After attending many large life science summits around the world many times, we believe that Veeva Commercial Summit is one of the best. Here’s what we wish we knew before attending.
If you’ve attended Veeva Commercial Summit before, you may have your own tactics for how to make the most of it. (If so, Olivier and Antoine would love to hear about them on LinkedIn). But if it’s your first time, don’t worry.
As long-time attendees at Veeva Commercial Summit, a Veeva silver sponsor at the upcoming events in Australia and Singapore, and a Veeva Silver Certified Technology Partner, we’ve got you covered with 16 tips on how to get the most out of it.
What Is Veeva Commercial Summit?
Veeva Commercial Summit is an annual event organized by Veeva Systems, a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for the life sciences industry.
It’s the largest commercial and medical affairs event in the life sciences industry.
That means for anyone in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or other life science industries, this summit is a can’t-miss. It brings professionals together to discuss, share, and learn about new trends, best practices, and technological advances in the life science field.
Veeva Commercial Summit is a 2-day in-person event packed with multiple sessions led by industry experts to help life science professionals to evolve their strategies in digital engagement, content, data, and analytics.
At Veeva Commercial Summit, you hear from the best in the industry, such as Takeda, Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, Boehringer Ingelheim, and many others.
Plus, you have ample opportunity to connect with industry experts, leaders, and peers at the Innovation Hub.
Top 7 Things To Do BEFORE Veeva Commercial Summit
#1 Get The Veeva Events Mobile App
Veeva Commercial Summit has its very own Veeva Events mobile app that you can use for everything before, during, and after the event.
Within the event app, you can build your own agenda, check out Veeva Commercial Summit’s sponsors and speakers, access the floor plan, interact with other attendees, and get important event updates.
In other words, you can use the event app as the central hub for everything single thing that happens at the summit.
Get the Veeva Events mobile app here. Then, read on to discover the other ways that you can make the most of the Veeva Events mobile app at Veeva Commercial Summit.
#2 Get Familiar With The Event Logistics
Nobody wants to turn up to an event unprepared. Familiarize yourself with the event logistics on the Veeva Events mobile app before Veeva Commercial Summit to make the most out of your experience and take advantage of the vast array of networking opportunities.
Is there a dress code? Are there any events happening before the Summit, for example? You’ll want to know all this information if you want to make a good impression and build relationships with industry experts and peers.
(Veeva Commercial Summit 2023 in Boston, for example, planned an opening reception the evening before the educational sessions kicked off the day after. And you wouldn’t have wanted to miss out!)
#3 Check Out Who’s Speaking
There are always hundreds of expert speakers from the life sciences industry at Veeva Commercial Summit to share powerful insights and in-depth knowledge.
For example, the upcoming Veeva Commercial Summits in Australia and Singapore include speakers like:
- Ashraf Al-Ouf (Bayer, Managing Director)
- Josie Downey (Merck Healthcare, Managing Director)
- Cesar Concepcion (Novartis, Chief Commercial Officer)
- Dion Warren (Takeda, Head of I-SEA Multi-Country)
And they are just the external keynote speakers!
Be sure to take a look at who will be running sessions at Veeva Commercial Summit on the Veeva Events mobile app. You’ll find their names, companies, photos, publications, and LinkedIn profiles. That way, you can even connect with them before, during, or after the event.
#4 Build Your Own Personalized Agenda
Large summits like Veeva Commercial Summit offer lots of different sessions, networking opportunities, and other activities. There is also an expo area where you can explore the various sponsor booths.
You don’t want to miss out on anything that could provide you with a lot of value. So, head over to the event app, filter the agenda based on what interests you, save or bookmark the sessions you would like to attend, and create your own personalized agenda before Veeva Commercial Summit begins.
That way, you’ll be fully prepared and be able to stay organized. You can check the Veeva Events mobile app at any time during the event so you know where to be at what time.
#5 See Who’s Sponsoring And Decide Who To Meet
Veeva Commercial Summit gives lots of sponsors and exhibitors the chance to display their products and run interactive demos in the expo area.
You can see who the sponsors are on the Veeva Events mobile app, so you can make a list of who you want to talk to and plan it into your schedule. You can even reach out to them before Veeva Commercial Summit and book a face-to-face personalized demo.
You never know, you might just find the life science technology or software you were looking for. In any case, you’ll return to the office full of insights and ideas after speaking with sponsors and exhibitors.
For example, the sponsors at the upcoming Veeva Commercial Summits in Australia and Singapore include:
#6 Book Hotels And Restaurants In Advance
With thousands of attendees expected at Veeva Commercial Summit, hotels, and restaurants fill up fast!
Veeva organizes discounted hotel rates nearby. But if you don’t book them quickly, you’ll miss your chance. Take a look at where Veeva Commercial Summit will take place and find some hotels nearby. Veeva provides a list of nearby hotels on Veeva Commercial Summit website, so you can check them out:
#7 Add On Some Team Building
If lots of people from your company are attending Veeva Commercial Summit, it could be a great opportunity to plan some team-building activities around the summit. Especially if you have a hybrid or remote working policy.
We know of some great life science companies that added some extra days to their trip to make the most of some quality peer-to-peer interaction. So, why not take a leaf out of their book and bring your medical affairs and marketing teams together for team-building fun?
This is also a great way to reduce the costs and the carbon footprint of your company event. That’s because everyone is already there for Veeva Commercial Summit. So, there is no need for extra travel expenses or for people to have to produce excess CO2 emissions.
Top 6 Things To Do DURING Veeva Commercial Summit
#8 Set An Out-of-office Reply
This may seem like an obvious thing to do, but you would be surprised as to how many people don’t take advantage of this.
Even though you may have to respond to some important emails during Veeva Commercial Summit, you certainly won’t be responding as often as you do in the office.
But, rather than using a standard out-of-office reply, how about writing something like:
Subject: Out of office, May 2–3: Attending Veeva Commercial Summit 2023
Hi there
Thank you for your email.
I am currently out of the office because I am attending Veeva Commercial Summit 2023 in Boston. I will be following up on emails when I have the chance, but please expect a delay to any response.
If you’re attending Veeva Commercial Summit 2023, feel free to reach out to me on the Veeva Events mobile app and we can catch up directly.
Regards
[YOUR NAME]
This is a great way to promote the Veeva Commercial Summit to your peers and clients. And an even better way to show you are open to networking with others while you are there.
#9 Network As Much As You Can
Veeva Commercial Summit is the largest commercial and medical affairs event in the life sciences industry. That means the best of the best in the industry will be there. And there will be networking opportunities at every turn.
Don’t miss your chance to check the participant list on the Veeva Events mobile app to find out exactly who will be there. You can even reach out to them directly on the app by sending a friend request and messaging on chat.
The Veeva Events mobile app also makes it possible for you to set up a 1:1 meeting (30 mins) or group discussion with up to 8 people (45 mins) using Braindate.
Also, be sure to stop by the Innovation Hub at Veeva Commercial Summit to grow your network and participate in valuable conversations with industry-thought leaders and experts.
#10 Use The Interactive Floor Plan
Veeva Commercial Summit takes place in large venues. For example, the upcoming Veeva Commercial Summits will take place in Sydney ICC and Marina Bay Sands (Singapore). So, it’s easy to get lost.
There’s nothing worse than turning up late to the session you’ve planned to attend or the meeting you’ve planned with an industry expert because you can’t find the room.
But don’t worry, Veeva have you covered with their mobile app. It has an interactive map / floor plan, so you can orient yourself quickly and easily.
You could even take a look at this when planning out your personalized agenda, so you are prepared well in advance.
#11 Set Push Notifications
Like at any large event, unexpected things can happen. And that can result in last-minute changes.
With lots of sessions going on at the same time at Veeva Commercial Summit, you’ll want to stay informed if anything gets modified. For example, the time or place of a session.
And with so much happening, you may want to receive reminders about activities. It would be quite frustrating if you are engrossed in deep conversation with a peer, don’t notice the time, and end up missing out on an activity you wanted to participate in.
You can easily set up push notifications on the Veeva Events mobile app, so you are sure never to miss a thing.
#12 Take Notes
There will be so many expert-led sessions at Veeva Commercial Summit that will give you valuable insights into the life sciences industry. From topics such as omnichannel engagement and data-driven marketing to unlocking the power of CRMs
You’d be a superhero if you managed to remember all the information!
That’s why we suggest taking notes in a Google doc that you can fill out on your mobile during sessions and networking with other life science professionals.
#13 Come And Say Hi To The SpotMe Team
As a regular silver sponsor of Veeva Commercial Summit, SpotMe will have its very own booth in the exhibitors’ hall.
Olivier and Antoine will be delighted to welcome you with some traditional Swiss chocolate and a big, friendly smile!
Plus, they can show you how SpotMe’s fully compliant and secure event management platform and interactive event app can help you build engaging events for various use cases within your life science company.
With a one-of-a-kind approach to CRM integrations, you’ll want to put aside some time to come and meet us. Especially if you are looking for an easily customizable solution to manage the hundreds of mixed event types you run every year (in-person, hybrid, or virtual) while gaining deep data insights to drive your next best action with HCPs.
Find out more about the brand-new congress companion app to help your team achieve more at congresses.
Top 3 Things To Do AFTER Veeva Commercial Summit
#14 Have A Follow-up Networking Plan
You’ll have met hundreds of fellow life science professionals during Veeva Commercial Summit. Don’t let these connections you made go to waste.
Although following up with people may be the last thing you want to do after an intense 2-day summit, it’s key that you follow up in good time so you don’t miss out on any professional relationships that could benefit you in the future.
If you can’t remember or didn’t have the chance to write down people’s contact information, use the Veeva Events mobile app to get all the information you need about them. And reach out to them there directly.
#15 Consolidate Your Notes To Share With Your Team
No doubt you’ll come away from Veeva Commercial Summit with fresh insights, sneak peeks into the latest innovations, and in-depth knowledge from experts leading change in the life sciences industry.
Take the time to write up your notes properly and set a clear action plan from what you learned. You can then share them with your team, set new business objectives, and drive towards them together.
#16 Share Your Experience With Your Online Network
After attending a large event that’s as important as Veeva Commercial Summit, you’ll want to talk about it.
Sharing your experience of Veeva Commercial Summit with your online network on LinkedIn, for example, tagging some of the people and companies you met is a great way to follow up with your connections.
Plus, it helps boost your reputation as an innovative life science professional who wants to stay ahead of the game in the industry and drive commercial excellence.
Other Top Tips for Veeva Commercial Summit?
If you have any other top tips on how to make the most of Veeva Commercial Summit, feel free to reach out to Kathryn Humphries (Head of Content Marketing, SpotMe). We’d love to hear about them!
Interested in booking a personalized demo with SpotMe, a Veeva Silver Certified Technology Partner? It’s the all-in-one event management platform and mobile app integrated with Veeva CRM to help life science companies deliver engaging, omnichannel events. Request a free demo now.
Life science event experts who contributed to this article
- Olivier Aubert, Business Development & Partnerships Director, SpotMe
- Antoine d’Espine, Business Development & Partnerships Manager, SpotMe
