Meeting Planning Function Growing in Strategic Importance for Life Sciences Companies, Study Finds

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwire - June 18, 2008) - Business intelligence firm Cutting Edge Information announces the launch of a report on meeting management.

The study, "The Evolving Global Meeting Management Strategy," examines the effects of regulatory pressures on the meeting planners' role and responsibilities in the life sciences industries -- pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical devices. It identifies global trends in meeting planning and provides key resourcing and outsourcing benchmarks. The report completes a year-long collaboration between CEI, Medical Meetings magazine, and the Center for Business Intelligence.

A report summary is available for immediate download here:

http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/pharmameetingmanagement/PH111_Download.asp#body

"Compliance-related issues are having a significant impact on meeting planning teams," said Elio Evangelista, the report's lead author. "The regulatory environment is influencing where and how meetings are held, as well as doctors' attendance rates. As a result of these changes, companies must reexamine their approaches to meeting planning. The function has acquired a higher strategic focus."

The 138-page report examines meeting planning management organizational structures and reporting lines, resource levels, meeting venues and formats. It also identifies challenges unique to company type -- and examines ways to address them, such as technological tools. The report enables companies to elevate the strategic importance of meeting planning teams to win physicians' attendance and organize high-caliber meetings.

Developed from surveys and interviews with executives at 21 top life sciences companies, the report shows meeting planning teams how to coordinate global compliance, streamline processes, balance external and internal priorities, make the most out of limited resources, and drive physician attendance and participation.

The report contains 250-plus metrics, including the following:

--  The impact of regulations on meeting planning efforts
--  Percentage of domestic versus international meetings
--  Number of internal and external meetings planned in 2007 and 2008
--  Meeting spending in 2007 versus 2008
--  Average spending per meeting, year-to-year
--  Average spending levels by department age
--  Meeting planning funding contributions
--  Percentage of meeting budgets that are outsourced
    

Contact Information: CONTACT INFORMATION: For more information or to learn about other Cutting Edge Information research: Elio Evangelista 919-433-0214 For media inquiries: Stephanie Swanson Marketing Team Leader 919-433-0212