This article was written by Lannie Byrd, a marketing strategist and operational leader with over 25 years of experience driving digital innovation in healthcare, higher education, and media. As Chief Operating Officer and Partner at mhp.si, he oversees agency operations while leading strategic initiatives for major healthcare clients navigating complex communications environments. 

For more than three decades, the healthcare internet industry has grown and adapted through constant disruption—new technologies, shifting patient expectations, evolving regulations and now AI. What’s unique about this community is the energy, the generosity, and the willingness to roll up our sleeves and figure out what’s next. To get the most out of being part of this industry, here are six lessons that have proven true year after year.

1. Invest in Relationships, Not Just Sessions

Conferences are full of smart content, but the real learning happens in conversations. Prioritize hallway chats, exhibitor booths, and dinner tables as much as breakout rooms. Pay it forward—if you’ve been in the industry a while, invite someone new to coffee. HCIC isn’t one week; it’s part of an ongoing conversation you’ll carry through LinkedIn, webinars and personal conversations.

2. Learn Across Silos

Don’t only attend sessions in your comfort zone. Healthcare interactive work depends on IT, patient access, clinical leadership, and compliance. Exposure to other perspectives sharpens your thinking. Better yet, don’t attend alone. Systems that send operations, IT, or clinical partners alongside marketers come home with better alignment—and a faster path to action.

3. Ask Better Questions

Instead of “What tool do you use?” ask “How did you convince your CFO?” or “What broke the first time you tried this?” These are the insights you can use every Monday morning. And don’t just collect slide decks—translate what you hear into boardroom language. Be ready to explain new ideas in ways your CEO or CFO will respect.

4. Benchmark, Don’t Copy

Every system is different. Instead of chasing another hospital’s campaign, look at how they solved problems like governance, adoption, or access. Then adapt it to your context. And remember: every new tool or platform ultimately exists to serve the patient experience. The real question is always, “Does this improve access, clarity, or trust for patients?”

5. Take Notes With Action in Mind

Don’t let your notebook become a graveyard of good ideas. Write “next step” bullets during sessions: who to share with, what to pilot, what to check with IT. Even one or two actionable insights, shared back with your team, can change how your organization works.

6. Celebrate Longevity, Embrace Change

HCIC has been shaping our industry for decades, and it’s worth honoring the community we’ve built together. But the work keeps evolving—AI, personalization, and governance challenges are changing the playbook every year. Hold onto the lessons that still matter, while staying open to the shifts that will define the next decade.

The healthcare internet industry has always been about more than websites and technology. At its core, it’s about people—patients searching for answers, providers trying to connect and professionals working to make the experience better. HCIC is a reminder that we don’t do this work alone. We do it together, as a community that shares, supports and innovates side by side. Whether you’re new to the field or a longtime attendee, I hope these lessons help you see your role not just as a marketer or technologist, but as part of something bigger—a movement to make healthcare clearer, more accessible and more human.