What happens when your industry’s biggest event is canceled?

News that healthcare IT’s biggest trade show, the annual HIMSS Conference, was canceled only days before it started due to the coronavirus outbreak, rocked the industry. 

Biotech marketing has been affected too. Biogen ordered staff to work from home after employees who attended a management meeting in Boston tested positive for coronavirus.

As the list of healthcare and biotech events being canceled grows, marketers are scrambling to figure out how to make meaningful connections with prospective customers after missing their industry’s most important events.

Back-up plans for canceled events

Do you have a back-up plan if an event you’re going to exhibit at is canceled or other circumstances prevent your team from attending?

When HIMSS announced it was canceling its annual conference, many marketers saw it as an opportunity to get creative and stay connected. 

Within hours of the announcement, companies started:

• Offering planned education sessions as webinars
• Scheduling virtual demos
• Sharing case studies, white papers, and slide decks via email and on social
• Holding press interviews via phone and web conference

Contingency planning just took a top spot in our trade show planning checklist, and not just for health IT!

For those in the health IT and biotech industries, check out our marketing survival guides to BIO and HIMSS.

Event marketing survival

When it comes to events, plan for the best-case scenario, but be prepared for the worst. Work with us to make the most of your next trade show. 

Contact us to learn how you can get more out of your next trade show appearance.