CPHI Barcelona: 6 Ways to Make the Most of the Event
Get the most out of CPHI Barcelona 2023 by doing these six things.
As of today and of writing this post, CPHI Barcelona is three weeks away. With your flights booked and CPHI ticket paid for, you might want to think a little more about structuring what you might do during the three days of the event. With so much going on in a massive space in an even bigger city, it’s easy for the whole thing to pass by in the blink of an eye. However, those who attend such events on a regular basis know that preparation is key for successful event attendance.
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In this post, we’ll look at the things that you can do beforehand and during the event itself to maximise the commercial return, as well as make CPHI Barcelona more rewarding for you.
1. Do your homework
Fail to plan, plan to fail. This rings true for any marketing or event marketing campaign and it’s no different for a CPHI event. If you’re looking for a return on the investment you or your organisation is making to attend CPHI Barcelona, then familiarising yourself with the event and formulating a plan is essential. Whether you’re attending to learn about new technologies or solutions or to build new relationships - or for any of the reasons to attend CPHI Barcelona we have previously stated - be sure to fully understand what is going on at the event which will help you realise those objectives.
The CPHI Barcelona website is your main resource to gather all the information needed, with our CPHI series posts a close second! The majority of the venue will be taken up by the several thousand exhibitors, ranging from those in finished dosage forms in Hall #1 to those in the API/general pharma in Hall #8. In between, you will find a whole range of keynotes and focused sessions grouped into various subject areas such as “Creating a Circular Economy,” “Quality Management Fundamentals” and “BioProduction Agenda” which are worthy of exploration. There are 9 programmes within this conference agenda; be sure to explore each one to align any session with your specialist area - if you are unsure what to attend, take a look at the keynote speaker lineup and align your own interests with that of a speaker. A notable area is also the “Start-up Zone” which is located in Hall #3 that brings together start-ups, innovators, and small enterprises to exhibit their exciting new products and solutions. A session is also set up allowing start-ups to demonstrate their products and to pitch their offering to the market in just 5 minutes.
CPHI Barcelona will be held in the Fira Barcelona Gran Via, located in the southwest region of the city of Barcelona and its best to understand your quickest way there and back. The easiest way to access the venue is via the Metro: Fira and Europa/Fira stations (line 9 Sud). Alternative routes are by bus: Routes H12, V1, 46, 65 and 79; by train, Europa/Fira station, lines S8, S33, R5 and S4 of the FGC; by car, you can access the area via the AP-7, AP-2, A-2, C-16, C-58, C-31, C-32 and C-33 motorways. It’s worth noting that taxis to the Gran Via won’t be easy to come by, so depending on the location of your accommodation, public transport may be your best option (and luckily, there’s plenty of that in Barcelona).
Also, before stepping foot inside the Gran Via, familiarise yourself with the layout of the venue. We have included the venue map below, but we’d also recommend following up via the CPHI website to understand more about where the halls are located, and what you will find in the 8 halls (as well as the corridors in between halls 5-8). You have three different entrances, so we’d suggest using the one nearer to the areas which you plan on visiting, otherwise, there will be hundreds of exhibition booths and thousands of delegates to walk through!
2. Order/prepare everything well in advance
Reading this point will soon confirm that you are on a marketing blog! Each time we attend events, we ensure that any materials needed are ordered in advance. (Since you have three weeks to go, you still have plenty of time.) First of all, think about the clothing/footwear needed. You will be visiting Barcelona during the start of autumn, so the temperature will likely be around the 20-degree-plus mark. So, ensure the clothing you have is professional, whilst still being light and breathable. Your footwear also needs to be comfortable, yet rigid and supportive enough for your feet so that you can walk the many miles of the halls with ease. Your bag/backpack also needs to be practical for the same reasons; you don’t want something heavy weighing you down all day.
Then, think about other practical items needed, which we have previously listed in our CPHI Survival Pack from a few years ago. Ensure you have a water bottle on hand, as well as things such as charger packs and notepads and even mins and deodorants. Anything you think you might need now, you will likely need at the event. This goes for branded items which you might want to give out. We’d certainly recommend creating your digital business card in advance, either using the CPHI app or a third-party provider such as Hi-Hello.
3. Use the CPHI Barcelona Portal
We mention the Portal a number of times in this post, and on similar posts in the run-up to CPHI Barcelona simply because it’s probably your most important tool for the event. CPHI’s online portal is open all year round, meaning if you have the appropriate level of access, you can use the networking and online meeting functions throughout the year. In addition, CPHI Barcelona boasts its own online/event planner website, where exhibitors and attendees can log in to conduct various tasks. Within this portal is event information, news, content agenda and featured products, but more important is the ability to pre-book meetings at the event. This can be done via the exhibitors or the attendees linked to those exhibitors.
