Prevue September-October 2017 - 23

talkindustry

Top Trends in Medical Meetings
Medical meeting planners talk trends specific to their niche 

M

edical meeting planners share
some of the same challenges as
their counterparts in other industry
niches but also have their own specific
areas of concern. One thing is certain: The
pace of change and the level of pressure
have never been greater in this sector. 

ROI 
Pharmaceutical companies are questioning
every aspect of their business and seeking
higher ROI. At Takeda Pharmaceuticals
International, James Vachon, associate
director of events, meetings and
conventions, is responsible for meetings,
congresses, expositions and association
relations. The company is "constantly
questioning the ROI associated with
exhibiting. We haven't necessarily stopped
attending, but the footprint of the exhibits
themselves might not be as large, or we are
evaluating sponsorship choices and levels,
as well as whom from within the company
will attend," he reports.    

Tight Budgets 
Takeda recently put a logistics partner in
place to support all of its activities across
the globe. Vachon is a department of
one, in charge of managing all supplier
partnerships, from DMCs to independent
meeting planners to exhibit suppliers in tech
and AV. In approaching them to do more
with less, he has learned the value of true
partners. "What makes a supplier a partner
is when they understand your need to cut
costs and do everything they can to keep
the quality level the same."    

Seller's Market 
Despite predictions that the seller's market
would ease in 2017, Vachon, who plans

everything from kickoff meetings to oneon-one engagements with healthcare
professionals, has not found that to be
the case. In fact, one convention center
property in a major Midwest city that he
recently approached had jacked up its rates
more than double what they were last year. 

More Engaging Content 
Naomi Tucker, CMP, HMCC, senior strategic
account manager at Meetings & Incentives
Worldwide, blogs about how to make
medical meetings more engaging. "This can
be achieved with specific meeting technology
that is focused on enhancing attendee
participation," she says. "For example,
Educational Measures and MeetingPlay
are both applications that can be used to
increase engagement at meetings and make
them more lively, inspiring and interactive.
This trend is making the consumption of
content more desirable and delivering more
value to the organizations."  

"What makes a supplier a partner is when they
understand your need to cut costs and do everything
they can to keep the quality level the same."
22 | prevuemeetings.com

Increasing App Usage 
Apps such as Cvent's Crowd Compass
and Power Event Group (which we used
at our latest Summit) help planners develop
custom apps to grow engagement among
attendees. Our customized app featured
agendas, speaker bios, gamification and an
audience response tool that attendees used
throughout the meeting. A scavenger hunt
where attendees had to search for clues that
qualified them for a basket of gifts from the
spa and golf club was a highlight.  

Mergers and Acquisitions 
Tucker has been seeing an increase of
mergers and acquisitions in the life sciences
and pharmaceutical industries. "At times,
these changes within the structure of
organizations can create a gap in, which
third-party meeting planning agencies
can help fill," she says. "There are also
complexities in how medical meetings come
together within the new organization. It's
helpful to know about the intended change,
whether it be a merger or acquisition, to
ensure the meeting you are planning is
taking into account all types of attendees
and collecting the compliance-related
information needed."-Barbara Scofidio


http://www.prevuemeetings.com

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