Merck, Schering and Why Healthcare Meetings Will Always Matter

(Posted April 2008)

The panel presentation by physicians at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting (ACC) last week about Merck and Schering's cholesterol drugs made big news.  And from a pharmaceutical perspective, maybe not the kind of news you want.  But if that panel presentation did nothing else, it demonstrated yet again why healthcare meetings will always matter.

For one thing, why did ACC have this presentation at their annual convention?  Was it just grandstanding on their part -- trying to achieve more registration revenue?  No. 

They did it because it makes sense, rather than, for example, have those physicians hold a telephone press conference, or hold it as a virtual event.  At a live event, the physicians on the panel can interact with each other even as their presentation is being made.  The press can be there, all in one place at one time, and interact not only with the panelists but, again, with each other (and don't underestimate the importance of that in the journalistic profession).  So, too, can the real audience of the presentation -- the rest of the healthcare community that wanted to hear this news.  These physicians, in turn, can interact with the panel and with each other.  And perhaps more importantly, they can have those crucial interactions with the thought leaders on the panel in private side conversations if they like.

But moreover, the companies themselves can, to some degree, be glad this presentation happened in the context of a healthcare convention.  Because just outside the lecture room, in the exhibit hall, those companies' representatives are available to answer questions and provide additional information on the spot. Just where they should be. 

Events unfolding in real time are fluid.  From one minute to the next, critical developments can make communication between interested parties paramount.  When those parties are not in the same place at the same time, communication can be difficult, or expensive, or both.  At a healthcare meeting, those issues go away.

For better or worse, last week's blockbuster news at ACC only further demonstrated that live healthcare conventions will always matter, and will always be the place where healthcare science, news and progress happens at an accelerated rate not available anywhere else. 

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Who’s Afraid of Virtual Conferences?

(Posted March 2008)

At the HCEA Healthcare Convention Marketing Summit last month, I had an opportunity to sit in on a fascinating presentation by Jeffry Schmitt, Manager, Distance Education for HIMSS (Health Information Management Systems Society).  HIMSS just completed their second year of offering a virtual conference to go along with their live annual conference, and from Jeffry’s description of it, things are going pretty well.

The virtual conference has come a long way since the so-called “virtual trade shows” of the 90s.  Those mostly involved two-dimensional “click and read” static web pages passing as “virtual” exhibits.  HIMSS’ virtual exhibits are three-dimensional depictions of real booths, with avatars you can chat with, streaming video and more.

But virtual conferences raise all kinds of questions.  Like, who else is reading what your booth reps are typing during those chat sessions?  I think it’s safe to say the FDA considers virtual conferences every bit as regulated an environment as live ones.  And unlike live conversations, “virtual” chat sessions are captured in perpetuity on the server where the virtual conference is hosted.  As vigilant as booth reps need to be to stay within  regulatory guidelines while speaking to medical professionals, they need to be doubly cautious to ensure not only that their written conversations are meeting regulatory standards, but that they couldn’t even be construed to do so. On the other hand, maybe technologies can be brought to bear to ensure that reps don’t have virtual off label conversations.  Right now, as far as I know, those technologies don’t exist.  But if they did, you could argue that a virtual conference actually might have that as an advantage over live conferences.

Yipes!  Did I just say that?  That’s heresy in the meetings industry, isn’t it?

This brings me to my other point: People in the meetings and convention industry tend to talk about a live meeting as if it were an end unto itself – meetings exist because they always have is usually how the logic goes, more or less (and inevitably someone invokes a reference to a medieval marketplace).  You can “do things” face to face that you can’t do any other way. 
Which is true.  But that makes meetings a means to an end, not the end itself.  Meetings exist because of what people want to accomplish – learn, trade, network, what have you.  We’ve lost sight of this to some degree because an avenue for accomplishing those ends in a comparable but non-live manner never existed.

Until now.  Now, with virtual conferences entering the Web. 2.0 phase, things may be changing.

