THE SCENE

HCMA Holds Its 2009 “Family” Gala

The Healthcare Communication & Marketing Association (HCMA) “Family” recently gathered at the Westin Jersey City just across the Hudson River from New York for its 2009 annual meeting. The two-and-a-half-day event drew more than 300 attendees from the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, pharmacy, and publishing industries. Executives, marketers, managers, exhibitors, and communicators gathered to share ideas, tactics, and innovative tools to help fuel growth in this new economy.

As part of a special initiative to reach out to unemployed colleagues, the HCMA invited these marketing professionals to network, refresh their skills, and seek new careers. In addition to free admittance, a select number of these attendees will also receive a three-month HCMA membership trial at no cost.

New Jersey State Senator Jennifer Beck (R) delivered the keynote message, encouraging our industry to continue redefining transparent ways to interact with physicians and clarifying our views on the appropriate use of direct-to-consumer advertising. These steps will help rebuild the trust consumers have placed in us. Senator Beck also joined a plenary session with executives from Pfizer and Actelion Pharmaceutical.

The sessions on “BAM” (Brand Animated Marketing) and “Developing Strategies & Tactics to Comply with Disclosure Guidelines” drew significant attendees on day two of the conference. PM360 Publisher Anna Stashower moderated the panel on strategies for “Recession-Proofing Brands.” Other current issues the conference covered included integrating social media in medical education and the movement toward direct-to-physician marketing.

The HCMA annual conference was also the setting for the IN AWE Awards dinner at which several of the industry’s best creatives were recognized. This year’s Delta Award was given to Jeff A. Wayne, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Promius Pharma. For more information about the conference, visit www.TheHCMA.org.

—Marita Gomez and Diane Krusko, HCMA co-chairs