VP or a staff member, you’ll meet someone facing the same challenges as you, willing to talk about it, and wanting to help. That’s priceless.”

6. The staff at The Abbey Resort is absolutely amazing. I also hear they have a fantastic spa with daily specials and discounts for selected services.

5. The health care communications world is ever changing. Don’t get left behind.

4. More networking. I can’t stress the networking opportunities enough. Between the breakout sessions, gatherings, roundtables, award dinner, etc., you will walk away with several new contacts to add to your address/contacts file.

3. There will be a bonfire Wednesday night. Enough said!

2. It’s one of the biggest, local, most well attended conferences of the year. For both Illinois and Wisconsin professionals. This is the first time WHPRMS and ISHMPR have joined forces. It will be a powerful event. I promise you.

1. The stories you will hear about will inspire you. Plus, you’ll walk away with a load of ideas, tidbits and information to take back to your team.

To see the lineup of speakers or register, CLICK HERE.

We’ll see you in Lake Geneva!

This post was written by Trish Skram, blogger and research content specialist for WHPRMS. Trish also manages Mercy Health System’s public relations and social media efforts. To read more about Trish, CLICK HERE.