Creating the Ultimate HCP Meeting Experience

Health Care Professionals Crave Concise Learning Opportunities

A recent study conducted by Ashfield Healthcare shows that one of the best ways to provide the ultimate HCP meeting experience is to create an interactive, personalized educational event they can’t possibly resist. Face-to-face meetings are the most preferred channel for medical education, and second to trade publications for the most often used, according to the study.The key strength of meeting planners is the ability to offer a program that will encourage participation. Over 77 percent of respondents indicated that they only attend meetings that offer a real return on investment -- of both time and money. They want to learn, but they also want to spend less time away from their practice; no more than 3.2 days including travel time, to be exact. So, how does an HCP meeting planner make this happen?

Make it Interactive

It should go without saying that you must know your audience. Who are your target market HCPs? Oncologist, Neurologists, Orthopedic Surgeons? All of the above? No problem! You can customize your HCP meeting to incorporate a learning experience they will all benefit from.If HCPs want a high ROI, the best way to provide it is to offer a program that speaks to their specific area of medicine. Create interactive workshops, roundtable discussions, case-study presentations, and Q&A forums with experts in their specific fields. The traditional lecture format on its own is not enough anymore. Attendees will realize a true ROI from your HCP meeting when they feel that they have been a part of a true learning experience.

Provide Access to Content

And speaking of ROI, to get potential attendees to sign up for your HCP meeting, planners will need to offer easily accessible content information. Not only should you promise a personalized, interactive lineup, it’s equally important to be transparent with the content. Over 70 percent of HCPs surveyed stated that they would like a single online platform to serve as a communication channel, registration site, and content channel. They want easy access to the meeting agenda, session formats, and speaker bios in order to easily investigate who will be at an event and what they'll be presenting before committing their time.

Create Connections

Not only is interactive education important, HCPs also crave the ability to network with peers and industry specialists. According to the study, 74 percent cited this as an important attendance driver.Incorporating networking functions with your HCP meeting will provide a forum for attendees to mix and mingle with global experts and key opinion leaders in a casual environment. Planners should consider happy-hour opportunities, destination city excursions, and other various meet-ups as options for attendees.

The Science of Healthcare Professional Meetings

The Ashfield Healthcare study makes the HCPs’ preferences for educational meetings are clear. In order to receive a satisfactory ROI, they want increased interaction and connection with experts and greater accessibility to content. HCP meeting planners can be successful by maximizing face-to-face experiences and by creating high-quality, interactive content.HCP meeting planners must have a clear understanding of audience preferences. The goal, which is very bold, is to attract and satisfy all stakeholders. Only then will you be able to create the ultimate HCP meeting experience!The study can be downloaded here: Ashfield Healthcare