By Elizabeth Johnson

Leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies chose INTERPHEX 2017 to launch their newest products, with 20 companies debuting new technology at the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry trade show held March 21-23 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. 

In its 38^th year, INTERPHEX offered attendees a mix of content including more than 104 conference education sessions, INTERPHEX Live discussions, hundreds of exhibits and product launches.

The show experienced attendee growth, compared with 2016, and attributes much of that to its robust program.

“INTERPHEX offers its customers the opportunity to bring their entire teams and engage in education for everyone,” said Melissa Ashley, senior vice president of INTERPHEX.

She continued, “Attendance is free to those who register ahead to support the industry and allow companies’ full teams to experience all that is happening in the industry.”

Having grown and evolved from a regional to a national and international event, INTERPHEX selected New York as its home because the city is a gateway that allows people to come from abroad and because there are a lot of customers in the tri-state area.

INTERPHEX is reflective of the industry advancing to the future, with organizers working to ensure the needs of technology companies are on display.

Still, the biotechnology industry is slower to change than some industries because it is heavily regulated, according to Kate Scott McCorriston, director of marketing and technical content for INTERPHEX.

“The regulations mean people need to attend to learn about new guidance and regulations,” McCorriston explained.

She added, “Young professionals need to attend to learn how to manufacture new products within regulations and cost-effectively.”

Unique features such as INTERPHEX Live keep attendees engaged.

Unlike standard panels or lectures or even exhibitor-led education, INTERPHEX Live discussions allow participants to ask questions and engage in a direct dialogue with experts, with sessions taking place out in the open and not far from registration, making it easy for people to join the discussions.

In addition, INTERPHEX organizers solicit customer feedback to make sure they are hitting the mark with show programming.

“We ask, who do they want more of and what research do they need?” Ashley said.

She continued, “Then, we put that information together with feedback from our technical advisory board in order to create the best program we can.”

In addition to showcasing the latest technology, the show itself uses a lot of technology to provide the best experience for attendees and exhibitors, including online matchmaking tools pre-show so that attendees can customize their experience and understand who they want to target before they arrive.

The show invested in a lead retrieval tool that helps exhibitors really know who they are talking to as well.

“We want people to engage, not just walk up and down the aisles and leave,” Ashley explained.

The goal of INTERPHEX’s show organizers was to reach more attendees using the technology they had available, and it appears they got their wish, with a positive response to those tools.

INTERPHEX is sponsored by the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) and brings over 11,500 global industry professionals and more than 625 industry-leading suppliers together to “Learn it, Experience it, Procure it” annually.

INTERPHEX 2018 will take place April 19-21 at the Javits Center.