Scared of this happening?
BOSTON, April 08, 2009 - Every Fall as the leaves in New England begin to turn the city of Boston comes alive intellectually. Great minds in medicine and business from all over the world converge on the city for the annual medical conference season and the streets crest with fresh ideas, excitement and even… hope. Of course most of this goes unnoticed by the everyday person, but to those in the epicenter of medicine, the energy is profound.
This year, things will likely be somewhat muted by the economic environment. In downturn economies many companies first cut is in travel and thus cut back on conferences. This in turn causes many organizations to drastically rethink their annual conferences due to lowered attendance, but it is more important now than ever to avoid this trap.
While we should all be safeguarding our outreach with social networks and new media, there is still value to attracting great minds to your organization with your conference. A few key points to remember:
• Canceling your annual meeting could be seen as a sign of instability
• Your conference is opt-in marketing and steady branding for your organization
• Your conference is business development all year long (without cold calling)
• Good conferences create good content for social media
• Leverage your keynote speakers and faculty to strengthen yourself online
Here at CIMIT our annual Innovation Congress has become a hot new cornerstone within the field of innovation in medical devices on the battlefield and at home. Our programs in Medical Simulation, NOTES, Global Health, Traumatic Brain Injury, and PTSD are key pivot points for our future. One of the most immediate ways to attract attention to our new programs from scientists, engineers, VC’s and private industry is with our conference where people get hands on and interface directly.
And while it is important to remember that this year it might be hard to make money on a conference, you can still save your gross margin with a budget neutral conference based on sponsorship.
For more information on the CIMIT Innovation Congress 2009 please click here
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