I believe that with the volume of attendees (2500+) at HealthCon, AAPC is limited to the number of venues nationwide that will accommodate us all. Sure, most cities have conference or expo centers, but they are often able to accommodate that many people only in a stadium setting….not in multiple break out rooms with a dining room. And AAPC has to book many, many years in advance to make sure that they have adequate space. Hotels often will offer discounts (which are transferred to attendees) if an organization books for multiple years, so that’s always a factor. A typical overnight stay at the Coronado Springs Resort is nearly $300 a night, so we’re getting a deal. Another thing that they look at is travel….if you have to endure two or three airport transfers to get somewhere, that alone is prohibitive, and much more expensive. They do try to alternate between east and west coast. AAPC also looks at the cost of the hotels. Boston for example (although there’s an international airport, and it’s a great pedestrian city), will cost you $400 a night. Think Disney is expensive? Food, after-hours attractions and climate are also a factor. Who wants to be in Milwaukee in March??? Not me.
So although you might find Disney and Vegas to be redundant, HealthCon is always fresh, interesting, and by far the best run conference I’ve ever attended.
I’d like to make a very important point…..the AAPC Conference team and the Education Committee really do pay attention to the surveys that are sent around after HealthCon. But the response is dismally small. If you want to see changes, you have to speak up by filling out the survey and commenting on each of the topics. This Forum is not the venue for that.