This blog is for healthcare business consultants looking to grow their consultancies. This week’s focus is on making the most of industry events.
I’ve recently attended several healthcare conferences and have been deliberately pushing myself this financial year to step away from my desk and connect with people face-to-face.
Rather than offer yet another generic piece on networking basics, I want to share some practical insights I’ve gained about leveraging these professional gatherings in ways that go well beyond being a delegate.
1️⃣ Creating Your Own Event: The Power of Collaboration
Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting our third annual PCN Plus event—a hybrid gathering that brought together approximately 100 people in person and another 100 online.
I didn’t do this alone! I partnered with Hussain Gandhi Dr. Andy Foster, and Ben Gowland —colleagues I’ve collaborated with for years
🎯 Key Takeaway: Who could you collaborate with to create an event? You don’t need to shoulder the entire burden yourself. Consider which colleagues complement your expertise and share your passion for addressing specific healthcare challenges.
Start small and keep the costs low.
2️⃣ From Attendee to Speaker: Raising Your Visibility
There’s tremendous value in transitioning from audience member to presenter and both paid and unpaid slots can significantly raise your profile.
After 10 years in healthcare consulting, hundreds of podcasts, and countless blog posts, I’ve become more strategic about where I offer my expertise for free versus where I expect to be paid. Your time and knowledge are extremely valuable. Remember that!
3️⃣ Shaping the Agenda: Bringing Your Expertise to Event Planning
Many event organisers excel at logistics but lack deep healthcare expertise. This creates a perfect opportunity for you to add value:
- Reach out proactively: Contact conference organisers and offer to help shape their agenda
- Bridge the knowledge gap: Your on-the-ground experience in healthcare is exactly what organisers need to create relevant and impactful events
- Build relationships: Contributing to event planning establishes you as a thought leader and creates connections with key industry players
4️⃣ Unexpected Opportunities: Say Yes to Sliding Doors Moments
Another approach I’ve explored recently was serving as a judge at a hackathon event—an opportunity that arose entirely by accident.
A previous client reached out asking if I would step in while she was on holiday. Despite having no direct experience in the field, and the event taking place on a Sunday, I said yes because:
- We had built a great working relationship over the years
- I was happy to do her a favour
- I was curious to see what it was all about
That single “yes” had a tremendous impact on my professional development and my business moving forward. The experience was so valuable that I later volunteered to judge at the grand finale hackathon as well.
(Thank you, Ishani Patel , for thinking of me, and thank you, Arun Nadarasa , for letting me support your incredible event!
🎯 Key Takeaway: When someone invites you to participate in an event in a different capacity, consider saying yes even if it’s outside your comfort zone.
These “sliding doors moments” happen all the time and can lead to amazing opportunities that you’d never anticipate. Sometimes the most transformative professional experiences come from the most unexpected invitations.
5️⃣ The Power of Sponsoring and Exhibiting
We recently exhibited at the Best Practice Show in London, and the experience was absolutely amazing. It provided a valuable opportunity to:
- Reconnect with past clients
- Meet with current clients face-to-face
- Catch up with friends and colleagues in the industry
- Get direct feedback from the market
While you certainly need to weigh up the costs involved, I would view exhibiting as an investment rather than just an expense.
The benefits of being out there, seeing your competitors firsthand, and directly hearing what the market is telling you are immense.
🎯 Key Takeaway: Consider sponsorship and exhibition opportunities as strategic investments in your visibility and market research.
These opportunities allow you to position your consultancy physically in spaces where your ideal clients are already gathering, creating natural opportunities for connection.
6️⃣ Things to Consider: Other Ways to Maximise Event Impact
➡️ Host a post-conference event or round table: Reach out to conference organisers about offering a session on your speciality area. Post-conference sessions often work better than pre-conference ones, as attendees are already engaged with the content.
➡️ Moderate a panel: Position yourself as a leader who can facilitate meaningful conversations. If you’ve done this successfully in the past, make that known to the organisers when volunteering.
➡️ Create content: Share live tweets (if you use X), take photos, write a summary blog post, or record a reflection video. These activities not only help you retain the information you’ve learned but also raise your visibility among participants after the event has ended.
7️⃣ Measuring ROI: Is This Event Worth Your Time and Resources?
Before committing to any event—whether as a delegate, speaker, or organiser—ask yourself:
- What specific outcomes am I hoping to achieve?
- Who needs to be in the room for this to be worthwhile?
- How does this align with my business development strategy?
- What’s my follow-up plan to convert connections into opportunities?
- What are the total costs involved (travel, accommodation, registration fees)?
- How does this fit into my events budget given my current income, pipeline, and cash in the bank?
8️⃣ Managing Your Energy and Time
If you’re contributing to an event, particularly as a speaker, remember:
- Create a realistic events schedule: Can you commit to attending one conference per month? Be honest about what’s sustainable for your business and wellbeing.
- Organise your diary accordingly: Speaking events require more than just the hour on stage—factor in preparation time, travel, delivery, and recovery.
- Consider your energy levels: Depending on your personality type, events can be draining and impact your performance on subsequent working days.
- Price your speaking fees appropriately. Remember that your fee isn’t just for the time on stage—it’s for the preparation, travel, delivery, and energy investment.
Final Thoughts
The most successful healthcare consultants don’t just attend events—they strategically position themselves as contributors, connectors, and thought leaders. What’s one way you could elevate your participation at your next industry gathering?
I hope this helps 😀.
I’d also love to hear your experiences and strategies. Comment below or message me directly with your thoughts!
On the podcast this week
In this episode of the Business of Healthcare podcast, Tara interviews Dr Roshan Vara, a hair transplant surgeon and co-founder of The Treatment Rooms London.
Roshan shares his journey from working in the NHS to starting his own clinic, discussing the challenges and rewards of running a hair transplant business.
The Business of Healthcare Podcast
He delves into the intricacies of hair transplant procedures, the importance of patient care, and the evolving landscape of marketing in healthcare. Roshan emphasises the need for quality in patient care and the role of social media in reaching potential clients. Key takeaways
➡️ Hair transplant surgery can significantly improve patients’ mental health.
➡️ Many patients undergo surgery too early without proper planning.
➡️ The clinic is focused on improving patient care standards in the UK.
➡️ Digital marketing and content creation are crucial for patient engagement.
➡️ Social media platforms like TikTok are becoming important for patient acquisition.
➡️ The future includes expanding the clinic and raising standards in the industry.
🎧 Listen here: https://apple.co/4lNI89D
