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HCP events: what HCPs want in 2023
Pharma companies are talking about going back to in-person HCP events in 2023. But is that what HCPs really want? To go back to traditional event formats?
Not exactly.
According to Veeva and Ashfield Health, almost 70% of HCPs are digital natives. That means their experiences with tech is changing their expectations for medical education events too.
In fact, 96% of them say they would benefit from more virtual HCP events and conferences. (MedData Group).
So, how can you give your HCPs the same personalized, relevant, and effortless experiences they get from other digital touchpoints?
By going virtual or hybrid.
But how can you choose the best event platform to help you run successful virtual and hybrid medical events?
In this article, we outline the features you should look for in a medical event management platform, list the 9 best event platforms out there for HCP events, and provide an RFP template to help you compare vendors.
HCP event platform: 8 features to look for
Pharma has very specific needs for HCP events. So, investing in an event platform with the right features is crucial.
Here are just 8 of the features we recommend looking for in an HCP event platform:
#1) Templates
Building a complex medical event from scratch is no easy task. That’s why it’s a good idea to look for an event platform vendor that has ready-made templates you can build on for your different types of events.
Some event platform providers have templates tailored to life science companies that have all the features you need to create successful events that work for your specific use case. From medical congresses and scientific meetings to product launches and internal meetings.
#2) Branding
You should be able to brand your medical events. You want your participants to know that it is your company holding the event not somebody else’s.
That’s why it’s important to search for an HCP event platform that enables you to fully customize what your participants see. The best platforms out there give you the chance to personalize your:
- Theme
- Colors
- Logo
- Graphics
- Pictures
- Banners
- Menus
- Icons
- Images
#3) Personalized agendas
Make sure your participants know where to go at your medical events. Personalized agendas are vital for any HCP event platform. For example, when you want to send your HCPs into specific breakout rooms to give them tailored information.
You may have KOL speakers at your events to keep HCP energy high. To find out how to recruit and nurture the best KOLs to speak at your medical events, check out our latest post the ultimate KOL engagement plan for successful pharma events.
#4) Content strategy & targeting
At your HCP events, you may not want to send all your content to all your participants. For instance, you may have content related to different therapeutic areas that only relevant cohorts of HCPs would need to see. So, make sure you look for an event platform that allows you to target your content to specific audiences.
Your medical content should also be engaging for HCPs. That means using different sources of content to keep energy high. Many event platforms have the option to use a variety of content such as:
- Live streams
- Pre-recorded videos
- Activity feed
- Closed captioning
- On-demand content
- Case studies
- Knowledge ladders
- Collaborative breakouts
Ensure your HCP event platform has the variety you need to keep your HCPs engaged.
If you’re looking for a gated on-demand hub to upload your content to after your events, check out our very own content hub.
#5) Moderated Q&A & feed posts
It’s important to give HCPs the chance to ask questions and engage with your event content. But first, you want to check the content that will be published to ensure you meet compliance standards.
That’s why a great feature for medical events is moderated Q&A and feed posts. You can easily assign someone to moderate and manage everything that participants want to communicate.
To learn about how you can use other event platform engagement features at life science events while staying compliant, read our acticle on event compliance: busting 5 myths in the pharma industry.
#6) Adverse events reporting link
Having the option to report adverse events with one click of a button during HCP events is a key feature for pharma. After all, it’s not just about patient safety but also about protecting your company from expensive liability claims and financial losses.
#7) Reporting (registration, attendance, engagement)
To determine the success of your medical events, you need to be able to track key event metrics and create reports.
Many event platforms for HCP events have advanced analytics to enable you to evaluate your event’s success. For example, you can monitor:
- Open rates
- Click-through rates
- Registrations
- Attendance
- Q&A & polls
- Viewing time & drop-offs
- CX quotient
- Net Promoter Score
And some event platforms even have native integrations with Life Science CRMs, such as Veeva or IQVIA, to consolidate your event data and enable successful omichannel strategies.
#8) Continuous Medical Education (CME) credits & certificates of attendance
HCP events are about enhancing HCPs’ knowledge and skills. Their aim is to continuously educate HCPs so they improve patient treatment and care.
