From invitation-only advisory boards to networking socials and rousing product launches, events are a crucial component of the pharmaceutical industry’s DNA.
When the consumer of your product is a medical patient, advertising to them directly may not be ethical – let alone legal. In this instance, throwing events for healthcare professionals is key to elevating your brand and getting your product onto procurement lists and treatment plans.
However, those working in healthcare are often time-poor and inundated with information on a daily basis. Even for companies on the bleeding edge, it can be difficult to grab the attention required to enter a decision-maker’s consciousness; so, to truly compete in this ultra-competitive space, all marketing efforts must be expertly devised for maximum impact.
However, anyone who has run a successful pharmaceutical event will tell you that it isn’t cheap, quick, or easy. Given the potentially large outlay, you need some assurance that your efforts will pay off – and that’s where a specialist event planner comes in.
Experienced enough to remedy many common pain points, pharmaceutical event planners are just the right tonic to help you meet your sales and marketing goals – but how exactly do they optimise your event’s chances of glory?
Here’s seven cornerstone services that a specialist event planner could offer…
1. Agenda Design
Agenda design is often overlooked by those who are unfamiliar with organising meetings and events, yet it can be a critical component of producing great results.
The agenda design process enables planners to break down event goals, identify key stakeholders and topics of discussion, and ensure that time is used efficiently. It also provides clarity on desired end results, by defining measures for success and assigning roles where necessary.
By taking a structured approach to crafting an agenda, a specialist event planner can craft your event to run with greater efficiency, clarity, and direction and potentially lay the groundwork for future activities.
2. Venue Site Surveys
When planning an event, it can be difficult to determine the best possible venue for your needs. To help, a specialist event planner can conduct a venue site survey, which helps you review the location prior to making an agreement with the space.
A site survey includes assessing the size, location, accessibility and layout of the venue, along with any other special requirements for guests and amenities necessary for your event.
Site surveys will involve taking detailed measurements of each room, looking at access points such as doorways and toilets, and evaluating whether there is sufficient power, wifi and general technical infrastructure to allow the event to run successfully.
By putting this responsibility into the hands of an event planner, you’ll save yourself valuable time – as well as avoiding the crushing disappointment (and potential cost) of realising a little too late that a venue can’t adequately facilitate your plans.
3. Stage design
Creating the perfect event stage design is essential for any live event. Done properly, it can turn a great venue into a memorable experience that captures the audience’s attention from the start. This is why careful consideration needs to be taken when designing any event stage; whether it's lighting, set build or sound design, all components should be thoughtfully crafted with purpose, in order to create a scene that captivates.
Ultimately, this means investing time into researching innovative approaches – but do you have enough to spare? An event planner will remove these constraints by presenting practical, achievable, and exciting ideas, to help your event stand out with panache.
4. Technical Production
When the COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through the events industry, many changes were made to facilitate events where in-person activity wasn’t always possible. Although restrictions have largely eased, a hybrid approach to events is still common – for example, live streaming round table discussions so attendees can still participate remotely.
To maintain a polished event – whether it’s attended in person or otherwise – requires considerable technical know-how. Lighting, sound, and video are all elements that need to run seamlessly (and in perfect harmony) during any event that’s streamed to participants at home, and an event planner will have the experience to make sure that it’s all right on the night.
In addition, if you’d like video recordings to be made available for delegates after the event takes place, your event planner should be able to take care of post-production, too.
5. Creative Content
Content is the material that creates excitement, interest, and engagement at your event. It usually includes activities, exhibits, demonstrations, and presentations tailored to your specific purpose.
Of course, building effective content isn’t a simple process – especially when you consider that it needs to be reviewed by your experts and, after a certain point, can’t be amended further (for example, if you provide printed hand-outs).
This process can make content building for pharmaceutical events feel extremely pressured. When you work with an events planner who understands your industry, they can take this stress away by making sure all materials (including physical, digital, and verbal items) are ready for the day – accurate, approved and ready to inspire.
6. Theming
Popular at gala dinners and award nights, theming plays an essential role in creating a memorable and interactive environment for guests.
An important part of the event planning process, theming ensures that all the decorations, music, and activities will come together to create a cohesive experience; and of course, this requires some serious attention to detail.
Working with an event planner will ensure that even the smallest elements can be reflective of the greater idea behind the chosen theme, creating a unique experience that your delegates won’t forget in a hurry.
7. Entertainment
From award show celebrations to post-conference mixers, entertainment helps to make sure that your pharmaceutical event isn’t all work, no play.
From performers to music and food, entertainment requires plenty of planning and organising in its own right – and that’s after you’ve scoped out the main event. So, why not make it easy for yourself? By bringing in a specialist event planner, you can be relieved of the time constraints and stress - as well as taking a little of that celebratory enjoyment for yourself!
Pharmaceutical companies around the world are choosing UKSV to be their specialist event partner of choice.
Why?
- Vast experience. At UKSV, we’ve worked across hundreds of pharmaceutical events, with great success at both a local and global scale.
- Process expertise. We understand the unique challenges faced by events managers in the pharmaceutical industry, including your logistical and compliance issues.
- Collaborative efforts. We can work directly with you, as well as any third-party suppliers you use, to create even the most ambitious shows.
