Agenda for Day 2 - Tuesday March 23, 2027Tuesday, 23 March 2027 - ET (Eastern Time, GMT-05:00)

The life sciences meetings landscape continues to evolve, creating both opportunities and challenges for hotels, CVBs, DMCs, AV providers, and other event partners. As planners adapt to new compliance requirements, bud get realities, technology expectations, and attendee demands, suppliers must also rethink how they position their services and demonstrate value.

• Discuss the trends reshaping the supplier community, from shifting sourcing practices and procurement models to changing client expectations

• Examine how compliance requirements, budget pressures, and experience-focused event strategies are influencing the way partners support life sciences meetings

• Share approaches for strengthening collaboration between planners and suppliers to drive better outcomes for all stakeholders

• Identify opportunities for innovation, differentiation, and long-term growth in an increasingly competitive marketplace

Building a strategic partnership with procurement is essential for planners tasked with sourcing strategies, budget optimization, and supplier management. This interactive session emphasizes the importance of bringing your procurement team along to explore real-world scenarios and collaborative strategies. Even if you attend without them, the session provides valuable insights into fostering alignment, improving forecasting, and driving efficiencies that benefit both internal stakeholders and suppliers.

• Understand how procurement's evolving role impacts sourcing, budgeting, and supplier management.

• Learn actionable strategies to partner effectively with procurement and achieve shared goals.

• Discover how to optimize budgets and vendor performance through data, forecasting, and spend analysis.

As AV costs continue to rise and supplier contracts become increasingly complex, meeting professionals must navigate restrictive contract clauses, evaluate pricing structures, and manage supplier relationships while balancing operational needs with business realities. The discussion will also explore when to negotiate for better terms and clarify the distinction between corporate AV teams and onsite AV providers to ensure effective collaboration and decision-making.

• Understand emerging AV contract terms and supplier requirements and their impact on meeting planning and negotiations.

• Explore strategies for evaluating AV pricing, managing budgets, and communicating costs to stakeholders.

• Discuss the distinction between corporate AV teams and onsite providers to optimize collaboration and outcomes.

Led by senior commercial and medical leaders from top pharma companies, gain firsthand perspectives on navigating the intersection of business goals and medical integrity in strategic meeting management. Life sciences events require a delicate balance between the goals of commercial and medical teams, all while adhering to complex compliance regulations and fostering meaningful stakeholder engagement. By encouraging cross-functional collaboration and leveraging innovative strategies, event planners can create programs that address diverse priorities and deliver measurable outcomes.

• Align commercial and medical objectives by developing event strategies that respect compliance regulations, ethical standards, and the unique goals of each team, ensuring a cohesive and balanced approach

• Foster collaboration by creating opportunities for cross-functional teams to communicate effectively, share insights, and address the diverse needs of healthcare professionals, patients, and industry stakeholders

• Design events that integrate organizational priorities by leveraging innovative tools, audience engagement techniques, and meaningful content to create impactful and memorable experiences.

Participate in this dynamic and interactive workshop aimed at promoting peer-to-peer learning and open discussions across critical areas of life sciences event planning. Attendees can select from one of four specialized roundtables, each designed to tackle the specific challenges and opportunities relevant to their professional field:

• Bridging the Gap: Aligning Expectations and Strengthening Client-Agency Relationships: Strengthening client-agency relationships requires clear communication, better alignment of expectations, and a focus on talent development. Agencies can address challenges by equipping teams with the right skills and reducing reliance on clients for training, while clients can benefit from more transparent processes and accountability. These steps will help rebuild trust, improve service quality, and create more effective partnerships.

• Alexandra Eastburn, Senior Regional Account and Operations Manager, BCD Meeting & Events

• Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace: This interactive discussion group brings together leaders committed to building truly inclusive workplaces that harness the unique strengths of neurodiverse talent. Share challenges, exchange proven strategies, and explore how leading organizations are redesigning recruitment, onboarding, communication, and performance management to support neurodiverse team members while driving innovation and business results.

• Med Device, Diagnostics & Biotech: This roundtable is crafted for event planners working in the medical device, diagnostics, and biotech sectors. It delves into the unique challenges of organizing events in highly technical and regulated industries. Discussions will focus on fostering cross-functional collaboration, delivering compelling scientific content, and developing strategies to effectively engage diverse stakeholder groups.

• Sarah Muschler, Professional Education Manager, Intracept

• Student Access: Geared toward students, this session offers a comprehensive introduction to the exciting career opportunities within life sciences meetings and events. Explore roles that support meetings and events, while gaining insights into the essential skills that can help you stand out and succeed in this dynamic field.