The Evolution of Community Engagement at Heart Rhythm Society

​Ken Demith, the Chief Experience Officer at Heart Rhythm Society, describes the strategic journey behind launching HRX, a specialized event designed to nurture early-stage cardiovascular innovations. Discover how HRS is setting a dynamic model for year-round community engagement that goes beyond traditional event formats.

​”Community is already there; we are just trying to uncover it,” says Ken Demith, the visionary Chief Experience Officer at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), as he unpacks the evolution of community engagement at HRS.

​Despite the long-standing success of their flagship annual meeting in gathering the broader cardiovascular industry, Ken recounts the story behind launching HRX, an offshoot designed to nurture early-stage innovations in the cardiovascular field. HRS recognized the need for a dedicated space to support emerging ideas and innovations still in their infancy. HRX targets a specific community within HRS’s membership—innovators looking to explore new solutions in a collaborative, supportive environment.

​Demith elaborates: “We at our annual meeting did a terrific job of bringing innovations that were evolved, well-developed, to market, ready to go. It’s a great place for people to show off new things. But we really didn’t have anything that was at the front end, where what about when it’s just an idea? How do I get from idea to that big reveal?”

​HRX was conceived to provide this platform, aligning closely with HRS’s mission to reduce mortality from heart rhythm conditions by fostering groundbreaking innovations from conception to market readiness.

​When asked how HRS tackled the launch of this new event, Ken opened up about the initial challenges of differentiating HRX from their traditional gatherings: “One thing for sure we didn’t do right was we tried to make our new meeting that we were devising like the old one. In some ways, we couldn’t get out of the old meeting, like exhibitors and booths and turnkey booths. We’ve been trying to think of the old model in new ways, but we really needed to dump the old model.”

​And, so, they did. “We’re getting to where we’re not talking about what kind of booth space and traffic and things, but what kind of engagements are you going to experience at this event? And actually, we’ve expanded beyond just being an event. It’s a year-round engagement that we’re providing for those in part that are participating both on the sponsor side and then the participant side to engage all year round and not in the same ways you’re used to…”, shares Demith.

​For those looking to cultivate a specialized community or enrich engagement within their organizations, Ken offers tangible advice: “Start small and think big,” encouraging a focus on quality interactions that build a robust community over time.

​Check out the full interview above for details on how HRS cultivated a thriving micro-community of health innovators with the launch of their new event HRX. Ken’s insights provide a roadmap for any organization aiming to enhance community engagement and innovate within their industry.