HLTH vs HIMSS 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, HLTH and HIMSS 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. HLTH draws 12,000 attendees with no booth pricing published by the organizer. HIMSS draws 35,000 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.
| 9.3 HLTH | 9.7 HIMSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Buzzbox Score | 9.3 (Exceptional) | 9.7 (Exceptional) |
| Event Details | ||
| Dates | November 15-18, 2026 | March 9-12, 2026 |
| Location | The Venetian Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV (Venetian Expo + Convention Center) |
| Scale | mega | mega |
| Audience | ||
| Attendees | 12,000 | 35,000 |
| Exhibitors | n/a | 1,200 |
| Purchasing authority | ~50% | ~50% |
| Effective buyers | 6,000 | 17,500 |
| 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 HLTH
The dominant US healthcare innovation conference with 12,000+ senior decision-makers, investors, and digital health executives. Turnkey booths with AV included reduce logistical burden. If you are a digital health, AI, or health IT company seeking enterprise health system or payer customers, this is where deals start.
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 skip HLTH
Extremely expensive: minimum booth is 10x20 (no 10x10 option), and turnkey pricing with no publicly listed rates suggests $30k+ entry point. Heavily skewed toward digital health and payer innovation, not traditional medical devices. Clinician presence is minimal compared to clinical conferences.
Why skip HIMSS
Wrong audience for clinician-first devices (surgical instruments, implants). Pure clinical audiences are thin here.
HLTH publishes no booth pricing we can link to, so no cost is listed for it. See the official HLTH site ↗ for exhibitor details. HIMSS publishes no booth pricing we can link to, so no cost is listed for it. See the official HIMSS site ↗ for exhibitor details. Confirm current pricing with each organizer before committing a budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HLTH or HIMSS have more decision makers?
HIMSS does, on our estimate: roughly 17,500 effective buyers against about 6,000 at HLTH. 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 HLTH to about 12,000 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 healthcare marketing agency with over 15 years in medtech. See our conference marketing.