Breaking Through 2024

Forget what you’ve been told can’t be done. Push away regulations, deadlines, codes, budgets, and anything else standing in the way. Imagine if none of that were in play…

Healthcare Design is excited to announce the next Breaking Through conceptual design competition! We’re looking for your most imaginative, innovative, and inspiring ideas for how to solve the challenges expected in the future delivery of healthcare. Breaking Through isn’t about what you’ve already designed; it’s about what you could imagine if the usual rules didn’t apply. What’s your vision? Plan it, draw it, and share it.

Reservations Due: February 2, 2024

Finalist teams will present their concepts in a keynote session at the 2024 HCD Conference + Expo. Audience members will choose the winner, and that team will receive $10,000. Additionally, finalists and winner will receive extensive editorial coverage in print and online.

View the 2022 winner and finalist projects HERE.

PHASE 1 – Share your idea/concept with the jury and leave them wanting more! Proposals are due March 8, 2024. An entry fee of $655 will be invoiced for each submitted proposal.

You’ll submit a written proposal of your concept, using our supplied Proposal Form. Graphics to support your proposal (up to 2) will be optional during this phase. Our elite jury will review all ideas/concepts and move the projects that they find most impressive to Phase 2. Proposals must include:

• A concept statement to provide a clear explanation of the project intent.
• An outline of the specific healthcare challenges or opportunities your concept is addressing.
• Overview of design elements you will introduce in your concept and how they will present a new way of thinking about, and resolving, the previously identified challenges (or create new
opportunities).
• Optional Graphics (up to 2) to support your proposal.

Note: Those that submitted a project in previous years may refine and resubmit projects to the 2024 competition. Phase 1 results will be issued on April 5 to all participants.

*This competition is open to individuals or teams. Vendors/manufacturers are not eligible to compete.

PHASE 2 – WOW the jurors with graphics and details to support concepts (only projects flagged by the jury in Phase 1 will move to this phase.) Presentations will be due May 31, 2024.

• Graphics to support the details you’ve shared, including sketches, drawings, plans, models, renderings, etc., will be required using our PowerPoint template.
• All slides should have detailed captions, guiding the jurors through your concept and the solutions/innovations it delivers.

Finalists will be announced on June 27, 2024.

PHASE 3 – Prepare compelling presentations to share LIVE at the 2024 HCD Conference & Expo (only finalists, determined by the jury in Phase 2, will move to this phase.) Final presentations are due on September 20, 2024. Note: We’ll meet with Finalists to discuss presentation requirements and answer questions shortly after Finalists have been notified.

• Finalist teams will present their concepts in a keynote session at the 2024 HCD Conference + Expo. Audience members will choose the winner, and that team will receive $10,000.
• All finalists will receive up to three complimentary full-conference registrations (a $4,350 value).
• Finalists and winner will receive extensive editorial coverage in print and online.
• All projects that make it past Phase 1 of the competition will also have the opportunity to participate in the Breaking Through Gallery, a display area of the submitted conceptual designs, at the 2024 HCD Conference + Expo.

For more information, contact Donna Hidalgo at donna.hidalgo@emeraldx.com or 210-419-9017.

Terms and Conditions: Each entry must be original and have been created solely by the entrant(s). In addition, each entry must comply with the following guidelines: (a) the entry must not exhibit or otherwise promote any illegal, violent, dangerous or discriminatory behavior or contain any material that is political, threatening, indecent, violent, obscene or offensive; (b) the entrant must own the copyright in the entry; (c) the entry must not contain any material that violates or infringes upon the rights of any third party, including without limitation any copyright, trademark or right of privacy or publicity, or that defames any person, or that is unlawful, in violation of or contrary to any applicable law or regulation. By making an entry, the entrant represents and warrants that he or she has complied with all of the foregoing requirements. Where permitted by law, the winner grants (and agrees to confirm said grant in writing upon the request of the Sponsor) to Sponsor, and those acting pursuant to Sponsor’s direction or control, the right to print, publish, broadcast and use, worldwide in any media now known or hereafter developed, including but not limited to the Internet, at any time or times, the winner’s name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness and biographical information for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without additional consideration and without notice, review or approval, except where prohibited by law. Further, winner will be required to complete, sign, and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release, a Publicity Release (where lawful), and provide evidence of identity and age with a social security number and a valid state or federally issued identification (i.e. driver’s license or passport), all within fourteen (14) days of prize notification. If said documents are not returned timely, or if a winner is found not to have complied with these Official Rules, declines the prize for any reason, or is ineligible for any reason, the prize will be forfeited and may be awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, to an alternate winner. WINNER WILL BE ISSUED A FORM 1099 (OR FORM 1042 IF A NON-U.S. CITIZEN) FOR TAX PURPOSES IN THE AMOUNT OF THE ACTUAL RETAIL VALUE OF THE PRIZE AND MUST SUBMIT HIS OR HER SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AS REQUIRED BY LAW. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES IMPOSED ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRIZE ARE SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. By participating, participants release and agree to hold harmless Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies and all of their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any and all liability for any injury, loss or damage of any kind to persons (including, without limitation, death) or property, arising directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from or in connection with the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any prize, participation in this Competition, or any Competition-related activity, including any wrongful, negligent, or unauthorized act or omission on the part of any of the Released Parties. Without limiting the foregoing, everything regarding this Competition, including the prize, is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, IN THE EVENT THAT THE PRECEDING RELEASE IS DETERMINED BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION TO BE INVALID OR VOID FOR ANY REASON, THE PARTICIPANT AGREES THAT, BY ENTERING THE COMPETITION, (I) ANY CLAIMS, JUDGMENTS AND AWARDS SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS INCURRED, BUT IN NO EVENT ATTORNEYS’ FEES; AND (II) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL ANY PARTICIPANT BE PERMITTED TO OBTAIN ANY AWARD FOR, AND PARTICIPANT HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO CLAIM, ANY OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.