Unquestionably the most important healthcare technology management event of the year, the AAMI 2014 Conference and Expo officially kicks off on Saturday, May 31. Held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia, the 3-day event offers a wealth of opportunities for HTM professionals to meet their peers from around the world, meet key vendors, learn from experts, and explore new job possibilities.

The core of the event is made up of the educational sessions and the exhibit hall, which are described in more detail on the following pages. But equally important are the many opportunities for networking with the more than 1,500 biomedical equipment technicians, clinical engineers, and other healthcare technology management professionals that AAMI expects to attend.

The formal networking events include a Friday evening pre-event welcome reception for early arrivers, scheduled for 5:30 to 7 pm, and sponsored by Crothall Clinical Equipment Solutions. The following day, attendees are invited to a Grand Opening reception in the exhibit hall, beginning at 4:30 pm. The event is cosponsored by Block Imaging Parts & Service Inc and Pacific Medical LLC. Finally, on Sunday, join Expo exhibitors for happy hour from 3:45 to 7 pm. And while you’re in the exhibit hall, don’t forget to stop by the 24×7 booth to say hello!

In addition, the conference offers a number of additional events of interest to attendees, including the following.

BMET Review Course

Held Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, this 2-day course for aspiring CBETs will be led by Ed Snyder and Sean Weckerly, both of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Michael Soltys of University of Pennsylvania Health System, and 24×7 CCE Prep columnist Arif Subhan of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of basic principles covered in the CBET certification exam and to identify areas for further review and study.

Career Center

For HTM professionals looking for new career opportunities, AAMI’s career center will be open Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm and Monday from 8 am until noon. The career center allows paid registrants to submit their résumés for review, to meet face-to-face with potential employers, interview for a new job, identify up-to-date job opportunities, receive career guidance, and learn about certification.

HTM Association Roundtable

AAMI’s Technology Management Council and Philips Healthcare will host an Association Roundtable meeting on Sunday morning from 7 to 9 am. Members and leaders of local and state HTM associations are invited to share ideas and discuss the issues most important to them.

Educators Roundtable

Held on Sunday afternoon from 3:30 to 5 pm and presented by AAMI’s Technology Management Council, this informal meeting offers an opportunity for HTM educators to share ideas and discuss issues of common interest.

Healthcare IT Workshop

In conjunction with the AAMI conference, the Healthcare Technology Foundation is holding a special workshop on Monday from 9 am to 5 pm. Titled “Managing Risks of Integrated Systems and Networks in Healthcare Environments,” the workshop will provide an in-depth review of network system risk management. A separate registration fee is required (visit aami.org/HTF to preregister).

See 24×7′s picks of AAMI conference events and a roundup of exhibitors from 24×7′s show issue, or visit the AAMI show website.