Epic UGM 2025 Survival Guide: Insider Tips for Vendors, Storytellers, and Market Watchers

Black Book Research Marks Its 12th Year on the Ground in Verona with Independent, Vendor-Agnostic Insights for Navigating Epic's Provider-First Culture

MADISON, WI / ACCESS Newswire / August 16, 2025 / Every August, Verona becomes the gathering place for thousands of Epic users, providers, and partners. UGM isn't a typical trade show , it's more like a community meet-up where leaders come to hear Epic's roadmap, share ideas, and compare notes. For vendors, PR teams, and media, it's a chance to understand where the conversation is heading and how to connect without disrupting the flow.

For vendors and the PR, content, and marketing teams that support them, UGM plays by different rules. This isn't where you show off. It's where you learn, listen, and figure out how not to step on Epic's toes. Black Book has been at UGM for twelve consecutive years, and this year we're sharing candid insights on what's worth your time, what to avoid, and what's not always what it looks like.

Why Epic Matters More Than Ever

Epic just collected several top honors in Black Book's 2025 surveys:

#1 Large Hospital & Academic EHR - Epic topped the list for hospitals over 500 beds and AMCs.

#1 Ambulatory EHR - EpicCare Ambulatory led for multi-specialty groups.

#1 in Patient Accounting - Epic Resolute ranked first for large-hospital billing and financial integration.

Global Expansion - Epic is one of the few EHRs truly deployable in 100+ countries.

These recognitions reflect more than market share, they underscore Epic's influence on enterprise IT strategy, revenue cycle performance, and global deployment models. For vendors, PR firms, and marketing teams, aligning messaging with Epic's trajectory isn't optional; it's essential. Understanding how Epic is shaping provider priorities allows you to position solutions in complementary spaces, identify integration opportunities, and craft narratives that resonate with the executives and clinicians driving adoption.

What's Worth Your Time

Tuesday Keynote & "Cool Stuff Ahead"
The keynote sets the tone for the year, and in 2025 the themes are clear: AI, automation, and patient experience. Expect Epic to highlight not just new features, but how they're embedding intelligence into daily workflows from ambient documentation to predictive scheduling. In past UGMs, these announcements have reshaped priorities quickly. (When Epic previewed ambient clinical documentation in 2022, it accelerated demand for vendors that could prove seamless alignment with Epic's approach.) Vendors should listen less for the marketing spin and more for the clues on what providers will be asking about in the next RFP cycle.

Cool Stuff Breakouts
These sessions separate the polished keynote vision from what's truly ready for adoption. Some breakouts have had massive staying power (Epic's 2019 telehealth toolkit quietly laid the foundation for COVID-era virtual care) while others have faded away. The smart vendors look for white space: where Epic signals the need, but the solution is partial. Historically, gaps have shown up around population health analytics, precision medicine workflows, or specialty-specific modules. Those are opportunities for vendors to step in and create complementary value.

Peer-to-Peer Tracks
Although designed for providers, these sessions are often the most candid window into Epic customer sentiment. Providers use them to air frustrations and swap workarounds, whether it's revenue cycle complexities, interoperability gaps, or challenges embedding telehealth into everyday workflows. Black Book has seen these unfiltered pain points surface here months before they make it into survey data or RFP requirements. For vendors, PR firms, and marketing teams, this is where you learn the language that resonates because it's the language providers use with each other, not with sales reps.

2025 Watchlist: Where Vendors Should Pay Attention

Ambient AI in Clinical Workflows - Epic is moving fast here; vendors should consider whether they're complementing or competing.

Patient Engagement Beyond MyChart - Expect new features, but plenty of room for third-party innovation in remote monitoring, digital front door tools, and specialty-focused engagement.

Cross-Border Data Exchange - Epic's global deployments mean more pressure on vendors to solve for multi-country compliance, translation, and regional integration.

Specialty Care Extensions - Epic continues to strengthen core modules, but specialty workflows (oncology, behavioral health, rehab) often lag. These remain high-value entry points for partners.

Revenue Cycle Automation - Resolute's strong ranking doesn't end the story; providers still struggle with denial management, AI-assisted coding, and payer integration.

