Venues for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Whether it is the result of tightening rules or a general change of attitude, there is evidence of an increasing number of pharma event organisers turning away from ‘conventional’ hotels, large conference centres, and other high profile venues. Members of
Conference Centres of Excellence, the consortium of some of the UK’s leading ‘dedicated' conference venues, is experiencing a significant growth in business from the sector.
CCE thinks the change may be attributable to two factors. Because of their focus, dedicated venues optimise the communications process, and help maximise the receptiveness of guests. CCE believes that the pharma sector is showing a trend away from a reliance on hospitality to ‘clinch the sale’, to a philosophy that really effective communication is the best solution.
CCE also believes that organisers are increasingly aware that using venues that specialise in communications, which offer transparent, all inclusive event packages, enables them to demonstrate a cost-effective approach which incorporates a level of hospitality that is by any objective standards, appropriate and relevant.
The progressive tightening of standards within the pharmaceutical industry seems to be having a direct effect on the business levels of CCE members: we are noting a significant increase in the volume of pharma sales events and other meetings.
Fit for purpose
There could be a number of reasons for this. It may be that organisers are looking for the more focused, practical environment that specialist venues can provide. Though all our centres provide excellent environments, their business is communications rather than glamour and overt hospitality. The potential problem with hotels and very large conference centres is that they give a ‘no-expense spared’ impression, even if the organiser is very careful to restrict expenditure.
Equally, in terms of creating the right impression on your guests, how can you go to a big hotel or large conference centre complex and then limit yourself to a small meeting room and a few sandwiches? Guests might to a certain extent respect that, but almost inevitably the overall impression will not reflect particularly well on the organisers. Looking small in a large environment may suggest the same about your company.
There is also potentially a problem if you try to downsize to a smaller hotel. Apart from overall standards of service and facility probably being lower than you need, there will be less flexibility and fewer staff available to support the event. If you consider an exclusive smaller hotel to achieve that better service, your costs – both real and perceived -- are likely to be very high indeed.
Many dedicated conference centres are quite large and imposing, but because their facilities are focused, the quality of the meeting is never compromised and the standard of knowledgeable, informed staff support is likely to be higher than at any non specialist venue. The impression they give is of managed direct communications. Room space is exceptionally versatile, but whether the meeting is for 20 or 200, it will never feel lost, or as if you’re under-utilising the facility. And because there aren’t other irrelevant activities going on – such as groups of tourists waiting for their coach, or children running about, or waiters rushing around with drinks, or an ever open bar, the feel of every meeting is that it’s exclusive.
Change of focus?
Of course another reason why specialist centres seem to be attracting more business from the pharma sector might be that there is a change of philosophy. There is evidence of a trend away from hoping that hospitality will help clinch the sale to actually believing that if you can optimise the way you actually communicate the product, that’s your best guarantee of success. The sort of pharmaceutical events our members are hosting tend to be low on glitz and high on putting guests in situations where they are relaxed, comfortable, and receptive to messages, able to hear and see everything properly and not distracted.
It is the primary business of dedicated centres to ensure that their clients’ guests have that receptiveness. They tend to have facilities that non-specialist venues don’t have – like chairs especially designed to be sat on for prolonged periods, like daylight in every meeting room, like lighting that is almost infinitely adjustable and versatile, like air conditioning in all meeting rooms. Clients also value the fact that support staff who are experts in conference support, not in running a hotel.
Dedicated venues will also be able to offer the latest in advanced AV and presentations facilities, together with technical staff who are always on-site and able to respond immediately to changed requirements. That’s something you rarely find in non specialist venues.
Cost-effective
In terms of cost, in addition to all the benefits of a focused environment, dedicated centres tend to charge less than hotels with comparable facilities or the very large conference venues. That’s in part because they have tighter staffing levels as a result of not having to provide the range of services that hotels have to do.
It’s also relevant that dedicated venues tend to provide packages that are genuinely all-inclusive. So many non specialist venues add on for equipment, refreshments, notepads, and many other extras, and we know this causes major problems for reps/organisers who believe they can demonstrate that they have avoided lavishness, but are then confronted by huge bills for extras. The CCE policy is to state clearly what the ‘day rate’ includes, and to ensure that the contents reflect everything the client needs.
If the event is residential, there’s another potential problem with conventional hotel style venues. You rarely find a good quality hotel that has enough similar bedrooms to make sure you don’t end up favouring individual guests, which would lay you open to a charge of undue hospitality. Dedicated centres, on the other hand, tend to offer a ‘standard’ bedroom which is modern, clean, comfortable and functional. And they don’t have mini-bars!
In summary, in terms of the latest ABPI rules we’d add the following
1. However the term ‘appropriate’ is interpreted, event organisers should be safe if they can demonstrate that their primary spend is focused on communications, not on entertainment. The most cost-effective solutions are likely to be provided by specialist meetings venues, whose costs tend to be transparent and who are not dependent on revenue from extras.
2. Of course ‘levels of hospitality’ are capable of different interpretation, but our belief is that it is relatively easy to find a common standard of meetings provision that is appropriate for all audiences. Avoid artificial or contrived presentation gimmicks, give-aways that are not part of communicating the product, and for meals go for fixed price menus offering good quality food of which is not lavish.
Why choose Conference Centres of Excellence ?
Conference Centres of Excellence is the UK’s leading consortium of dedicated conference centres. Each of its members provides a completely focused meeting environment free of distraction from the transient business that tends to affect hotels and other non specialist providers.
Members are located across the country, including some of the most well known names in specialist meeting and conference provision. Some are in rural locations, others in or near city centres; some are newly developed custom-built conference venues, others are developments of traditional premises such as country estates. All have significant residential and leisure facilities.
All CCE members offer the same set of propositions to meetings and conference organisers, including
- A focused environment for communications and discussion
- Rooms designed and configured specifically for conferences and meeting, with dedicated furnishing and support equipment
- Staff who are specialists in the meetings business, not deflected by other responsibilities
- Onsite technical support, rather than support that has to be brought in
- Very high (four star) standards of supporting facilities in terms of residential accommodation, food, leisure facilities and on-sire business support for guests/delegates.
