New and exciting opportunities await those eager to immerse themselves in the pharmaceutical industry. Attending a pharmaceutical event is an excellent opportunity to learn new information, network with industry professionals, and keep up with current pharmaceutical industry trends.
Although pharmaceutical events, including pharma trade shows and pharma conferences, can sometimes be time-consuming, expensive, and often involve travel, they are an invaluable source of information you can capitalize on within your own professional environment.
Let’s get further insight into what a pharma event entails, the reasons why you should attend one, and the unique activities and opportunities available to digital conference attendees.
Pharmaceutical conferences are excellent opportunities for pharmacists, new or experienced, to learn new strategies to help their patients, discover how to best engage their community, and learn more about essential business skills.
Usually scheduled over 1-2 days, a pharma event is the meeting place for leading pharmacists and academia to discuss, exchange, and share ideas on a topic. Conferences differ in how they run; some are peer-led, some are interactive, but they all share the common goal of providing the latest developments in the field. It’s then up to you to decide how best to apply this newfound information to your own professional development.
You may have also heard the term ‘pharmaceutical trade show‘, which is essentially an exhibition for pharmaceutical companies to showcase and demonstrate their latest technologies. A pharma trade show provides attendees with the opportunity to explore new product offerings, while a conference hinges upon exchanging information. However, both have the shared goal of educating their audience.
When faced with the proposition of attending a conference, you might ask yourself: Is it worth your brand? Is it worth taking time away from your pharmacy? Shouldn’t I be focusing on my patients? But attending a pharmaceuticals conference is a rewarding and invaluable experience. Here are seven reasons why:
Networking is key to getting the most out of your pharma event. Conferences are fantastic places to meet like-minded individuals. Whether they’re new or experienced pharmacists, it’s important to create connections because you never know what they know or who they know.
For some, networking can be a source of anxiety regardless of how many networking events you’ve attended. It can be easy to stay in your comfort zone and only approach colleagues or people you’ve met previously. However, networking can open up to future collaboration opportunities and the expansion of your professional circle.
The pharmaceutical industry is constantly evolving, as is the role of the pharmacist. The opportunity to learn about new and innovative medicines, products, and services is invaluable in determining whether your pharmacy could benefit from these latest trends. By attending a conference, you can stay up-to-date with what’s on the horizon and what the future holds for the industry. You may learn about something new that you would not have known otherwise.
International conferences are especially good at providing information about global pharmaceutical trends, enabling you to adapt this knowledge into your own practice.
Not only will you have the opportunity to listen to industry leaders during a pharmaceuticals conference, but there’s a good chance you will be able to meet and talk with them, too. Although it may seem intimidating, approaching an expert in your field is guaranteed to give you the best insights into improving your business. As a plus, they may offer to keep in touch with you in the future or connect you with a contact who can provide their support.
It’s always a good idea to research who will be speaking at the event. Identify your area of interest and choose key speakers with whom you would like to talk. Remember to do some background research so you can mention or ask about something you enjoyed about their past work as an ice-breaker to initiate conversation
Don’t just get inspired by industry leaders; gain inspiration from your fellow pharmacists, too. One of the best opportunities available to you at any pharmaceutical event is connecting with others who may face similar problems. Learn from their mistakes and their successes. Understand how they overcome those challenges. Take notes. Ask questions. Provide feedback if warranted. You can take all this information and apply it to your own business where you see fit.
Being in a room full of industry professionals may spark an idea for your own pharmacy. Listening to key speakers, talking with fellow pharmacists, and hearing about the latest developments, technological or otherwise, is a sure-fire way to inspire ideas. As a bonus, you’re able to bounce these ideas off other attendees and gauge their reactions in real-time.
It’s essential to stay one step ahead of your competitors and provide high-quality service to your patients. By attending a conference or trade show, you’re getting the latest knowledge from industry experts in real-time. The pharma industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the medical sector.
While the industry itself is quick to adapt to the changing times, the pharmacist must also keep up to meet patients’ evolving needs. An awareness of products and strategies on show will help you stay competitive and gain actionable insights to improve your product and your business.
Attending a pharma event has the potential to expand your mind, leading to significant benefits for your personal and professional development. Next time you attend a conference or pharmaceutical trade show, keep these tips in mind and get the most out of pharmaceuticals conferences.
Pharmaceutical conferences are not just limited to pharmaceutical professionals. Of course, pharmacy professionals are inclined to attend a pharma event. There is also a broad spectrum of industry professionals who are also encouraged to attend these events. This includes, but is not limited to:
The medical industry is vast, with many sectors that overlap and intersect with one another. Attendees may need to keep up with the latest technological developments in the pharmaceutical industry as they directly relate to their own work, as a pharmacy technician, for example. Others may choose to expand their interests, build their reputations, or network with prospective partners to discuss collaboration opportunities and gain meaningful insights.
With large physical events put on hold due to the global pandemic, many conferences have taken on the digital age. With no choice but to go virtual, conferences create online platforms where pharma companies can sit in chat rooms, and people can virtually move around to stands. This provides a unique opportunity for pharmacists to attend conferences that they perhaps couldn’t participate in previously.
An online pharma event has all the features of a physical conference but with a few added extras. These including live chat questions and answers, one-on-one private conversations, networking ‘rooms,’ and the bonus of re-visiting the content due to the recording function.
It looks increasingly likely that the future of pharmaceutical conferences will become a blended model of a digital and physical experience.
With almost all pharmaceutical events taking place digitally in the foreseeable future, there is an opportunity to attend pharma events not only in your local area but to pursue opportunities abroad too.
*Some events have been impacted due to the spread of COVID-19. Keep up to date with the latest using the “Pharma industry event tracker” here.
SmartWorks can help you create your own pharmaceuticals conference. We’ll work side-by-side with you and your team to help choose the best:
While you might not opt for an in-person event at the moment, SmartWorks can still create a spectacular virtual event company experience for your attendees. With years of expertise in meetings and audiovisual services, we can help you deliver a world-class event with exceptional quality content that your attendees will remember for a lifetime.
Start planning your very own pharmaceuticals conference today with one of the leading destination event management companies.