American Express Meeting & Events has revealed insights into the perspective of physicians regarding meeting and event preferences and common practices.
Doctor’s Orders: The Physician’s Perspective on Meetings and Events, surveyed 505 physicians worldwide to help pharmaceutical companies better understand the elements of the meetings that attract physicians today, and what will motivate them to attend in the future.
The survey was completed by physicians in numerous countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Italy, Germany, France, U.S.A., U.K, and Mexico, and their opinions on the purpose, format, content and benefits of meetings were all taken into account. The report encapsulates a thorough understanding of how physicians view the modern meetings landscape.
“Attracting physicians and designing effective, compelling meeting experiences is critical to the ongoing success of pharmaceutical-sponsored meetings. By better understanding the shifting expectations of physicians, meetings organisers can ensure that their events are a more effective channel for professional networking, product education, awareness and feedback," said Issa Jouaneh, Senior Vice President & General Manager, American Express Meetings & Events.
Physicians cite content for two of the top three most important considerations when deciding whether to attend a meeting – access to new information and the opportunity to earn CME credits.
While physicians consider content to be a critical factor when deciding to attend a meeting, they also select it as the most important element meeting organisers should work to improve. Presentation format, use of mobile technology, and opportunities to connect with other attendees are other areas physicians feel could be enhanced.
Physicians have no shortage of meetings to attend, and the survey indicates that, on average, respondents were invited to 16 meetings in 2015, but only attended half that number. It is therefore important for meeting organisers to understand what attracts physicians to some meetings, but not others.
Respondents acknowledged that they most frequently attend speaker dinners (67 pecent), followed by symposia (66 percent), congresses (53 percent) and product meetings (52 percent).
Investigator meetings and data monitoring committees were the least popular meeting formats in 2015, garnering 24 percent and 17 percent attendance rates respectively.
Respondents acknowledged that they receive numerous benefits by attending medical meetings, the most important of which is access to information that will help their practice. This was noted by 74 percent of the survey respondents. The least important benefit, at 39 percent, was sharing research and experience with others in their field.
In light of this, physicians strongly prefer formats that will facilitate acquiring new information. Workshops and breakout sessions were deemed superior to the panel, single speaker, and audience response formats. This is particularly so for younger physicians with 54 percent reporting they prefer workshops to other designs, compared to 37 percent of physicians over 40.
Physicians most often attend meetings hosted by pharma or medical device companies, but when asked to rate meeting organisers in terms of delivering the promised learning or content, associations, societies, universities and hospitals were seen as superior to pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Mobile technology capabilities are particularly important to younger physicians, who will likely have technology integrated into most aspects of their lives. Doctors under the age of 40 place a higher priority on meeting organisers improving the mobile technology for their meetings, and are also more likely to use a mobile app to connect with other meeting attendees.
Improved use of mobile was prioritised by 52 percent of younger respondents compared to 34 percent of older respondents. This reinforces the importance of leveraging technology to attract younger attendees now and continue to attract future generations.
Unlike most other regions, Chinese physicians indicated they prioritise opportunities to connect with peers/experts over gaining information to benefit their practices. As such, they value the ability to attend smaller, more personal meetings as well as workshops with breakout sessions.
This is not to say that China’s physicians care less about their practices though, as respondents indicated much more concern than their global counterparts about taking time away from their practices.
With over two million practitioners and a population nearing 1.5 billion people, China continues to be a country of great interest for pharmaceutical and medical device firms, and understanding the cultural and professional nuances will be key for organising successful meetings in this growth market.
American Express Meetings & Events will be presenting the full finding of the research at The Meetings Show at London’s Olympia on June 15, 2016. Alternatively, download the full report here.
The overall cost per attendee per day for meetings and events around the globe increased in 2017 and is expected to continue rising next year, according to the 2018 Meetings and Events Future Trends report by CWT Meetings & Events (CWT M&E).(read more)
IACC released phase one of its second annual ‘Meeting Room of the Future’ white paper predicting the meeting rooms and spaces of the future and improving meeting dynamics.(read more)
Venues and creative event specialists have lined up a series of spectacular social events for the attendees of MEETINGS 2017 taking place later this month in Auckland. (read more)
Singapore – Nu Skin Japan brought 250 of its regional sales leaders for a well-deserved travel incentive to Singapore(read more)
Singapore – A new Helsinki-based “hotel without bedrooms” event venue concept has made its way into Singapore. Here’s a sneak peek inside Huone Events Hotel before its February 23 opening and why it is bound to disrupt the local meetings industry.(read more)
Direct from IMEX America 2016 in Las Vegas –Timo Kiuru, CEO of The Unthinkable, started the knowledge session with a statement, “Welcome to the death of event experiential marketing.” Kiuru, recognised by Connect Corporate Magazine as...(read more)
You might be doing it wrongly if you have been offering product details that fail to go beyond venue spaces and capabilities. (read more)
Singapore – Set to open in the second quarter of 2017, the 222-room Sofitel Singapore City Centre has announced the appointment of Freddy See as Director of Sales & Marketing. (read more)
Singapore – October is set to be the busiest business events month as Marina Bay Sands welcomes the highest number of major events in a single month since its opening in 2010.(read more)
Singapore – HotelAsia, one of Food&HotelAsia’s pioneer specialised trade shows will feature an impressive host of brands, showcase new equipment and technology and unveil a Singapore Pavilion for the first time. (read more)
What do Malaysia and Singapore have in common in the way they market themselves and stay ahead as business event destinations? (read more)
Join our mailing list
Share your thoughts