Pharmafile Logo

In-person, hybrid, or digital? State of Pharma meetings and events in 2024

March 18, 2024 |  

We’re diving into the state of pharmaceutical meetings and events in 2024 and–once and for all–put the idea of in-person meetings being superior to rest.

- PMLiVE

Whether we’re talking offices, medical congresses, or advisory board meetings, the term “hybrid” is often used to signal the ideal state. The place where everyone’s needs are being met. The best of both worlds. In the era of digital transformation, it is predicted that 2024 will be the year that finally cements hybrid meetings as the norm (1), with all-virtual meetings continuing to be a popular option. Yet, some people are holding onto the idea of in-person meetings being superior. In this article, we’re diving into the state of pharmaceutical meetings and events in 2024 and–once and for all–put this idea to rest.

Why in-person-only should be a thing of the past

I’ve written and talked about the blindspots of in-person meetings for over 16 years now, but it’s only been in the past few years that the benefits of virtual engagements have gained mainstream acceptance. There are multiple reasons why in-person-only meetings should be laid to rest, including, but not limited to, the facts that they are:

  • Expensive
  • Associated with a large environmental footprint
  • Inflexible and not accommodating to everyone’s schedules, work or personal commitments, and preferences
  • Susceptible to last-minute no-shows due to flight delays or poor driving conditions

Specifically for advisory boards and other insight-gathering initiatives, the in-person-only approach comes with additional pain points such as:

  • Valuable time wasted on didactic data presentations
  • Very limited “air time” per participant
  • Uneven share of voice, with more extroverted or senior advisors tending to take up more speaking time
  • A tendency for answers to be “knee-jerk reactions” rather than thought-through responses and for people to simply ‘agree’ with others
  • Limited ability to dive deeper into interesting or controversial ideas
  • Suboptimal diversity of advisors due to potential geographic or language barriers

Most important, though, is the fact that participants don’t want only in-person meetings. Based on our survey of hundreds of healthcare provider advisors in 2022–2023, over three-quarters stated that they prefer virtual/hybrid meetings, with the convenience and flexibility of digital meetings rated as the top benefits…

[Read the full article here]

This content was provided by Impetus Digital

Company Details

 Latest Content from  Impetus Digital 

The Future of MSL Training – How Digital Technologies Are Shaping Success

Discover how pharmaceutical companies are using asynchronous platforms and microlearning to eliminate geographical barriers, track performance, and achieve cost-effective, consistent training for global teams.

Learn the golden standard for omnichannel strategies!

Tired of a fragmented omnichannel strategy that falls short of its promise? Join our free webinar to learn how to eliminate silos and turn fragmented data into actionable insights. Register...

Your Blueprint for Flawless Pharma Omnichannel

Learn how to eliminate silos, transform data into actionable insights, and drive unparalleled efficiency across your key initiatives. Secure your spot in our free webinar, exclusive for life science professionals!

Build a KOL Community Virtually – Engaging Your Advisors Creatively

Go beyond formal meetings! Discover a creative way to build a virtual KOL community through ongoing discussion forums. Facilitate peer-to-peer best practice sharing and foster authentic, sustained relationships with your...

Streamline Clinical Trial Collaboration – Engaging Your Advisors Creatively

Boost efficiency in clinical operations! Learn a creative way to enhance communication between teams at different sites and streamline the development of study protocols, support materials, and journal submissions.

Enhancing Medical Education through Gamification and Innovative Technologies

One innovative approach that has gained traction in recent years is gamification—the integration of game elements such as points, leaderboards, and interactive elements into learning activities. Understanding gamification’s role in...

NEW Pharma-exclusive Webinar: From Fragmented to Flawless, A Blueprint for Unified Omnichannel in Pharma

Tired of a fragmented omnichannel strategy that falls short of its promise? Join our free webinar on Oct 28 & 29 to get the blueprint for a truly unified and...

Engage Internal Teams Virtually – Engaging Your Advisors Creatively

Boost internal effectiveness! Learn a creative way to use virtual advisory boards to facilitate best practice-sharing with sales representatives and knowledge-sharing with MSLs. This is the key to aligning your...

New Webinar: Supercharge Pharma Med Ed with AI

Unlock the power of AI to transform pharma medical education, training, and critical insight gathering. Discover how next-gen AI tech such as AI Avatars, enable hyper-realistic training, enhance engagement, and...

Impetus Digital: now offering carbon-neutral live meeting support

Impetus Digital was promoted to the Aclymate Silver Tier for their efforts in crafting carbon-neutral virtual and live meetings for life science companies.