Optimum’s Virtual Events Best Practices & Guide to JPM 2021

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It is that time of year to plan how to make the most of THE annual healthcare event of the year in San Francisco.  But this year, we will be doing it from the comfort of our own homes! 

We know that virtual meetings and conferences have become the norm.  Earlier in the year, we outlined ideas that can help you communicate your news or presence by digital routes, available to read here.  Below we provide tips on how to ensure your virtual conference attendance is a success.  

  1. Arrange being time zone flexible. While  JPM is West Coast time, it is virtual so investors will be attending in real-time from all around the world. 
  2. Plan your newsflow and create a media programme as early as possible. Arrange media and presentation training for your company spokespeople well ahead of the event to polish their skills to suit speaking to a virtual audience. 
  3. Ensure that your company website is updated and reflects your key messages and strategy.  
  4. Block your calendar to be fully engaged especially if sessions are live vs pre-recorded. Attending live has huge benefits such as interacting with other attendees and having your questions answered directly by the speaker. 
  5. Find out as early as possible if slides would be available (so you don’t take notes frantically) and if presentations will be recorded and available to watch and re–watch, and how long for.  
  6. Time is money. Time-management is self-care. Choose topics and sessions that relate to what you want to learn right now, and do not sit through long presentations that are not relevant.  
  7. Upgrade your internet speed.  
  8. Invest in a solid HD webcam that follows the speaker and a microphone.
  9. Minimise distractions: try not to “multi-task”. Instead, switch off notifications, close the door on family, children and pets and start engaging!   
  10. Be an active attendee. Take the opportunity to think together as a group, interact with the speakers to get more value, engage deeply with other attendees to create insight and help bring the energy up. Generate moments of serendipity!  
  11. Make the most of networking. Take advantage of conference hashtags, live chats, or any other way to connect with attendees. Fully grasp the instant ability to connect and learn from people around the world in real-time.   
  • Biotech Showcase is holding live panel sessions, mostly related to Covid-19, from 5-8 January, and already has on demand content available to registered participants. 
  • WuXi’s Global Forum will premiere free of charge, virtually from January 11-13. 
  • Media outlets such as Endpoints and Fierce are hosting their own conferences offering panel discussions and virtual roundtables on, for example, biopharma R&D and the ongoing work to combat Covid-19, whilst fighting the world’s other diseases at the same time.  See if you qualify for complimentary access.
  • BioCentury has an online guide to make the most of JPM Week 2021.
  •  A comprehensive list of industry events and conferences in 2021 in the sector is also available on our website.