It’s an annual tradition for a cohort of people in suits and lanyards to flood Union Square in early January for the high-powered J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, now in its 43rd year.
But longtime attendees noticed a difference Monday: The overwhelming security presence at the venue — the Westin St. Francis hotel — was hard to miss.
“There was a lot of security, not just at the gate, but inside too — I was amazed,” said healthcare executive and investor Pankaj Singhal, who quipped that he’s attended the conference for “too many” years. “I’ve never seen armed police inside the hotel before.”…