There’s a new medical-meetings sheriff in town: The annual meeting of the Federation of International Medical Equipment Suppliers (FIME) was the nation’s largest medical meeting last year, with total attendance of 54,147, according to the Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association (HCEA), which last week released its list of the top 50 largest U.S. medical meetings held in 2012.
Typically, HCEA reports, the top spot belongs to either the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) or the Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM), which this time ranked Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, with total attendance of 53,778 and 53,481.
Across all 50 of the nation’s top medical meetings, total attendance — including exhibitors, sponsors, media and other attendees — was essentially flat, with a 0.04 percent average increase over 2011. Professional attendance, on the other hand — non-exhibiting health care-related professionals — was up 0.64 percent.
“The data illustrates that while there may be growth overall in the number of health care professionals attending the top 50 medical shows, there is actually a decline in the ‘other’ attendance that comprises the overall total attendance figures,” HCEA explains. “This likely highlights a decline in the number of staff an exhibitor brings to these shows.”
Based on self-reported attendance, the top 10 medical meetings in 2012 were:
1. FIME Show/Federation of International Medical Equipment Suppliers (54,147 total attendees)
2. Radiological Society of North America (53,778 total attendees)
3. Greater New York Dental Meeting (53,481 total attendees)
4. Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society (36,535 total attendees)
5. American Dental Association (35,074 total attendees)
6. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (32,118 total attendees)
7. American Society of Clinical Oncology (31,250 total attendees)
8. Chicago Dental Society (31,089 total attendees)
9. California Dental Association (28,934 total attendees)
10. Society for Neuroscience (28,574 total attendees)
To see the entire Top 50, visit www.hcea.org.