Medical Inflatables

Planning a health event and wondering how to maximize health fair foot traffic? You’re not alone. Every hospital, clinic, and community group hosting a health fair wants the same thing: a vibrant, well-attended event that leaves a lasting impact.
Below, we reveal 10 proven strategies that top hospitals and event organizers use to maximize health fair foot traffic — with real-world examples you can apply immediately.

1. Partner with Community Organizations
✔️ Example: Texas Children’s Hospital Health Fair Partnership — they partner with churches and schools to co-promote events.
How to Do It:
Make a list of churches, YMCAs, community centers, and local nonprofits within 5 miles of your event. Email or call them offering co-branded flyers and social media shout-outs if they promote your fair.

2. Create a Social Media Countdown
✔️ Example: Johns Hopkins Medicine events page — they build anticipation for events weeks out with regular posts.
How to Do It:
Start a 14-day countdown on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Mix educational facts (“Did you know February is Heart Health Month?”) with event reminders.

3. Incentivize Participation with a Passport Game
✔️ Example: Houston Health Passport Challenge — encourages visitors to hit booths for prizes.
How to Do It:
Create a simple “passport” with your booth map. Each booth gives a stamp; attendees who visit 5+ booths get entered for a prize drawing.

4. Use High-Impact Visuals (Like Inflatables!)
✔️ Example: Medical Inflatables in action at the Texas Heart Institute Health Fair — giant hearts create buzz and foot traffic.
How to Do It:
Set up your inflatable where people cannot miss it: parking lots, main intersections, or entryways. Tie signage and photo ops to it.

5. Invest in Targeted Ads
✔️ Example: Ascension Health runs geo-targeted Facebook ads to drive event attendance.
How to Do It:
Spend $50–$200 to boost your event post targeting local zip codes, adults 25–65+, with an interest in health or fitness.

6. Feature Local Influencers
✔️ Example: Baylor College of Medicine’s partnership with Houston Astros mascots at health events — celebrity tie-ins increase reach.
How to Do It:
Invite popular radio hosts, local authors, or sports mascots to make appearances or help promote your event.

7. Offer Health Screenings
✔️ Example: Cleveland Clinic Community Events — free screenings bring people in.
How to Do It:
Coordinate with hospital departments or local clinics to offer blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and BMI checks.

8. Enable Easy Online RSVP
✔️ Example: Eventbrite health fair examples — free, mobile-friendly event pages.
How to Do It:
Create a simple Eventbrite page where attendees can register (even if free). Send reminders 1 week, 3 days, and 1 day before the event.

9. Make It a Festival Atmosphere
✔️ Example: National Night Out community events combine health fairs with food trucks, games, and fun zones.
How to Do It:
Book 1–2 food trucks, a bounce house, and a kid-friendly activity like face painting to extend family attendance.

10. Align with a Health Awareness Month
✔️ Example: American Heart Month Resources — February heart campaigns get natural momentum.
How to Do It:
Pick a national health month that matches your inflatable exhibit (heart, lung, brain health) for natural marketing boosts.

If you’re the one putting on health fairs, preventative screenings, or outreach events, you know the basics: get people in the door, provide useful services, and hope they leave better informed.

But, as it’s said, you can’t improve what you don’t measure. So how do you go beyond that, and track real-world impact that can help make your next event even better?

Here are a few ways to think about how to measure the success of your event.

beyond attendance: measuring true engagement

Counting attendees is easy. But to understand if your event truly connected with attendees, dig deeper. Here are questions to consider, and ways to measure engagement:

Tracking engagement also helps inform programming for future events by showing what truly captures attention and keeps people involved.

screenings: what happens next?

Offering preventative health screenings is great, but the real impact comes afterward. Consider tracking:

A strong referral process ensures the event is more than a one-time checkup, and provides a bridge to real healthcare access. If you’re not a healthcare provider, partnering with providers who can offer low-cost or free follow-ups strengthens the impact.

Did it inspire action?

A good event educates. A great event changes behavior. Instead of simply asking attendees if, or how much, they enjoyed the event, track whether they took action. Try these follow-up strategies to inspire attendees to follow through, and measure the results:

Measuring behavioral change gives a clearer picture of an event’s long-term impact, rather than just gauging short-term interest.

what are people saying?

You likely ask for feedback, but who fills out your surveys? Often, it’s those who had the best experience. To get a fuller picture:

Honest feedback helps ensure future events serve the widest audience possible and highlight areas for improvement that might otherwise be overlooked.

roi: was it worth it?

To measure overall ROI effectively and justify future funding, consider collecting and tracking these data points:

Presenting ROI in clear, data-driven ways strengthens the case for continued investment and helps refine cost-effective strategies for future events.

year-over-year or event-over-event progress: are you improving?

