5 things to get right at HLTH 2023

HLTH is kicking off for its sixth year this weekend in Las Vegas and healthcare leaders from around the world who are attending the conference expect it to be a showy affair.

Here are five things to anticipate — and get right — at the conference this year.

1. Forward-looking innovation

HLTH’s expansive growth in recent years has put it neck and neck alongside other massive health-related conferences like CES, HIMSS, AHIP or JPM.

However, its tendency to go big — pulling in not only major tech leaders from Google and Amazon but also celebrities like Nick Jonas and Chelsea Clinton — imbues it with a flashier vibe, notes Julia Hu, CEO and co-founder of digital health company Lark Health.

“I’ll say this somewhat facetiously — the conference vibe is different because it feels exciting, kind of sexy, right?” Hu said. “It’s shiny. The things that [HLTH] does is a little bit more showy.”

2. The buzz around GLP-1s

GLP-1 drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy have taken center-stage over the past year, helping buoy up the pharma companies making them even as the overall industry struggles under continued, post-pandemic macroeconomic headwinds.

However, it’s not enough to hear the news about promising data showing their efficacy or see the demand boost sales for pharma giants.

Questions about the future of this class of drugs remain — such as managing shortages due to widespread off-label use, adherence, as well as the burden of cost on patients. Hu said she is looking forward to the HLTH panels and conversations that will hit on those.

“There’s so much buzz around GLP-1s and the weight loss solutions this year,” Hu said. “There are going to be a lot of panels on the topic, whether it’s about screening or prevention or clinical management. I’m excited to hear about GLP-1s and how we’re helping patients reach success with them, as well as access, since there are so many shortages going on.”

3. Healthcare influencers

Two LinkedIn panels this year will focus on how the top voices on social media will shape the future of healthcare.

The first will feature several healthcare influencers – such as Medtronic chief medical officer Austin Lee Chiang, who has over 90,000 followers on Instagram and more than half a million on TikTok.

4. Serendipitous connections

With HLTH chock-full with new startups, there will be plenty of opportunities to make connections for future partnerships.

“I’m inspired to meet with people who are super passionate about something niche in the healthcare system,” Ryan said.

Part of the magic of a conference this big and showy is that, well, it draws the big names.

You can expect to see leaders from Walmart, Amazon Clinic, WeightWatchers, Kaiser Permanente, Kenvue, Humana, Verily, Mayo Clinic, Pfizer, Johns Hopkins Medicine all mingling with smaller startups as well as public health officials like former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb and ARPA-H deputy director Susan Coller Monarez.

5. Wear something… ostentatious?

It’s important to remember that if you want to get the biggest bang for your buck at a conference as enormous as HLTH, consider wearing an outfit that stands out.