HIMSS vs Hospitalar for Exhibitors
Side-by-side data and our editorial take on which conference is the right exhibit investment for your medical device.
By Buzzbox Media · Last reviewed August 3, 2026
If you exhibit medical devices, HIMSS and Hospitalar are likely both on your shortlist. Both serve overlapping clinical buyers, but the audience composition, booth economics, and exhibit floor experience differ in ways that materially affect ROI. HIMSS draws 35,000 attendees with no booth pricing published by the organizer. Hospitalar draws 91,000 attendees with no booth pricing published by the organizer. Below is the side-by-side data plus our editorial take on which conference fits which kind of exhibitor.
| 9.7 HIMSS | 9.5 Hospitalar | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Buzzbox Score | 9.7 (Exceptional) | 9.5 (Exceptional) |
| Event Details | ||
| Dates | March 9-12, 2026 | May 19-22, 2026 |
| Location | Las Vegas, NV (Venetian Expo + Convention Center) | Sao Paulo Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Scale | mega | mega |
| Audience | ||
| Attendees | 35,000 | 91,000 |
| Exhibitors | 1,200 | n/a |
| Purchasing authority | ~50% | ~55% |
| Effective buyers | 17,500 | 50,050 |
| Costs | ||
| $/sqft | n/a | n/a |
| 10×10 space | n/a | n/a |
| All-in estimate | n/a | n/a |
| Cost per buyer | n/a | n/a |
Why exhibit at HIMSS
The #1 show for selling digital health, EHR-integrated products, and patient monitoring to hospital IT and admin buyers. Where enterprise deals start.
Why exhibit at Hospitalar
The #1 gateway to Latin America's healthcare markets. Brazil alone is the 6th largest medical device market globally. 91,000+ attendees with significant government procurement officers make this essential for companies expanding into LatAm.
Why skip HIMSS
Wrong audience for clinician-first devices (surgical instruments, implants). Pure clinical audiences are thin here.
Why skip Hospitalar
Brazil's ANVISA regulatory pathway is complex and slow. Companies without existing Brazilian registration or a local importer/distributor will collect leads they can't convert for 12-24 months. Portuguese-language materials are essential. English-only booths underperform badly.
HIMSS publishes no booth pricing we can link to, so no cost is listed for it. See the official HIMSS site ↗ for exhibitor details. Hospitalar publishes no booth pricing we can link to, so no cost is listed for it. See the official Hospitalar site ↗ for exhibitor details. Confirm current pricing with each organizer before committing a budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HIMSS or Hospitalar have more decision makers?
Hospitalar does, on our estimate: roughly 50,050 effective buyers against about 17,500 at HIMSS. Effective buyers multiplies total attendance by the share of attendees who hold purchasing authority, so Hospitalar works out to about 91,000 attendees at roughly 55% authority, and HIMSS to about 35,000 at roughly 50%. Both inputs are estimates drawn from organizer reporting and our own exhibitor research, so read the gap as directional rather than exact.
Want to add a third conference to this comparison?
Compare these conferences in our interactive tool →Other conferences you might consider
Buzzbox Media is a medical device advertising agency with over 15 years in medtech. See our conference marketing.