The future of medical society conferences: What we learnt in 2020. What might happen in 2021
1. THE FUTURE OF
MEDICAL SOCIETY
CONFERENCES
What we learnt in 2020
What might happen in 2021
Len Starnes
Digital healthcare consultant
#MedComms webinar
20 January 2021
2. H1 2020: first insights
DOCTORS MEDICAL SOCIETIES
Experience significantly
better than expected
Inability to physically
network
Preference for hybrid
in future
Remarkable ability to
rapidly transform
Massive financial losses
Apparent commitment to
physical formats 2021
4. PROS CONS
Over 150%
increase in attendance
Attendees from
144 countries
Physical 2019 Virtual 2020
22,094
33,784
https://erscongress.org/images/Industry/Industry-
2020/documents/ERS2021_website_stats_report.pdf
5. PROS CONS
Almost 220%
increase in attendance
Registration
fees up to € 200
Source: European Hematology Association
Congress secretariat, MCI The Netherlands
Physical 2019 Virtual 2020
12,000
26,000
7. 92%
Now consider
attending virtually
Survey of > 300 doctors
in EU & USA
Doctors’ traditional reluctance to attend
virtual congresses changed dramatically
Healthcare professionals’ experiences of
virtual congress. September 2020,
IPCAA & Ashfield Meetings. Ashfieldmeetings.com
8. Docs missed the personal touch & networking
Healthcare professionals’ experiences of
virtual congress. September 2020,
IPCAA & Ashfield Meetings. Ashfieldmeetings.com
60%
Missed personal/human
touch
35%
Missed networking
interactions
9. First medical society to transform
all events to virtual 2021
www.escardio.org/Congresses-&-Events
10. European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
First hybrid announcements
www.eaaci.org/eaaci-congresses/eaaci-2021
11. Association for Medical Education in Europe
First hybrid announcements
amee.org/conferences/amee-2021
Glasgow
12. Pharma’s virtual exhibition stands were a flop
Healthcare professionals’ experiences of
virtual congress. September 2020,
IPCAA & Ashfield Meetings. Ashfieldmeetings.com
20%
of doctors visited a stand
47%
of doctors did not
try to connect with
representatives
17. ESMO 17 - 21 Sept
Paris
ASCO 4 - 8 June
Chicago
ERS 4 - 8 Sept
Barcelona
Physical-only
events looking
less likely
ACR 5 - 9 Nov
San Francisco
EAU 9 - 12 July
Milan
19. ‘Something that is a combination
of two different things, so it has
qualities relating to both of them.’
Cambridge English Dictionary
WHAT DOES HYBRID MEAN?
21. HYBRID
Challenges confronting medical societies
UX
Treat physical &
virtual attendees
equally
Personalize
Enable flawless
physical-virtual
networking
Extend concepts
of time & space
UX
Treat physical & virtual
attendees equally
Personalize
Enable flawless
physical-virtual
networking
Extend concepts of
time, space & language
Internal
Steep learning curve
Significantly more
planning & coordination
effort
Embrace
experimentation
& innovation
Commercial
New business models
Appropriate attendee
fee structures
Novel partnership,
sponsorship & exhibitor
options
22. Successful hybrid events start by asking
WHY?
Purpose
Process
Result
WHY
HOW
WHAT
Sharing knowledge
Speakers & attendees
Facilitating networking
Attendees & attendees
Doing business
Exhibitors & attendees
Based on The Golden Circle
www.youtube.com/watch/fMOlfsR7SMQ
28. Millennial + gen z doctors will
comprise the largest share of
the medical profession by 2030
Both cohorts view climate change
as the single most important issue
facing humanity
30. Related resources
Disrupted events: what’s happening in #Medcomms practice?
MedComms Networking webinar, 20 July 2020
www.medcommsnetworking.com/forum_july2020.html
The extended congress: reimagining scientific meetings after the COVID-19 pandemic
Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), 22 June 2020
www.mededpublish.org/manuscripts/3148
The future of healthcare events
Keynote delivered at Healthcare Events Forum. Malmö, Sweden, 2019
www.slideshare.net/lenstarnes/keynote-the-future-of-healthcare-events
Simon Sinek, The Golden Circle, TED Talks
www.youtube.com/watch/fMOlfsR7SMQ
Millennials: The Unforeseen Generation That Will Lead Healthcare Transformation
www.aha.org/sites/default/files/2018-03/180321-workforce-webinar.pdf
Demographic Shifts: The World in 2030
//issuu.com/cw-red/docs/cw_demographic_shifts
31. Jelmer van Ast
CEO & Founder, Conference Compass
The Hague, The Netherlands
www.conferencecompass.com
A sincere thanks to Jelmer van Ast
for inspiration and generously sharing
insights
32. lenstarnes@gmail.com
T: + 49 30 781 5513
M: + 49 172 1788253
Skype: lenstarnes
www.linkedin.com/in/lenstarnes
www.twitter.com/lenstarnes
www.slideshare.net/lenstarnes
Len Starnes
Len Starnes Digital Healthcare
Research and Consulting