Qualifications and Guidelines

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) welcomes members of the media to its 2009 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition. Registration is complimentary for professional journalists who are attending the conference to provide editorial coverage and who meet the eligibility criteria described below.

Media Qualifications

You must be currently employed by a news publication OR a recognized broadcast (network, cable, independent) news organization. Television and radio stations must maintain a regular news department. You also may be required to submit credential information to support your qualifications. If so, HIMSS will contact you upon receipt of your media registration form.

Media credentials are given to members of the working media whose attendance at the conference may result in coverage, whether print or broadcast, of the efforts of HIMSS and its members and exhibitors. HIMSS will consider bloggers for media credentials on a case-by-case basis based on the criteria outlined below.

Individuals Who Do Not Qualify For Media Credentials

Individuals representing companies or organizations listed below do not qualify for media registration.

• Book authors
• Freelance writers employed by non-news organizations
• Executives, including CEOs, presidents and vice presidents, whose role is one of management at a news organization
• Publishers, associate/assistant publishers, advertising, marketing or sales staff members of a news organization, print, broadcast or online
• Publishers, editors or reporters from manufacturers
• Companies/organizations producing publications, videos and/or other items solely for the purpose of marketing, advertising, financial analysis or public relations
• Public relations staff and/or representatives from communications, print and online promotion organizations
• Consultants who develop, write or edit a corporate newsletter or similar publication for their own firm or another firm
• Financial analysts and consultants
• Other representatives who are not reporting on the annual conference itself

Exhibitors

Media credentials are not available to exhibitors at the conference who also want to register as a media representative. HIMSS will provide media credentials to a working journalist from a news organization who is also a member of HIMSS. However, advertising, financial analysis, marketing, public relations, publishing or sales staff members are not eligible to receive media credentials.

Number of Media Who May Register from Each Organization

Registration is limited to three individuals per media outlet; newsletters and college publications are limited to one representative per outlet. Organizations that wish to send more than three representatives to the conference should contact Joyce Lofstrom.

Broadcast Crews and Photographers
Photographers, television and video crews must obtain media credentials. Photographers and broadcast media must check in at the News Room before filming the exhibit floor or an education session. A HIMSS News Room staff member must accompany the photographer/broadcast crew when shooting any conference activities. Please give the News Room at least 24 hours notice.

Media Registration

The deadline to request media credentials in advance of the 2009 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition is March 23, 2009. After that date, media must request media credentials on site. Note that on-site registration is not immediate and may take a few hours to process. HIMSS strongly encourages media to request credentials online before March 23. 

Media Eligibility Criteria

Journalists are required to submit supporting documentation as part of the registration process. Please review the criteria for your appropriate media category.

Business/Trade Publications and News Wire Services

• Current masthead with your name
• Two articles published with your byline during 2008
• Contributing editors and reporters must supply an original letter of assignment, on the organization’s letterhead, stating you have been retained to cover the 2009 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition

Broadcast Media – Television and Radio

• An original letter of assignment on the organization’s letterhead

Freelance Writers

• One bylined article on the topic of healthcare and/or healthcare information technology published from September 2008 – February 2009
• An original letter of assignment on the organization’s letterhead stating you have been retained to cover the 2009 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition

Online Media

• The Web site must provide original, editorial news coverage
• Editorial content must be independent of advertising/sponsorship
• An editorial board must oversee the site and its contents
• Advertising must be identified as such
• If the Web site is sponsored, the site must have multiple sponsors. All sponsors must be identified as such
• Personal Web sites do not qualify for media registration
• If above criteria are met, online media representatives must supply two bylined articles published on the Web site during 2007

University/College Publications

• Two bylined articles published from September 2008 – February 2009.
• An original letter of assignment on the organization’s letterhead from the university/college stating you have been retained to cover the 2009 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition

Blogs
HIMSS will consider bloggers for media credentials on a case-by-case basis based on the criteria outlined below.

The blogger:

• Provides relevant and current content on topics including healthcare, health information technology, and management systems.
• Must be in continuous operation for at least one year.
• Must be willing to submit traffic/subscriber data to be considered.
• Represents a blog that appears on and is tracked by commercial media databases
• Bloggers should contact Joyce Lofstrom, HIMSS manager of corporate communications jlofstrom@himss.org to submit their information.

Questions
If you have questions or need more information, contact Joyce Lofstrom.