AOSSM 2024 – Colorado Convention Center, Denver
AOSSM 2024 raised the bar on engagement by designing spaces that drove home the value of the annual meeting experience among its community of sports medicine surgeons and industry professionals. Learn more »
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is the leading organization for orthopaedic surgeons dedicated to providing comprehensive health services for athletes and active individuals of all ages and abilities. In 2024, their annual meeting in Denver brought together more than 2,700 sports medicine practitioners, 200+ speakers, and 100+ exhibitors for the largest event of its kind in the field.
Previous attendees have consistently praised AOSSM’s annual meetings as a gathering of the best and brightest in orthopaedics sports medicine. One participant shared, “I absolutely love the ability to network and build relationships with legends and Hall of Famers, to learn from them and then ultimately influence the next generations of sports medicine surgeons.”
But like any top-tier athlete, AOSSM knew there was always room for improvement. The challenge for the 2024 meeting was to raise the bar on engagement, by designing spaces that would drive home the value of the AOSSM annual meeting experience among its community of surgeons and industry professionals.
Game plan: the Field House concept
To boost engagement, AOSSM team introduced the “Field House” – the centerpiece of the reimagined meeting experience. Just as the field house has emerged in recent years as a hub of community activity in the sports world, the Field House became the heart of their annual meeting. AOSSM came to Shepard with this bold vision, and our team’s job was to bring that idea to life, actualizing their rebranding efforts to transform the event experience.
The Field House featured multiple interactive zones designed to get attendees off the sidelines and into the action, including:
- A Turf area anchored by audience participation-heavy activations.
- Demonstration areas showcasing the latest in sports medicine technology.
- A Training Center, Surgical Pavilion, and Mobile Unit, offering hands-on learning experiences.
- A Member Zone, featuring beverage service, apparel sales, and a podcast booth.
- A custom-built mobile app tournament experience, keeping the high level of engagement going between sessions.
Results: increased engagement and positive feedback
The Turf area received great feedback from attendees for its concept, execution, and product discovery opportunities. The Residents & Fellows Trivial Bowl was a crowd favorite — because, as one attendee shared, “Doctors like to be challenged!”
The Training Center became a popular destination for hands-on educational sessions. Most sessions were at full capacity, and participants noted the “great energy in the hall,” according to the post-event audit Shepard conducted.
Final thoughts
The AOSSM team’s innovative approach, with the support of Shepard’s team, demonstrated that with thoughtful planning and execution, even a traditional conference can be revitalized into an immersive, campus-like environment that keeps attendees engaged and informed.
Shepard’s strategy team played a pivotal role in this transformation, not only bringing AOSSM’s vision to life with the Field House but also developing a comprehensive success map to guide future enhancements. While Phase 1 focused on the Field House implementation, the roadmap doesn’t stop there. Our team will continue to assess and optimize the event environment, with future improvements such as reimagining the floor plan to keep pushing the boundaries of engagement.
Game on, AOSSM. You’ve just raised the bar for sports medicine conferences everywhere!
Drive Results on the Show Floor
Client
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
Industry
Medicine
Service Type
Venue
Colorado Convention Center
Location
Denver, CO
Year
2024
