Get Ready for CPhI Worldwide 2015

Published on: 

Planning ahead is the key to a successful visit to CPhI Worldwide 2015.

For pharma industry professionals heading to CPhI Worldwide 2015 in Madrid, Spain on 13–15 October, navigating the 11 exhibit halls, attending educational sessions, and making networking contacts can be daunting. Pharmaceutical TechnologyEurope interviewed Rutger Oudejans, Brand Director Pharma at UBM EMEA-the organizer of CPhI-to gain insight into the activities at CPhI Worldwide 2015 and best practices attendees can apply to accomplish business objectives at the event.

Advice for first-time visitors

PTE: Describe CPhI for a first-time visitor.

Oudejans: The first thing that strikes everyone when they arrive at CPhI Worldwide is its huge size and the wealth of opportunities on offer. The brand consists of four co-located shows-CPhI, P-MEC, Innopack, and ICSE-featuring some 20 specific zones.

But beyond the exhibitors, content sessions, and networking events, it’s the people that make the show. Nowhere else, no other time of the year, are there this many pharma executives in one place. It provides an unrivalled melting pot of ideas and innovations, all designed to maximize business benefit, networking, and sharing.

For a first-time visitor, without a preset agenda, it can be overwhelming, so I would advise arriving early in the morning and familiarizing yourself with the exhibition’s layout. We also encourage all attendees to download the mobile app, as it provides a useful tool for easy navigation and a quick reference to find any exhibitor.

The best way to experience CPhI is to plan ahead, pick a couple of zones you are keen to visit, and set the meetings. Also, spend a little time exploring your opportunities, as there is a wealth of companies out there that are able to transform your business. People report that some of the best meetings are completely unplanned and occur spontaneously.

Madrid is a great venue and city, and much of the excitement and innovation spills out into the city after closing, so try to get out to some of the many evening events planned and make the most of the networking opportunities.

Educational opportunities

PTE: What educational opportunities are offered and what special events and activities are highlights of CPhI?

Advertisement

Oudejans: CPhI presents visitors with a great swath of educational and insightful material, starting the day before the main event during the CPhI Pre-Connect Congress (12 October). Here, senior executives and influential speakers discuss the latest innovations, trends, and developments from across the industry in a series of market-led educational modules.

The Pre-Connect Congress is organized along two main tracks. Sessions in track one include Drug Delivery & Design, Biologics, Biosimilars & Biobetters, and API Sourcing & Manufacture. Track two features modules across Generics,

Pharmaceutical Packaging, and Mergers and Acquisitions.

Additionally, the main exhibition also includes free sessions open to all attendees in the Exhibitors’ Showcase, a forum for exhibitors to deliver first-hand presentations to senior pharma executives from across the globe.

New for this year is the CPhI Pharma Forum-a dedicated content village-which will provide a central hub to examine thought leadership from leading industry players, media partners, and the CPhI Pharma Insights Reports. The Pharma Forum also includes Exhibitor Innovation Galleries, and the Pharma Insight Briefings, offering unbiased, in-depth sessions including regional updates and specialist topics covering regulation, quality control, traceability, sustainability, and health to name but a few.

Planning tools

PTE: How should visitors prepare to make the best use of their time at CPhI?

Oudejans: Before arriving, we recommend reviewing our Event Preview guide, which gives a thorough overview and helps plan a good itinerary to ensure you make the most of the event. At the show itself, arrive early after opening, and not midway through the first or even second day. And whilst it may sound obvious, make sure you are well rested, it’s a long three days, with travelling at each end and it can be tiring. Another key tip-often overlooked by attendees-is to leave enough time to navigate between your meetings.

Finally, CPhI has created a whole host of services to aid you in making the most of your visit. These services range from onsite staff and information points that provide assistance in navigation through to matchmaking services, offering crucial help in pre-tailoring meetings to fit your bespoke needs. This offering enables attendees to make sure they meet the customers and new business contacts they most desire to do business with.