HIMSS vs ViVE 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 ViVE 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. ViVE draws 8,000 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 | 9.0 ViVE | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Buzzbox Score | 9.7 (Exceptional) | 9.0 (Exceptional) |
| Event Details | ||
| Dates | March 9-12, 2026 | March 14-17, 2027 |
| Location | Las Vegas, NV (Venetian Expo + Convention Center) | Music City Center, Nashville, TN |
| Scale | mega | large |
| Audience | ||
| Attendees | 35,000 | 8,000 |
| Exhibitors | 1,200 | n/a |
| Purchasing authority | ~50% | ~50% |
| Effective buyers | 17,500 | 4,000 |
| 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 ViVE
The fastest-growing health IT event in the US, complementing HIMSS with a more innovation-focused, startup-friendly vibe. 8,000+ executives including 2,000+ C-suite from health systems. Ideal for digital health, AI/ML, telehealth, cybersecurity, and EHR-adjacent products. Turnkey booths (furniture, AV, electrical included) reduce the all-in cost surprise.
Why skip HIMSS
Wrong audience for clinician-first devices (surgical instruments, implants). Pure clinical audiences are thin here.
Why skip ViVE
ViVE competes directly with HIMSS for the health IT audience and many attendees go to both. Budget for one. Younger event (launched 2022) means less institutional inertia and relationships. Pricing is opaque (contact sales only) which makes budgeting harder. If you need clinical end-users (physicians, nurses), this is not the show.
HIMSS publishes no booth pricing we can link to, so no cost is listed for it. See the official HIMSS site ↗ for exhibitor details. ViVE publishes no booth pricing we can link to, so no cost is listed for it. See the official ViVE site ↗ for exhibitor details. Confirm current pricing with each organizer before committing a budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HIMSS or ViVE have more decision makers?
HIMSS does, on our estimate: roughly 17,500 effective buyers against about 4,000 at ViVE. Effective buyers multiplies total attendance by the share of attendees who hold purchasing authority, so HIMSS works out to about 35,000 attendees at roughly 50% authority, and ViVE to about 8,000 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 medtech marketing agency with over 15 years in medtech. See our conference marketing.