Inside Pharma Forum EMEA 2025: How Life Science Meeting Planners Are Shaping Smarter Engagement

Last week, our team had the pleasure of joining life sciences meeting planners and innovators in Vienna for Pharma Forum EMEA 2025, a gathering dedicated to empowering event, congress, and meeting professionals across the industry. Between insightful panels, meaningful conversations, and reconnecting with familiar faces, the event was a fantastic reminder of how collaboration drives smarter engagement strategies.

A Standout Session: Crafting Successful Congress Strategies

One of the most valuable sessions we attended was the Panel Discussion: Crafting Successful Congress Strategies – From Planning to Execution.

Hosted by Julie Young (Gilead), Louise Kjaertinge (BCD Meetings & Events), and Andrew Moore (Emota), the discussion explored what makes a congress truly impactful, from preparation to post-event follow-up.

The panel emphasized the importance of trusted partnerships between agencies and life sciences organizations. When collaboration is rooted in transparency and shared objectives, it sets the foundation for smoother planning and stronger results.

Speakers also discussed how data and personalization have evolved. By collecting targeted insights from HCPs ahead of time, teams can create more personalized booth experiences and follow-ups that foster genuine engagement. And while metrics like booth scan counts remain important, they agreed that true success lies in understanding engagement quality, not just volume.

When it came to making meetings “unmissable,” the consensus was clear: purposeful design and relevant content drive value. When every participant walks away with something actionable, the meeting becomes memorable and meaningful.

Our Roundtable: Measuring ROI for Congresses

After the panel, attendees joined smaller breakout discussions. Our team participated in the ROI Measurement roundtable, where the conversation centered on a challenge that resonates across the industry: data fragmentation.

Despite the technology available today, many organizations still manage congress data in silos, which limits visibility into performance and outcomes. The group discussed how creating a Congress Center of Excellence could help unify that data, streamline processes, and align commercial and medical teams around shared metrics.

From our perspective on the technology side, we shared how integrated systems can bridge gaps between planning, engagement, and analysis. When data flows across all stages of the congress lifecycle, teams can finally connect the dots, understanding what’s working, where to focus resources, and how to replicate success.

A few takeaways stood out:

1. Quality Over Quantity: The number of engagements is less important than their depth and relevance.
2. Continuous Measurement: ROI should extend beyond the congress itself, capturing follow-up actions and long-term impact.
3. Unified Data: Centralizing engagement metrics allows teams to uncover trends and make strategic improvements.
4. Actionable Insights: Turning fragmented data into a cohesive story enables smarter, evidence-based decisions.

The discussion reinforced a shared belief: that visibility and alignment are key to elevating the entire congress experience.

A New Era for Event Cadence

Pharma Forum EMEA was also the perfect setting to debut our new branding, centered around the idea of navigating the KOL engagement lifecycle with precision. No more scattered tools. No missed follow-ups. No duplicated outreach. Just one platform, and a team that drives results from day one.

We were proud to share how Event Cadence brings together the people, processes, and data that make meaningful engagement possible, from pre-congress planning to post-event insights.

A Week of Connection and Collaboration

From global congress planners to data strategists and engagement leaders, it was inspiring to connect with professionals across the life sciences event spectrum. The conversations were insightful, collaborative, and full of ideas for driving efficiency and excellence across future events.

About Event Cadence

Event Cadence is the all-in-one event and engagement platform built for life sciences organizations. Our solutions help teams plan, manage, and analyze meetings and congresses across the full KOL engagement lifecycle. From centralized scheduling and conflict detection to advanced reporting and analytics, Event Cadence unites commercial and medical teams through better visibility, coordination, and insights. Book a demo today.