In the pharmacy industry, July and August are synonymous with trade show season. While the year is full of regional shows and awesome buying group conferences, the summer months are always home to the 'Big 3'. The shows hosted by the country’s 3 largest wholesalers.
These shows are amazing for education, networking and assessing new services. But there’s a lot to do and only so much time to get it done. To make the most of your time at trade shows this season, use this handy checklist to prep, schedule and navigate each show.
Know Before You Go
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- Your goals. What do you want to get out of the conference? What are your pharmacy business goals and how can conference resources help you achieve them? This will help you select courses, know which talks to attend and plan your vendor visits.
- Available sessions and CE courses. Education is a primary goal for any pharmacy industry conference or show. Know what’s on the agenda and make a schedule for speaker sessions, CE courses, vendor presentations and more.
- Make assignments for your team. If you have multiple team members going, take some time before the conference to discuss objectives and activities for each.
- Start thinking about which vendors you want to visit. Make appointments if you can and make a list of questions you need to have answered.
Maximize Your Time
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- Create a plan. Conferences are filled with ideas and inspiration. Keep your momentum after the conference by making a plan to start working on new initiatives and projects.
- Make time to follow up with vendors. As you’re talking with vendors, make sure to set aside time when you return to the pharmacy for follow-up. It might be a good idea to give it a week or two so you have time to recover from your travel and catch up in the pharmacy upon your return.
If you’re looking for a more detailed overview of how to get the most out of pharmacy conferences and trade shows, check out our free eBook and trade show planner!
Last but not least, come visit with the RMS team at one of our upcoming events. You can find all the info about where and when to find us here!
