At InnovatED, a section of the show floor at the American College of Emergency Physicians’ annual expo dedicated to innovations in emergency medicine, there aren’t just bells and whistles—there are lights and sirens, too.
To enhance exhibitor-attendee interaction and let attendees get hands on with the equipment on display, A.C.E.P. stages a mock emergency room right on the show floor, complete with staged “codes”—scripted accidents with medical residents playing the part of injured victims.
“We actually have an ambulance in the innovation center, and when the sirens and lights go off, people know the code is starting,” said Stephanie Batson, senior manager of exhibits and corporate development at A.C.E.P.
Participating exhibitors have to apply and be vetted by a committee of physicians. At ACEP14 in Chicago last year, nearly four dozen out of 402 exhibitors participated, and organizers projected the action onto monitors around the space to give more attendees a glimpse of it.
The mock codes include opportunities for the doctors, nurses, and medical administrators who attend the show to get hands on with the exhibit. “At the end of the day this is still a giant exhibit on a show floor, but we’ve done our best to make it as much like a functioning emergency department as possible,” Batson said.
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