A new joint report from Ashfield Event Experiences, part of Inizio Engage XD, and the International Pharmaceutical Congress Advisory Association (IPCAA) provides insights to drive future medical congress and convention success. The report is based on a survey of 275 healthcare providers from the US, UK and Western Europe. The report ‘Out with the old, In with the new?’, delves into the evolving landscape of healthcare provider (HCP) behaviours and attitudes towards medical congresses and conventions, particularly in the context of the return of in-person events. The report demonstrates how congresses and conventions can flourish in the future when the industry addresses how and why it invests in different experiences. It provides insights into the key areas of focus for achieving successful international congresses and conventions and compares these findings with earlier survey responses obtained during lockdown, when relevant. The report answers such vital questions as:
- Why HCPs attend international congresses and conventions.
- How face-to-face meetings have impacted virtual.
- What HCPs think of the virtual experience.
- How HCPs view the environmental impact of face-to-face meetings.
- How the industry can make the most of the congress and convention journey.
Some important behavioural findings in the report include: The #1 reason for HCPs to attend a congress or convention is for medical education with the #2 reason being networking. Going forward, virtual congresses and conventions are projected to get less attendance. In 2023, the average HCP attended two in-person meetings and two virtual. Next year, they expect to attend one fewer congress or convention virtually. Most respondents admit virtual congresses and conventions have improved, with them considered a convenient option valued for medical education, but not networking. HCPs plan their congress or convention activities sometimes over two months in advance. Email is the preferred way for HCPs to learn what is happening and HCPs view the exhibition hall at a meeting as a learning experience. They prefer informal discussions at booths/symposia to pre-arranged meetings. Post-meeting, HCPs are receptive to follow-up communications. Three in four HCPs share new information with colleagues and one in two share it with patients and HCPs are open to adopting sustainable behaviours at in-person congresses. For the 2023 report, 275 HCPs incorporating equal sample sizes of oncologists, cardiologists, neurologists, primary care physicians and infectious disease specialists were surveyed. “We found this year’s report particularly telling in how HCPs behaviours were impacted by the pivot to virtual congresses or conventions and our subsequent return to face-to-face,” said Isabelle Merillet, head of congress, Ashfield Event Experiences. “It’s entirely possible that if we ignore the learnings from lockdown, that we will deny valuable opportunities to connect and learn.” “It’s so important to hear directly from healthcare professionals about what they really want from their medical congresses in the future and understand why some of the changes we predicted have not been as permanent as we first thought,” said Nicky Simpson, co-president of IPCAA. “How congresses are delivered, and how pharma companies show up, must be built on these preferences.” This new report is part of ongoing research by Ashfield Event Experiences and IPCAA to assist the pharmaceutical industry with improving the congress experience to best serve the needs of HCPs and their patients. A copy of the full report can be downloaded here
