At these conferences, you are likely to find us in the exhibit hall staffing an SHM display. Other times, a physician making a presentation about some facet of hospital medicine will represent us and include a couple of slides about the latest news from within SHM.

No matter our role at a conference, our goal is the same. Whether we’re at an event for one or four days, we want to talk with as many people as possible about everything going on within hospital medicine.

We’re also anxious to hear the latest from the “front lines” and learn new ways we can improve our products and services to better serve your needs. To that end, we keep detailed statistics about the issues you raise and questions you ask when you visit our booth. These metrics are shared with executive management so they have the benefit of direct feedback.

Sure, these events are about signing up new members, selling copies of popular publications, and encouraging registrations for upcoming events. If we didn’t do these things, our dues would be higher.

These events are just as much about making sure we don’t lose touch with the very reason that we all come to work each day: You. You can’t replace the opportunity to look people in the eye, thank them for their support, and hear firsthand how you can make a difference for them personally and professionally.

Next time you’re attending a conference, please take a moment to see if SHM is an exhibitor. If we are, I hope you’ll visit our booth and let us know what’s on your mind and how SHM can continue to improve what we offer.

If you know of an event where hospital medicine is a hot topic and you think we’d benefit from attending, I’d love to hear from you. My e-mail is [email protected]. TH