Healthcare Design - August 2021 - 12

Sh o w T alk
HIT THE ROAD
You can avoid crowded airports and still get the full,
in-person HCD Expo experience By Kristin D. Zeit
Oct. 23-26, 2021
Cleveland, Ohio
HCDexpo.com
RECENTLY I STEPPED on my first airplane in 15
months. I was one of those people who couldn't
book a trip fast enough after I was fully vaccinated,
desperate to get out of town for real, and wear
shoes for more than a couple of hours in a row. I
clearly wasn't alone, because the airports were
packed, the planes were packed, and-aside from
the strictly enforced mask policies-it mostly
felt like business as usual.
For me, it was liberating. But I can also see
how others might still view the teeming masses
(masked or not) and shared armrests with trepidation, if not terror. And to
those, I say: Hit the road.
Many of you have probably already been doing that throughout the
pandemic, jumping in your car when you just couldn't take another day at
your makeshift desk. Driving somewhere (anywhere!) that felt like it was
" away, " even if just for an hour or two. A longer, sweeter summer road trip
with the family may already be in your rearview mirror by the time you
read this August issue. There's a lot to be said for car travel's more relaxed
timetable, fl exibility, and opportunities for fresh air and personal space.
The Healthcare Design Expo & Conference is in Cleveland this year,
which is good news for many of you who prefer to stay grounded for a
little while longer. It turns out that Cleveland is a pretty easy drive from
some good-sized cities in the Midwest and beyond. My personal guideline
for work travel: If I can drive there in six hours or less and there are
no direct fl ights available, just hand me the keys.
When you draw a six-hour-radius around Cleveland, it includes Chicago,
Indianapolis, Baltimore, Toronto, and almost everywhere in Michigan and
West Virginia. Rochester, N.Y., and Cincinnati (where I live) are just four
hours away. Buffalo is three, and both Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio,
clock in at around two.
If you live anywhere within this radius, I encourage you to seriously consider
a road trip to HCD Expo Oct. 23-26. And I can give you three good incentives
beyond the whole fear-of-fl ying-for-whatever-reason argument:
1. Save money and make the most of your
resources. Sending two to four team members
together in one car is going to be cheaper
than separate flights, and they can then
divide and conquer to take in more sessions,
meet more people, and see more products
on the show fl oor.
2. Team building! There is no better way for
co-workers to get to know one another than
through a rousing game of music shuffle
" Name That Tune " or old school " I Spy. " If
that doesn't work, then after all that time in
a car together, you'll be less tempted to hang
out as a pack once you get there-which will
encourage more productive networking. It's
a net win either way.
3. Visit Grandpa's Cheesebarn. If you're going
to access Cleveland via I-71 North, a stop
at Grandpa's Cheesebarn (and the adjacent
Sweeties Chocolates) in nearby Ashland,
Ohio, beats a bag of trail mix from Hudson
News any day. You literally can't miss it.
Trust me on this one.
However you get to Cleveland, I look forward
to meeting many of you at the end of October.
If you do end up driving, keep an eye out for Executive
Editor Anne DiNardo and me in a Honda
CR-V. We'll be the ones blasting '80s music with
a sign in the window saying " HCD OR BUST. "
VICE PRESIDENT/
GROUP SHOW
DIRECTOR
Kevin Gaff ney
kevin.gaff ney@
emeraldx.com
770.291.5446
ASSOCIATE
SHOW DIRECTOR
Kristin D. Zeit
kristin.zeit@
emeraldx.com
513.717.1155
ACCOUNT
EXECUTIVE
Cindi Richardson
#'s, A-G, T-Z
cindi.richardson@
emeraldx.com
661.644.4222
ACCOUNT
EXECUTIVE
Scott Goist
H-S
scott.goist@
emeraldx.com
216.288.4170
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
MANAGER
Emily Clay
emily.clay@
emeraldx.com
770.291.5439
CUSTOMER
SUCCESS
MANAGER
Elana Ben-Tor
elana.bentor@
emeraldx.com
216.373.1202
HCD EXPO CHECKLIST
❏ There's still time to take
advantage of advance
rates for registration!
Check out the session
lineup, peek at the
exhibitors on the show
fl oor, and then sign
up at HCDexpo.com.
❏ We continue to remain
hypervigilant and are
regularly updating our
Health & Safety
Plan according to the
latest evidence and
guidelines. You'll fi nd it
under the Show tab at
HCDexpo.com.
12
AU GUST 2021
❏ HCD Expo Exhibitors:
We have some great
sponsorship
opportunities still
available to provide
even more exposure
before, during, and
after the show. Your
account rep has details.
HCDMAGAZINE.COM
http://www.HCDexpo.com http://www.HCDexpo.com http://www.HCDexpo.com http://www.HCDMAGAZINE.COM
Healthcare Design - August 2021

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