If you are thinking of attending CPHI Barcelona, because of its pre-event options, we would highly recommend that you log into the portal early, and browse the various options it provides. Be sure to download the CPHI Event app so that all of the pre-work you have just conducted is transferred to your mobile, as well as having a scanning tool to collect contact details, so you can use it on the floor of the event (be prepared to experience wi-fi/data issues is this is the case). If we are completely honest, this is the best and most user-friendly portal CPHI has provided to date.
4. Become a social animal
CPHI Barcelona provides a wealth of opportunities for meeting people. There are various opportunities at the show itself to achieve this - walking around the exhibitors and attending the range of intimate sessions are two types of activities that could easily fill your whole time there. But before you do that, ensure that you have upgraded your ticket to the “Explorer” option which not only allows early access to the show, but you can then join the CPHI meeting service. This matchmaking service identifies delegates and attendees who might be interested in your services, making generating meetings easy. The “Explore Event” feature within the portal also makes life easier for you by reviewing the best AI matches for you based on your use of the platform. Not a bad way to review some potential meetings and connections without really having to do much, right?
Next, as my colleague Gareth P. notes in a previous post, is to become a social animal: (1) make your event attendance known to your organic audience on your website and on social media, (2) reach out to your contacts via email to enquire about meeting them and (3) use the CPHI portal to research exhibitors/attendees to arrange a meeting. Doing all of this on your channels as well as on the CPHI portal will mean that your pre-arranged meetings will build up prior to the event - and it’s these meetings (as opposed to more sporadic meetings from stand dropping, for example) that always generate more meaningful conversations within meetings. The portal even allows you to book meetings with attendees virtually right now, weeks before the show.
Finally, and this is the fun part, be sure to make the most of all of the social opportunities available to you. Towards the end of each day of the show, the larger booths will throw drinks receptions on the booth itself, where you can enjoy a few drinks and a conversation with others, some working for the exhibitor as well as those, like you, who might have been invited along. And don’t forget to ask around about evening receptions in bars and function rooms around the city - publishers and media love holding these events, and would be more than happy for you to come along.
5. Have a plan to follow up (before you go)
Possibly the most important method for making the most out of any event that often gets overlooked. All of the pre-event work, as well as the days spent walking the halls, would become a waste if the follow-up tasks were not conducted. And it’s always worth planning what you might do in terms of follow-up actions and tasks. Will you be following up via email? Or via LinkedIn? What will you do with the business cards and data stored within the CPHI app? What exactly are you going to be sending those who you are following up with?
Write down your objectives for the event, and then exactly how you will work to achieve those objectives. So, if generating new business might be the main objective (which it will likely be for the majority of the readers of this post) you will need to think about the channel which you will follow up on, as well as the text/message you will send. Creating any follow-up material before you go will mean it’s there ready for you to send after the event, bar a few tweaks to make it more personal.
6. Hydrate and take a little time to recharge
We’ll be honest. To get more out of CPHI Barcelona, we’re asking you to do a lot for the three days of the show, as well as a lot more work in the run-up to and after the event. To achieve all this, in between, you’ll need to look after yourself and take a little time out to relax.
Heading outside the venue will provide ample opportunity for you to catch your breath and a little fresh air at CPHI Barcelona, which you can get to from most corridors between halls. This is especially the case across the road outside the South Entrance. And just a little further along - via a few minutes on the bus or the train - is the Montjuïc region. Nearby, the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc hosts nightly light and music shows that are a must-see spectacle. Behind the magnificent palace housing the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is the Olympic stadium and the rest of the Olympic Park. And don’t forget, if you have a little more time to spend away from the conference, you can visit the beach! Back to the Gran Via, the Europa and Barcelona Suite offer meeting spaces and comfy chairs to get away from the hustle and bustle of the exhibition hall and corridors. Prayer rooms are also available near the North entrance.
Don’t forget to hydrate throughout the day - water bottles are usually on hand at the entrance/exits of each hall, with water stations also dotted around the venue. Be sure to also make use of the restaurants and shops dotted around the venue… we recommend an ice cream at “Hi Cream” in Hall #1, a light and healthy bite to eat at the “Fresh Fork” at Hall #4 and a cold drink at the “Damm Bar” at Hall #8 towards the end of the day. And if you encounter an exhibition booth offering refreshments, be sure to drop by and say hello - you will always be more than welcome to drop by exhibitors for a coffee and a chat (remember, you’re a social animal). And if you need a water bottle to take with you, get in touch and we’ll send you an Orientation Marketing Ocean Bottle to use at CPHI Barcelona.
For more on events in the pharmaceutical sectors, and how we can support you, see our section on events. And if you are attending CPHI Barcelona, talk with one of our team members by booking a meeting.
