Conference & Exhibit Strategies in the Life Sciences: What's Working Now

Table of Contents

Introduction

• Overview
• Goals of this Report

The Scientist Perspective

Trends in Scientific Conferences:

• Number and size of scientific conferences attended annually
• Anticipated changes in conference attendance and size
• Best times to host a vendor technical training workshop

Designing the Ideal Scientific Conference:

• Demographic trends in conference size preferences
• Parameters of scientists' ideal scientific conference
• Entities organizing the "best" scientific conference

Selecting a Scientific Conference:

• Ways scientists learn about scientific conferences
• Professional factors influencing conference attendance
• Logistical factors influencing conference attendance

Managing Scientists' Perceptions About Exhibit Halls:

• Scientists' strategies for visiting exhibit halls
• How exhibit hall visits contribute to recent product purchases
• Advantages that exhibit halls convey for learning about new products

Attracting Scientists to Your Exhibit Booth:

• Factors that encourage exhibit booth visits
• Factors that discourage exhibit booth visits
• How scientists prefer to receive information from exhibit booth vendors
• Popular conference promotional items
• Most disliked aspect of visiting vendor exhibit booths

Pursuing Conference Leads:

• Optimal post-conference time interval for contacting scientists
• Personnel who should initiate contact with leads postconference

Demographics

• Years conducting research
• Total number of researchers in lab/group
• Role in selecting life science products
• Gender

The Vendor Perspective

Allocating Conference Budgets:

• 2008 conference budgets
• Expected changes to 2008 conference budgets for 2009
• 2008 conference budget allocations

Selecting Scientific Conferences:

• Criteria for selecting scientific conferences
• Entity organizing the best exhibit halls

Participating in Scientific Conferences:

• Department with decision-making authority for event participation
• Conference attendance and exhibition figures: 2007 to 2008
• Corporate goals for exhibiting at scientific conferences
• Factors influencing the decision to sponsor a scientific conference

Managing Conference Leads:

• Basis for conference ROI calculations
• Capturing and integrating conference leads
• Reasons for following-up with conference leads
• Vehicle for contacting conference leads
• Post-conference interval for contacting conference leads

Study Methodology and Demographics

• Methodology
• Demographics
• Questionnaires
• Scientists' questionnaire
• Vendors' questionnaire

Appendices

• Insights and Perspectives
• Other Recent Publications
• About BioInformatics
• Our Valued Clients