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 

Digital technologies: Pharma’s answer to achieving net zero emissions?

As I wrote about earlier this year, it is clear that the climate crisis is no longer something for future generations to worry about, it’s already here and requires our urgent...

The Real-Time Health System: Accelerating Workflows with Data

Bree Bush, Vice President, Chief Data Officer at GE Healthcare, dives into simulation modeling and advanced analytical tools to optimize inpatient, procedural, and clinic capacity; the concept of “real-time healthcare”;...

The Future of eHealth: Contactless Health Monitoring

Laurence Pearce, CEO & Founder of Xim Ltd, creators of Lifelight®, discusses the need for personal health monitoring; traditional issues associated with population health screening; AI, machine learning, and computer...

Making Digital Trust and Privacy Accessible to Everyone

Mike Cook, CEO of IDENTOS, shares how his company is making digital trust and privacy accessible for patients, healthcare providers, payers, organizations, and connected devices. He also discusses “smart cities”...

Disrupting Cell Engineering with Non-Viral Modalities

Jessica Schwaber, Scientific Director, Cell & Gene Therapy, Avectas, explores her company’s unique cell engineering platform, the recent shift in cell & gene therapy commercial needs, current barriers to realizing...

Congress eHuddle & Debrief Session: A Customer Story

How a Pharma team hosted daily MSL “eHuddles” during ASCO 2021 plus a post-congress debrief session using our asynchronous platform.

Healthcare Access and Payment Reform in the US

Chris Saxman, Senior Healthcare Executive, Head of Product Strategy at UCM Digital Health, shares his thoughts on the US healthcare system, including its flaws and how to fix it; the...

Advancing Drug Discovery with Structured and Intelligent Data

Michael Wilson and Craig Knox, co-founders of DrugBank, discuss how their comprehensive drug database can be used together with AI and machine learning for drug discovery and repurposing, clinical research,...

Digitalizing Muskuloskeletal Care to Improve Patient Outcomes and Reduce Cost

Lydia Zeller, CEO at Kiio, explores digital therapeutics, healthcare innovation, and Kiio’s innovative and personalized solutions for musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. She also shares her key leadership lessons and predictions for...

Accelerating Drug Development Timelines with Big Data Analytics

Barış Erdoğan, CEO of Clinerion, shares how medical data informatics and real-world EHR data can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of patient searches, identification, and recruitment; clinical...