Finally: all of the above information is helpful, but it’s even more valuable when you have something to compare it to. To track year-over-year (or event-over-event) trends and improve future events, measure and manage these things:

By analyzing these patterns over multiple events, you can refine your approach, enhance impact, and make data-driven decisions for future programming.

the takeaway

The value of a health fair, health awareness, or preventative screening event extends well beyond a single day; it’s about driving lasting change. By collecting and analyzing meaningful data, you can continually improve each event, ensuring it has a greater impact than the last. 

Health inequity. Health disparity. The health gap. There are nuances to each label, but the gist of it is that health, health education, and healthcare is not the same for everyone. The differences and impact can be broken down by gender, by race or ethnicity, by income, or by geography – any and all of these things can contribute to unequal access to healthcare services, clean air, nutritious food, and safe living environments. 

In contrast to health inequity, health equity is the attainment of the highest level of health and health care for all people, emphasizing the need to reduce and ultimately eliminate disparities in health and its determinants. 

Some of the data behind health (in)equity

There’s no shortage of studies and data that clearly demonstrate the real-world impact of health inequity. For example:

-The average amount of time women spend in poor health is nine years, which is 25% more time than men. This carries over to productivity and workforce availability, which can decrease earnings and further increase the gender health gap through economic inequality. (Source: McKinsey)
-In the United States, Black and Latino populations experience higher rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity compared to White populations. Yet there are far fewer clinical trials available to these communities for newer diabetes drugs. (Source: NIH)
-Individuals living below the poverty line are significantly more likely to suffer from poor health outcomes. A 2020 study found that people in the lowest income bracket had a life expectancy 12 years shorter than those in the highest income bracket. (Source: NIH)
-Rural residents are more likely to have cancers related to modifiable risks, such as tobacco use, human papillomavirus (HPV), and lack of preventive colorectal and cervical cancer screenings. (Source: NIH)

These are by no means the only data points, and we’ll dive deeper into the risks and impact across various demographics in future blog posts.

how health equity can be achieved

When discussing health equity, it’s essential to recognize the distinction between equality and equity. Equality means giving everyone the same resources, while equity involves distributing resources based on the needs of the recipients. For instance, providing the same healthcare resources to a wealthy neighborhood and a low-income area does not address the underlying disparities; instead, more resources might be needed in the latter to achieve equitable health outcomes.

Addressing these health disparities requires the removal of obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and deep power imbalances. And, while progress towards health equity requires a multifaceted approach, one factor that can be perhaps most easily influenced is the introduction of health education and screening to underserved communities and demographics, through health fairs.


The role of health fairs in achieving health equity

Health fairs can be instrumental in improving health equity by providing essential health services, education, and resources. These community-centered events offer various health services, screenings, and educational materials, for free, or at a low cost. 

And they can significantly contribute to promoting health equity in several ways:

Access to health services: Health fairs can offer immediate access to a range of health services that might otherwise be inaccessible – or difficult to access – to underserved populations. Think screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer, as well as vaccinations and dental check-ups. By bringing these services directly to the community, health fairs can help bridge the gap for individuals who lack regular access to healthcare due to financial constraints, lack of transportation, or other barriers.

Health education and awareness: One of the key components of health fairs is education. Attendees can learn about disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, and the importance of regular medical check-ups. Health professionals may provide valuable information on nutrition, exercise, mental health, and managing chronic conditions. This empowers individuals to take charge of their health and make informed decisions, which is crucial for improving health outcomes in underserved communities.

Early detection and prevention: Many health issues, such as hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers, can be effectively managed or even prevented if detected early. Health fairs facilitate early detection by providing free or low-cost screenings. Early diagnosis can prevent the progression of diseases and reduce the burden on the healthcare system. For many individuals in low-income or remote areas, health fairs may be their only opportunity for early detection of potential health problems.

Community engagement and trust-building: Health fairs foster a sense of community and trust between healthcare providers and community members. When healthcare professionals engage with the community in a friendly and approachable setting, it can break down barriers of mistrust and cultural misunderstandings. This trust is essential for encouraging individuals to seek medical care when needed and to adhere to medical advice.

Resource distribution: Beyond health services, health fairs often distribute or help open access to essential resources such as healthy food, hygiene products, and information about local health services and support groups. These resources can make a significant difference in the daily lives of individuals who might be struggling to meet their basic needs.

