Event 3rd Drug Information Association (DIA) China Annual Meeting
Venue Crowne Plaza Sun Palace, Beijing
Organiser Kellen Company
Date May 15-18
The brief
The 3rd Drug Information Association Annual Meeting was held over four days as a platform to explore the latest developments within the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, and discuss ideas that will impact global health.
Challenges
This year, the number of delegates grew by 30 per cent, while the number of exhibitor booths increased by 63 per cent. “It was much bigger than the previous years so we had to think outside the box,” says Phelps Hope, CMP – vice-president, Meetings & Expositions for Kellen Meetings, a division of the Kellen Company. The conference required more space than the meeting rooms and ballrooms provide, so Kellen Meetings made optimal use of other available space at the venue.
To manage the significant technology needed to ensure that the event ran smoothly, Crowne Plaza Sun Palace used the same “banquet event orders” system that most professional conference organisers use for speakers at the conference.
Execution
Although it offers 15 meeting rooms and two ballrooms, the hotel expanded the conference by placing exhibits in foyers and hallways on multiple floors, and by utilising the atrium as well.
The four-day event involved a full day of pre-conference workshops followed by three days of conferences and exhibitions, with time allocated for senior professionals, academics and high-level officials from the fields of pharmaceutical, R&D and regulatory affairs to debate timely issues.
Comment
The collaboration between Kellen Meetings and Crowne Plaza Sun Palace enabled the event to be executed seamlessly and resulted in one of the association’s most successful meetings to date. “There are many pretty hotels in China, but none of them have the same experience and the commitment to service that the Crowne Plaza Sun Palace offers,” says Hope.