Which is not to say we need to be afraid of virtual conferences.  The only people who should be afraid are people whose only interest is in maintaining a status quo business model in our industry that, sadly, hasn’t changed much in 50 years.  A little more success for the virtual conference industry and we just might find the folks behind outrageous housing policies and out-of-control material handling costs would – all of a sudden – find they had new, creative solutions for us.  Wouldn’t that be novel?

Meanwhile, progressive thinkers in our industry will soon be finding ways to make virtual conferences augmentative experiences that enhance the live meeting.  We will be able to attract people we haven’t before, while also involving people who are at the live meeting, and over time, in all likelihood, draw new attendees.  This won’t necessarily happen without some pain for the live meetings industry.  But it’s pain that hopefully will bring about improvements.

And by the way, what would an FDA rep’s avatar look like at a virtual conference, anyway?

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Drinking in Salt Lake City

(Posted February 2008)

No, that’s not an oxymoron. As a matter of fact, it’s a reference to what was probably one of the Top 10 finest meals I’ve ever enjoyed in my life, complete with some of the most sublime wine pairings I’ve ever experienced. And I’ve been privileged, being in this industry, to enjoy some fine ones.

The food (and drink) in question was at the café in the Grand America Hotel, which, by the way, also happens to be one of the finest hotels I’ve ever visited. Built in 2001 as part of Salt Lake City’s preparations for the 2002 Olympic Games, the building is one of the few that truly stands up to the label “palatial.” The entire structure seems to be made of marble. The chandeliers were hand-selected by the owner, Earl Holding, and imported from Europe. Again, being in this industry for 15 years now, I’ve gotten a little jaded. But this hotel inspired a legitimate, “Wow,” when I walked in.

Your HCEA Board of Directors held its Fall meeting in Salt Lake City last month. This gave me as well as others the opportunity to preview what kind of experience our members can expect when they attend the 2008 HCEA Annual Meeting there next June. Let’s just say, some of our Directors are now planning their summer vacations around Salt Lake City and the 2008 Annual Meeting. And having seen it too, I understand why.

If Salt Lake City were placing a personal ad, it would say something about being “sophisticated, enlightened, and drop dead gorgeous.” Hmmm. Sounds interesting.

The sophistication part . . . well, I mentioned some of that earlier. But don’t let me forget La Caille as well. La Caille is the French chateau-styled restaurant and event venue in the foothills surrounding the city that will be our destination for Sunday night’s “city night” event at the Annual Meeting. Some of you may remember the truly magical city night event at Palapas Art Gardens in Palm Springs a few years back? Well, prepare for more magic.

Enlightened? How about service staff at every turn who were articulate, competent and friendly. Might come in handy for an event of your own, eh? And did I mention free wi-fi in the Salt Palace Convention Center?

And as for drop-dead gorgeous, downtown Salt Lake is clean, uncongested, and surrounded by mountain views on every side. (It’s also 15 minutes – if traffic is bad – from the SLC airport, a Delta hub.) with a five-star restaurant down just about every street. Twenty minutes by car and you can be in those mountains.

Oh. And just in case marble-decked hotels and world-class wine pairings sound great but, you know, maybe a little stuffy for 3 straight days? There are plenty of other things to do. Like The Depot, with (the night we were there) George Thorogood and the Destroyers playing. Or Port O’Call, where I understand some Annual Meeting Committee members had a good time one night.

So what’s all this voodoo you keep hearing about getting a drink in Salt Lake? Listen. . . you’ll do more work punching the buttons of your remote control tonight than you will to get a drink in SLC. You fill out a piece of paper, that gets you in “the club,” and off you go.

A surprising number of people have never been to Salt Lake City. If you’re one of them, let me make a prediction: your next great “new and different” venue is waiting for you. One of the people on the site visit with us was already in contract talks before she left – yes, it’s that good! And since HCEA will be offering, once again, the best medical-specific training in convention marketing in the business, now’s your chance.

So, plan on it now. And if you’ve got a question about SLC, write back.

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