Health fairs are a powerful means of promoting health equity by providing underserved communities with access to essential health services, education, and resources. They address barriers to healthcare access, promote early detection and prevention, and foster community engagement and trust. While challenges remain, the positive impact of health fairs on health equity is undeniable. By continuing to support and expand these initiatives, we can make significant strides toward a more equitable healthcare system where everyone has the opportunity to achieve optimal health.

And if you’re thinking about how to organize or promote your health fair, check out these articles:

> Health Fair Planning Guide
> 8 Steps to Promote Your Health Fair or Health Awareness Event

Hosting a health fair, health awareness, or preventative screening event is an excellent way to engage the community, raise awareness, and promote healthy lifestyles.  But even the most well-planned event will only be successful if people attend. To ensure you reach the right audience, a well-considered promotional plan is essential. 

Here are 8 steps to effectively promote your health event, starting with the smaller, easier things you can directly influence:

1. Define your target audience and goals

Before you can promote your event, clearly identify who you’re trying to reach, and why. Are you targeting families, seniors, or young adults, or a specific demographic such as women or individuals with certain health risks? Are you trying to increase awareness of a specific disease or health risk? Encourage or offer preventative screening? 

Clearly identifying both your audience and your goals will help you tailor your message, choose the right promotional channels, create an event that appeals to the needs and interests of your audience, and make it easier to measure the outcome of your event.

2. Come up with incentives for attendance

Providing incentives can be a great way to attract attendees. Think about offering:

– Free health screenings or consultations (if this isn’t already part of the plan)

– Gift bags with wellness products or coupons to local businesses

– Raffles or door prizes for participants

– Free health workshops or fitness classes during the event

Be sure to feature any incentives prominently in your promotional materials.

3. Leverage your database with email outreach

If you’re running a health awareness event, chances are good that you have a database of contacts who fit your target audience. A short series of three emails – Save the Date, Event Highlights, and an Event Reminder – can go a long way in creating and sustaining interest. 

Don’t forget to personalize your emails to make them more engaging. And if you’re targeting multiple audiences, segment your email list and tailor the messaging for each group.

4. To expand event awareness, start with social media

Social media is a powerful tool for spreading the word about your event beyond the folks in your CRM. Build event pages on Facebook and LinkedIn, and share regular updates leading up to the event or run a contest with event-related prizes. Create engaging visuals, videos, and infographics to capture attention, highlight key details such as date, time, location, and what attendees can expect, and clearly communicate the benefits of attending. Remember to use relevant hashtags, particularly if your event is related to a widely-known health observance like Lung Cancer or Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

As you build your content plan, remember that personal stories and testimonials are powerful tools. Beyond standard event information, you can share stories of individuals or families who have benefited from similar events or initiatives. Highlighting how a previous attendee discovered a health issue early through a screening or learned and applied valuable wellness tips will help potential attendees connect the dots on how and why your event may be beneficial.

Finally, reach out to the folks who run local or regionally-focused social media accounts, or national organizations that might share the same goals. They can amplify your message. Ask them to promote your event through their channels, whether by sharing posts, creating content that you can share, and invite them to attend the event themselves.

4. Partner with local businesses and organizations

Reach out to  local organizations, businesses, and community groups to boost your promotional efforts. Schools, gyms, senior centers, and healthcare providers can help distribute flyers, share event details on their social media pages, and encourage their members to attend. If your event aligns with a particular cause or health initiative, partnering with related nonprofits or advocacy groups can also enhance both credibility and visibility.

5. Don’t underestimate traditional media and press releases

While digital marketing is essential, don’t overlook traditional media outlets. Reach out to local newspapers, radio stations, and TV channels to promote your event. Local media outlets often offer free community event listings, and some may be willing to feature your event in an on-air segment if it’s newsworthy. A well-crafted pitch, event summary, and/or press release make it easier for those outlets to run with your story. 

6. Distribute flyers and posters

Flyers and posters placed in high-traffic areas such as libraries, grocery stores, community centers, coffee shops, and healthcare facilities are another inexpensive but effective way to promote your event. A visually appealing design will help your poster standout, but the message is equally important. Be sure to include all essential information, and a URL or QR code for your event’s website or registration page.

8. Seek out community calendars and online listings

Get the word out by posting your event on community calendars and platforms like Eventbrite, Meetup, EventBoost or local city websites, and look for Facebook groups that align with your audience. These tools are magnets for people actively hunting for fun and educational things to do in their area.

And don’t forget: promotion doesn’t end once the event is over. Following up with attendees helps maintain engagement and encourages them to participate in or share information about future events. Send thank-you emails, share photos or videos from the event, and invite feedback to learn how you can improve (we’ll cover post-event best practices in another blog post, as well).

If you’re looking for ideas about how to create a one-of-a-kind health fair or health awareness event, check out our Health Fair Planning Guide.

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