You’ll be well aware that some states require medical professionals to gain a specific number of credits every year to keep their licenses. So, having a feature on your HCP event platform that enables you to give CME credits and certificates of attendance to your medical events is a big advantage.
The 9 best event platforms for HCP events
We’ve conducted some research and found the top event platforms that leading pharma companies choose for their HCP events.
Check them out and see which one could be the right fit for your needs.
#1) SpotMe
SpotMe has been running engaging omnichannel HCP events for life science companies for approx. 15 years. And 50+% of its customers are currently from the pharma industry.
Its event platform enables pharma to host in-person, hybrid, and virtual events. And it has a huge variety of features to keep HCPs engaged while staying compliant.
From medical congresses and scientific meetings to product launches and internal meetings. SpotMe has experience in them all.
Plus, SpotMe’s partnership and integration with Veeva allows pharma companies to automatically pull participant insights into the Veeva CRM for compliant post-event HCP engagement.
SpotMe works with 11/15 of the largest pharma companies in the world, including:
- Roche
- J&J
- Pfizer
- Novartis
- Sanofi
- GSK
To find out more about what SpotMe HCP events platform has to offer, check out our product page.
#2) Cvent
Cvent has 1,500+ customers in the life science industry. It provides a disciplined approach to HCP event management.
Its powerful software means that pharma companies can run in-person, hybrid, and virtual HCP events while tracking HCP activities.
Cvent’s customers include:
- Merck
- Abbvie
- AstraZeneca
#3) ON24
ON24 works specifically with life science companies to host HCP events on its event platform.
It enables pharma to deliver the personalized experiences HCPs want more and more of. It also has features to help deliver training, share clinical studies, and host resources and reference materials.
ON24’s customers include:
- Abbvie
- GSK
- Takeda
#4) InEvent
InEvent has an HCP event management platform that allows pharma companies to plan all kinds of medical events.
From medical meetings, sales training, life science conferences, summits, webinars, telemedicine and lectures. InEvent helps life science companies plan every step of their HCP events.
InEvent’s customers include:
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- Merz Pharma
- Sanofi
#5) Eventdex
Eventdex’s HCP event management platform enables pharma companies to plan, promote, and report medical education events in various formats.
HCP events are secure when you run them with Eventdex thanks to its compliant and regulated software. It has some features specific to the life science industry such as abstract submission.
Eventdex’s customers include:
- Abbvie
- Merck
- Diversity Alliance for Science
#6) 6Connex
6Connex is another platform that pharma companies can use for HCP events. It has enterprise-grade security meaning that it can hold up to tens of thousands of participants with no issues.
Although it is more targeted towards marketing and HR industry events, it has a strong virtual training and education platform. So, you can deliver impactful learning experiences to HCPs.
6Connex’s customers include:
- Salesforce
- Veritone
- Alcatel Lucent
#7) Eventogy
Eventogy is an HCP event management platform that gives pharma event managers the tools to create, manage, market, and report on their HCP events.
It has a registration builder, an event app, a check-in feature and powerful reporting. You can plan your HCP event from end to end.
Eventogy’s customers include:
- Freshfield
- Linklaters
- Clifford Chance
#8) Webex Events
Webex Events (formerly Socio) offers frictionless, secure telehealth experiences through its virtual event platform.
Its software enables pharma companies to conduct accessible training and it has powerful end-to-end security meaning HCP events can stay compliant.
Webex Events’ customers include:
- One World Surgery
- UniCredit
- McLaren
#9) Hubilo
Hubilo aims to drive engagement at HCP events with its virtual event platform.
Its software gives pharma companies the chance to organize internal events, education seminars, and conferences.
Hubilo’s customers include:
- Roche
- GITEX
- Informa Group
How to choose the best event platform for your HCP events in 2023
Join the 10,000 business leaders from Fortune 500 life science companies that have downloaded the ultimate procurement tool for event tech in the pharma industry: our 2023 life science event platform RFP template. And find the perfect event platform for your HCP events.
We’ve updated our annual RFP template with all the latest features you should look for to help you reach your goals in 2023. It’s ideal for pharma companies looking for an event platform vendor to fulfill their specific omnichannel medical event engagement needs.
Download it now and map out exactly what you want from an event platform vendor and make your medical event a success.