What to Skip

Hard Selling
UGM is built on relationships, not transactions. Cornering a CIO at lunch with your pitch isn't just ineffective: it's a reputation-killer. Provider leaders talk to each other, and word spreads quickly if a vendor is pushy or tone-deaf. In past years, we've seen companies shut out of follow-up meetings simply because they treated UGM like a hunting ground. If you want traction, focus on listening to what providers care about and save the pitch for after Verona.

Provider Councils
These forums, leadership councils, specialty groups, advisory tracks , are designed for providers to speak freely with each other and with Epic. They're not press briefings or lead-gen opportunities. Crashing them, taking notes with an agenda, or inserting your company's perspective will backfire. Providers value these spaces because they're candid and protected. Respecting those boundaries shows that you understand Epic's culture, and ignoring them can get you labeled as untrustworthy.

Trade Show Thinking
If you show up expecting HIMSS or HLTH, you'll be frustrated. There are no booths to draw people in, no badge scanners, no post-event lead lists. UGM is intentionally structured to keep the focus on providers and Epic's roadmap, not on vendor marketing. The companies that struggle here are the ones who measure success in swipes and scans. The companies that win are the ones who leave with insight and positioning instead of "leads."

What's Not Always What It Looks Like

"Cool Stuff" Announcements
Every UGM brings a wave of new features, AI pilots, and product teasers. Some of these turn into genuine market-shifters (Epic's 2019 telehealth expansion became foundational during COVID), while others fade quietly or never scale beyond a few early adopters. The trap for vendors is over-reacting. Don't build your next quarter's strategy on a single keynote demo. Instead, pay attention to which features providers buzz about in the hallways and which ones make it onto the Epic Roadmap with timelines and support commitments. That's where you'll know adoption is real.

Cosmos & Data Partnerships
Epic presents Cosmos, its massive data aggregation and research network, as a partnership opportunity. In reality, many vendors discover it functions more like a data contribution pipeline than a co-development platform. Providers contribute; Epic aggregates; insights flow back on Epic's terms. This doesn't mean there's no value, but vendors need to walk in with clear eyes: contributing data doesn't automatically translate into a strategic seat at the table. Successful vendors position themselves around what Cosmos doesn't provide, for example, advanced analytics, specialty-specific research, or integration with external datasets.

Beyond the Walls Sessions
These sessions are marketed as open forums to discuss collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem: payers, public health, life sciences, and more. They are valuable for networking and understanding where Epic is signaling interest. But it's important to remember: Epic always positions itself as the central hub in any collaboration. Vendors who attend expecting co-equal partnerships often come away disappointed. The real takeaway is exposure and visibility to providers and Epic staff, a chance to signal alignment but not necessarily immediate business upside. Think of it as strategic reconnaissance rather than a direct sales opportunity.

PR, Media, and Marketing: Your Verona Playbook

UGM isn't an easy place to run PR or marketing plays. Epic controls its narrative tightly, and there's no "expo buzz" to ride on. But there's still plenty of value if you approach it right. Don't push for scoops. Use UGM to understand what stories providers are telling each other, then build campaigns that echo that language. The gold is in the corners of conversations. Capture the tone of what frustrates providers that's what will resonate in post-UGM blogs, case studies, and thought leadership.

How to Access Pre-UGM, UGM, and Post-UGM Insights

Black Book's polling around Epic UGM captures provider, payer, and vendor sentiment before, during, and after Verona. Vendors, providers, and payers can request specific polling data by contacting research@blackbookresearch.com.

Free resource data reports are available for download at www.blackbookmarketresearch.com.

About Black Book Research

Black Book Research is an independent healthcare benchmarking and satisfaction survey firm, trusted worldwide for unbiased insights into healthcare technology, outsourcing, and managed services. Known for its rigorous methodologies and vendor-agnostic approach, Black Book collects feedback from providers, payers, and healthcare professionals to deliver the industry's most actionable performance data. Black Book has no financial interests, advisory relationships, or vendor subscriptions, ensuring research findings remain transparent, credible, and aligned with real-world user experience.

SOURCE: Black Book Research