Impressions at ASCO 2024
Chicago’s McCormick Place hosted the ASCO 2024 Annual Meeting from May 31st to June 4th. The American Society of Clinical Oncologists centered the event around the theme, “The Art and Science of Cancer Care: From Comfort to Cure.” ASCO promotes the event as an opportunity to “discover state-of-the-art research, groundbreaking treatments, and visionary insights that will ignite your passion for oncology.”
Attendance figures showed a slight increase over 2023 and levels that outpaced pre-pandemic attendance. International attendance is still below pre-COVID numbers but shows steady growth. Demonstrating a preference for in-person events, professional online-only attendance dropped by 20% for 2024.
Impact XM was on-site at ASCO, supporting multiple clients while also identifying trends to provide key takeaways to our clients and followers. We took the opportunity to observe how the industry uses their exhibits to market their scientific platforms, and while there, we identified several key themes.
Humanizing Oncology
A key ASCO theme that we noticed was brands connecting tech to human empathy to better resonate with oncologists. Greater focus was placed on patient-centric stories and outcomes, taking some of the emphasis off the brand and onto the real HCP focus: their patients. Our suggestion is to remember that connecting attendees with their passion and purpose through a personalized experience is always a win.
Sensory Overload
As has been a growing trend, oncology exhibitors present their science using expansive billboards that can sometimes make the attendee feel a bit overwhelmed. These mini versions of Times Square can be very attractive to the audience, but exhibitors need to be sure that this attraction does not turn into distraction when the HCP is interacting with the brands once in the exhibit. Our recommendation is to prioritize human-to-human conversations once inside the exhibit over the “shouting” of large-scale messaging.
Targeted, Structured Information
Savvy exhibitors recognize HCPs have a limited window on the exhibit floor to engage with them. Providing clear, targeted messaging and intuitive wayfinding allows HCPs to easily locate their specific areas of interest, providing more time for interaction and less time necessary for searching. To help stand out from the sensory overload of congresses, we recommend targeted “bite-size” messaging that easily leads to deeper content, like initially highlighting a topline number for clinical trials currently enrolling patients, plus simplified wayfinding to enable direct navigation to HCP’s interests.
Facilitators Add Focus
As well as touchscreens and other self-service content formats, education that combined props and facilitators provided a higher level of engagement. Many engagements seem to only come to life when facilitated by a human. For marketers, we recommend considering how people behave, engage, and learn on the show floor and considering facilitators where appropriate to enhance engagement experiences. An added benefit is that facilitators can also help move attendees deeper into the exhibit space and encourage a “warm hand-off” to exhibit staff.
Skip the Digital Arms Race
Some exhibitors whose budgets didn’t allow head-to-head competition with the big guys, and even some of those big guys, chose to eschew large–format digital and found innovative ways to use analog engagements, physical structures, and tactical experiences as disruptive difference-makers. We recommend that brands with limited budgets should consider avoiding the LED arms race and use analog, emotive experiences to stand out.
“Surround Sound” Media
Acknowledging that congresses are more than a moment in time, exhibitors continue to invest in touchpoints that extend their messages beyond the show floor and across multiple marketing channels. While boosting brand perception, targeted omnichannel campaigns can sometimes require heavy budgets. Our recommendation is to look for relevant, innovative ways to engage with HCPs outside of the exhibit hall to broaden your reach, but also make sure there is a clear call to action included with each touchpoint.
Conclusion
ASCO continues to be an oncology powerhouse event and an excellent way for brands to connect with their oncology audience. Moving forward, we feel the attractive nature of large-format LED needs to be continually balanced with humanized engagements and interactions to build affinity with HCPs. Additionally, a greater patient focus in content will further the development of emotional connections. For those exhibitors with more modest budgets, consider alternatives to large-scale digital and find new, disruptive ways to engage with the audiences on and off the exhibit hall floor. The ASCO Annual Meeting for 2025 will again be in Chicago from May 30th – June 3rd, and we look forward to seeing the evolution of the attendee experience at this key event next year.
If you wish to learn more about these themes or improving your marketing strategy in the pharma industry, please feel free to reach out to [email protected].
By: Ben Olson
Senior Director, Strategy & Planning
