Association season is here. It’s that time of year to pack your bags and get away for a few days to meet up with old friends, see the competition’s abstracts, learn about the ground-breaking science, see the proof behind your product’s science, and hear about the late-breaking clinical trials. There is so much to do in so little time. However, don’t forget the most important component of attending an Association Meeting: Meet with the Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in your therapeutic area.
With your competitors wanting to do the same thing, how do you effectively interact with experts who can provide you insights on the latest science of the meeting, what are other products doing and claiming, and how do they perceive the latest science of your brand?
Organize events, both formal and informal, that will engage KOLs with you and your team.
There are many ways to successfully accomplish this goal. When planning, consider some questions that will make them want to attend:
- Will their colleagues and/or friends be attending?
- Will the content stimulate their minds intellectually?
- Is the event going to appeal to them as something engaging?
The answer to these questions will help you determine which activities will best serve your clients. Typically, these factors are cumulative. The more of these factors you include, the more likely you are going to gain interest and therefore attendance to your activity.
Give Insight, Gain Advice
This is why the most successful technique for interacting with KOLs at Association Meetings is to conduct an Advisory Board. Your Advisory Boards allow all three of these factors to make an impact. They allow leading experts to convene with one another, debate science, and have fun in a guided, yet interactive setting.
Plan to meet informally with the Experts
Sometimes, interactivity among peers isn’t as important, but you still want to seek their insights. Consider hosting an Expert Encounter. In this setting, you can have one-on-one meetings with KOLs at the convention hall, or at the primary hotel, in a comfortable suite with beverages and snacks. It’s informal, but allows KOLs to interact with the best and brightest in your organization.
Gather Friends for Dinner
If specific insight on the science isn’t what you necessarily need, but you recognize the importance of meeting with KOLs, consider hosting a dinner event where you invite 10-20 of the top KOLs to join your colleagues. It can be a fun, open environment with hors d’oeuvres and beverages or it can be a sit down dinner that will surely lead to discussions about the meeting you are attending.
Irrespective of your goals at association meetings this year, plan to spend time with the experts. The more effectively you plan your goals, the more successful KOL interactions you’ll have. Your year ahead will be much easier with the knowledge and friendships you take home.
