Anyone traversing the HIMSS14 Exhibit Hall knows it’s massive – 440,000 square feet to be exact. And all of it filled with the vim and vigor of more than 1,200 exhibitors and attendees numbering nearly 37,000 strong.

It’s hard to sum up the show floor buzz, but here’s a snippet of some of the vibe.

On Tuesday, in the arched tunnel of Alere Connect’s booth, more than 20 onlookers listened to the company’s CEO, Kent Dicks, talk about empowering individuals to take charge of their health under the supervision of their healthcare providers.

“About 60 million people in the U.S. have one or more chronic diseases,” he told his audience. “The numbers are starting to go off the charts. That’s why we’re having this conference here today.”

While exhibitors serve up information and products, they also provide amenities.

Debra Boston with CenterPlate, a food service provider at the conference, was blending up smoothies for Alere Connect. Early in the day, those smoothies were without alcohol, but later in the day, she said, attendees could get theirs spiced up. “It never gets boring,” she said of working at conferences. “You get to see and be exposed to everything around in every direction.”

In another part of the Exhibit Hall, Verna Lynch, senior consultant of the management and IT consulting group at New England-based BerryDunn said the show traffic is about the same she has seen in past years, but this year, Lynch said booth visitors were most concerned about the ICD-10 transition.

With so much to do and see, attendees can turn to the HIMSS14 Exhibit Guide for tips on how to get the most out of their experience, including taking small strategically-planned “bites” of the show floor, arranged by topic of interest. Bring your HIMSS14 tote to collect promotional items, and of course, don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes.