The national public health emergency declaration may have expired in May, but planners remain laid up with side effects from the pandemic: inflation and rising costs, staffing shortages, supply-chain issues, instability in air travel, increased fees, and stricter contracts. Still, the growing number of in-person events has been a shot in the arm for the meetings and events industry.
This summer and fall and into 2024, medical and pharmaceutical associations are planning dozens of their biggest events. For attendees—particularly in the strained healthcare field—many are ready to get back out there and enjoy the travel they’ve been missing for three years. And that has put cities with both convention amenities and leisure attractions in the spotlight.
Orlando’s magic
Orlando, Fla., will host more than five major medical and pharmaceutical association gatherings this year, and the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting and Exposition is scheduled there in March 2024. The “Theme Park Capital of the World” is a draw for attendees and their families. Combine that with Orlando’s 7-million-square-foot GBAC STAR-accredited Orange County Convention Center—the second largest in the nation—and it’s a prescription for success.
Orlando also stays competitive because the local CVB partners with meeting planners to create tailor-made events. Visit Orlando works closely with event professionals and provides information and resources to address specific needs.
“I like to say that partnering with Visit Orlando provides planners with a set of ‘boots on the ground’ to craft unforgettable experiences for their attendees, and that includes working closely to provide customized solutions and resources tailored to the group’s needs,” says Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando.
That skill is backed by a lot of experience. “As certified meeting professionals, Visit Orlando’s Destination Experience team is well-versed in the complexities of planning events of all sizes,” Matej says.
In addition to its business and leisure amenities, Orlando is attracting so many medical and pharmaceutical events for its work on top-of-mind topics, including budgets, sustainability, and safety, Matej says. “By offering deep expertise on the destination, [the team] can provide hands-on assistance with coordinating event spaces, hotels, dining, and entertainment that fit a group’s budget or have sustainable practices in place, such as the Orange County Convention Center,” she says.
Matej touts Orlando’s citywide safety initiatives, particularly in the popular International Drive shopping, dining, and entertainment district.
“Within the I-Drive tourism and convention district, we have a unique model of collaboration between law enforcement and tourism partners called Tourist-Oriented Policing Sectors (TOPS),” she explains. “TOPS is a well-established, dedicated law enforcement unit focused specifically on safety that has been recognized across the country for its effectiveness.”
The power capital
In addition to higher costs, long wait times for visas and limited direct flights have hampered some international conferences in Washington, D.C., according to Melissa Riley, senior vice president of convention sales and services for Destination DC. Still, Washington remains a popular spot for medical and pharmaceutical gatherings, and the most in-demand venues are ones that offer flexibility, sustainability, and easy access to recreation and transportation, Riley notes.
“From experience, we know that pharma groups often hold meetings and events in unique spaces like The Anthem music venue at The Wharf or that they’ve used the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (RRBITC),” Riley says. “Pharma groups are drawn to RRBITC for their 22 event spaces and 65,000 square feet. Groups can come in and take over or stay contained within a private event space.”
Riley also notes the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for its smart building design and sustainability programs and environment-first initiatives, such as water efficiency, green-product purchasing, and a color-coded recycling protocol. The center has five docks to receive large volumes of sorted trash to be recycled.
The recent opening of the Silver Line Extension Metrorail allows attendees to travel efficiently and inexpensively between downtown and Dulles International Airport in neighboring Virginia. This streamlines transportation to and from the convention center and its extended campus of unique meeting and event venues, Riley adds.
The ability to provide security at major events is a hallmark of Washington. RRBITC is the first federal building in D.C. designed for both government and private use. Not only is the building secure, but it also has a staff adept at handling event VIPs. “Depending on the nature of the pharma group, RRBITC can offer high visibility and promotion for public-facing exhibit-style events or complete privacy for highly sensitive or classified events,” Riley says.
“D.C.’s intellectual capital and access to influencers and policymakers elevates meetings and creates meaningful events where attendees are able to connect with purpose,” Riley says.
Healthy connections
Destinations with outstanding healthcare facilities also attract medical and pharmaceutical association events.
“Destination DC connects planners with access to medical, bio/pharma, and advocacy industries and expert speakers to elevate their meetings,” Riley notes.
The Washington region is a brain trust for many sectors, particularly healthcare. The metropolitan area, which includes parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, has 21 top-ranked hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals data, including The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., and Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va.
Orlando is gaining clout in the medical community, Matej says, with facilities such as Lake Nona Medical City, a 650-acre health and life sciences park and a premier location for medical care, research, and education anchored by the University of Central Florida Health Sciences Campus. In addition, the AdventHealth Nicholson Center provides training on cutting-edge clinical and surgical techniques to more than 50,000 physicians from around the world.
A vital new partnership also has garnered medical attention. “Visit Orlando and Orlando Health partnered to launch the Orlando Health Virtual Care Center inside the Orange County Convention Center to provide convenient access to high-quality healthcare for meeting and conference attendees,” Matej says. “The Virtual Care Center, located in the West Building, will be open during large conventions and staffed by an Orlando Health team member who can help triage the needs of those visiting or connect visitors virtually to a board-certified physician if minor care is needed.”
The business of bleisure
In a recent survey by Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, 60 percent of respondents say they plan to add leisure travel days onto future business trip itineraries. For medical and pharmaceutical associations—and other market segments—that means event planners will be looking for destinations that offer entertainment attractions in addition to meeting facilities
“Washington, D.C., offers many of world’s best monuments, museums, and memorials—many for free—and fine dining, vibrant theater, and live performances, which are a draw for planners who are seeking destinations with bleisure offerings,” Riley says. “The city’s natural green spaces [offer] activities for attendees looking to balance their meetings with health and wellness.”
In Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort help make the central Florida city a desirable destination for attendees who want to bring the family along and combine business and leisure.
For medical and pharmaceutical association events, that combination can make all the difference.
