Just returned from HCEA 09 in Tampa FLA, where marketers were engaged in a three-day discussion about the future of healthcare exhibiting.
Feeling the pinch of a distressed economy, increasingly restrictive PhRMA and AdvaMed Codes, and a confusing matrix of state laws, weary marketers (and their busy legal departments) are turning to their most important constituents for answers: the healthcare professionals that attend the conventions.
With new qualitative research in hand (and a promise to do more research in the coming year), the industry pondered its future with no promotional giveaways and fewer attendees finding their way into the exhibit hall. Some of the more interesting discussion threads...
...docs are overwhelmed with exhibit halls and suggest redesigning the experience around therapeutic areas, wishing the experience was more like shopping in a department store. Exhibitors and associations are struggling with the implications, including fractured brand strategies, higher costs and less real estate for the associations to sell. Exhibit size maximums could result...
...docs want interactive, hands-on experiences in booth and meaningful content delivered by the Key Opinion Leaders they trust. Not sales reps. Associations and exhibitors will need to work together to accomplish this, as many associations ban clinical experts from presenting on the exhibit hall floor...
...the internet will continue to put pressure on convention attendance as it becomes more challenging to provide relevant content for an increasingly wired attendee base. Interestingly, there was a real openness to embracing social media within integrated campaigns...
...early returns show the ban on promotional giveaways has had an impact on attendance. HOWEVER, while attendance is down, the quality of conversations and number of meaningful leads is up. Associations talked a lot about getting creative to provide other "giveaway-like" opportunities. Major exhibitors seem to be done fighting it, and have moved on to figuring out what's next.
My take on all of this is simple: a good crisis is a terrible thing to waste. Circumstances have provided a wonderful opportunity for the industry to get back to basics and refocus on live communications that provide real value to attendees. Listening to your customers is the perfect place to begin, and I'll bet a new, more successful model emerges by the time HCEA rolls into New Orleans next year.