Agenda for Day 1 - Monday March 22, 2027 - ET (Eastern Time, GMT-05:00)
- Lily Nagy - Conference Producer, Informa Connect
As global markets continue to shift, the travel, meetings, and life sciences sectors are navigating a rapidly evolving landscape shaped by economic pressures, heightened safety and security concerns, groundbreaking technological advancements, and the ever-changing expectations of stakeholders. At the intersection of these industries, life sciences meetings play a pivotal role in driving scientific innovation, fostering healthcare professional engagement, and enabling clinical collaboration, all while supporting business growth and global connectivity.
Examine critical safety, security, and risk management trends reshaping how travel, meetings, and life sciences organizations operate in an increasingly complex global environment
Analyze the economic forces driving budgets, meeting investments, and business travel demand to uncover strategies for maximizing growth and strengthening partnerships across industries
Explore the evolving life sciences landscape and its impact on event strategy, compliance, and engagement to ensure meaningful connections between healthcare objectives and travel and hospitality partners
- Mike Roberts - President & COO, Infinix Global
Healthcare priorities and patient expectations are constantly evolving, and the experience of "becoming the patient" offers a unique lens for designing impactful meetings and events. In this session, Pharma Forum peers will share their personal stories and insights, exploring how integrating the patient perspective into event planning, content, and engagement strategies can foster empathy, improve understanding, and create programs that resonate with all stakeholders. By focusing on the human experience, event professionals can bridge gaps between patients, healthcare providers, and industry leaders to drive better outcomes.
Identify strategies to incorporate the patient experience into meeting design, content, and audience engagement.
Examine how patient-centered approaches enhance collaboration among healthcare, clinical, and industry stakeholders.
Apply best practices to create programs that reflect patient needs while delivering value to all participants.
- Trisha Mobley - Head of Sales & Marketing, Infinix Global
Professionals are navigating new career paths, shifting workforce expectations, and increasing demands on their time and expertise. From agency and in-house roles to congress management, project management, and leadership positions, understanding how to build skills, expand influence, and create meaningful growth opportunities is critical for long-term career success.
Explore career paths and growth opportunities across agencies, in-house teams, congresses, and related disciplines
Identify strategies for professional development and building skills that support long-term career advancement
Strengthen leadership and influence skills, including effective communication, stakeholder management, and coaching conversations
Examine approaches to talent retention, team wellbeing, and workforce development in today's meetings and events landscape
- Trisha Mobley - Head of Sales & Marketing, Infinix Global
- Michelle Wilson - Manager, Transparency Operations, Takeda
- Gillian Koller - Operations Manager, HCP COE & Congresses,, BCD Meetings & Events
In 2027, the landscape of congress management continues to evolve, requiring planners to adopt innovative strategies, integrate cross-functional collaboration, and deliver impactful experiences. The focus is on refining your congress management approach to meet the demands of today’s dynamic environment, from leveraging technology to enhancing stakeholder engagement and ensuring compliance.
Redefine collaboration models by fostering stronger partnerships between in-house teams, external vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure seamless execution and alignment with organizational goals.
Adapt to evolving congress formats by exploring strategies for hybrid and virtual components, sustainability initiatives, and audience-specific engagement techniques that resonate in a post-pandemic world.
Elevate your role as a congress planner by mastering the art of balancing compliance, creativity, and strategic impact to deliver high-value events that drive measurable outcomes.
- Liz Dodson - Sr. Director, Global Congress & Meetings, BCD Meetings & Events
- Carrie Baumel, HMCC - Manager, Program Operations, Creative Group Inc
Compliance has become a strategic advantage, but gaps in knowledge across agencies, varying regulations, and inconsistent expertise demand a unified approach. By collaborating with compliance officers, legal teams, and procurement experts, event professionals can address challenges like HCP regulations, sustainability, and AI governance while driving business value. This shift positions them as trusted advisors who bridge gaps and create impactful solutions.
Navigate diverse compliance frameworks while balancing business objectives.
Foster collaboration with compliance officers and stakeholders to address knowledge gaps and ensure consistent adherence to regulations.
Examine real-world scenarios to identify actionable solutions for mitigating compliance risks and driving measurable outcomes.
This closed-door, scenario-based session is designed exclusively for seasoned executives ready to tackle real-world leadership dilemmas through collaborative problem-solving. Using interactive case studies and peer-driven solutions, participants will work through critical scenarios focused on identifying organizational gaps, fostering cross-departmental collaboration, and positioning themselves as strategic partners across the entire enterprise. This isn't a typical roundtable. It's a dynamic, hands-on experience where senior leaders co-create solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the industry today.
Analyze real-world scenarios and case studies that mirror the complex leadership challenges you face in your organization.
Partner with peers through live polling and group problem-solving to develop actionable strategies for bridging organizational gaps and driving innovation.
Discover how to adapt your leadership portfolio to align with shifting hierarchies, emerging market trends, and the evolving expectations of pinnacle roles.
Apply practical insights into strengthening cross-entity collaboration and ensuring your leadership remains relevant, impactful, and strategically positioned for the future
- Margaret Trempe - Director, Strategic Events & Congresses, Lundbeck
- Ronli Merlis, CMP, CMM, HMCC - Associate Director, Congress & Meeting Management, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
- Michelle Shannon, CMP, HMCC - Director, Meeting Planning, Shionogi
- Lee-Anne Caldwell - Managing Director, EMC3 Events
While congresses remain a cornerstone of product launch strategies, organizations are increasingly leveraging a broader mix of event formats to educate stakeholders, build engagement, and support launch objectives. Discover how launch teams are aligning event portfolios across the product lifecycle, from advisory boards and investigator meetings to peer-to-peer programs, training events, and launch meetings.
Discuss the role different event types play before, during, and after a product launch, including launch meetings, advisory boards, training events, and congresses
Exchange best practices for aligning event strategy with launch goals, cross-functional stakeholder needs, and evolving audience expectations
Identify new and underutilized event formats that can enhance engagement, education, and launch effectiveness throughout the product lifecycle
In an industry where compliance requirements, budget constraints, and stakeholder expectations continue to evolve, understanding how your organization compares to industry standards is critical for strategic planning and continuous improvement. This benchmarking session brings together life sciences meeting professionals to share anonymized data, compare key performance indicators, and identify trends shaping the future of pharma events.
Compare critical metrics across organizations, including cost per attendee, event ROI calculations, supplier spend allocation, and resource utilization models
Analyze industry trends in meeting formats, technology adoption, sustainability initiatives, and compliance approaches to identify where your organization stands
Establish baseline standards for measuring success across different event types, from advisory boards and investigator meetings to congresses and product launches