I just got back from another Pharma show and I have realized something: Food and beverages have replaced give-aways and tchotkes as the way to draw attendees into a Pharma booth. Of course you can’t have anything if you’re from Michigan, Vermont and a couple of other states with tight rules. I’m serious. All of the Pharma exhibitors serving coffee and cookies, or whatever, have to post a sign saying if you’re from those states you aren’t suppose to partake. But it is up to each doctor not the exhibitor to enforce the rules. Believe me, they all take the free food and drink.
But I think this food and beverage give-away thing is really taking hold. Instead of the booth-begging, trick-or-treating doctors and spouses grabbing squeeze balls or pens they just chow down on diuretic coffee at AUA (America Urological Association), sugar-laden cookies at ADA (American Diabetes Association) and high-fat cheeses at AHA (American Heart Association).
And don’t forget the other draw to stay in the booth once you’ve waited in line to get your coffee and cookie; comfortable seating. Oh yes, please have a cookie and a coffee and sit down in our booth for a while. That is what’s going on now at Pharma shows.
And the smarter exhibitors aren’t just giving away one item. Know why? You can drink a cup of coffee while walking around. You can eat a cookie while walking around. But give them both a coffee and a cookie and now they have to sit to enjoy them. And now they’re captive! They can’t escape when an in-booth detail is forced on them mid-cookie. Just kidding. I teach the staffs to be kind and gentle to the visitors as they know they’re captive and they’re are on their guard.
Most Pharma companies, however, miss the built-in opportunity for some conversations. By show rules, the convention food and beverage staff must dispense the items. And most Pharma companies leave it at that. These people are professional and polite but they don’t work for the exhibiting Pharma company. I encourage my clients to have some of their own staff at the food and beverage counter to greet and engage the doctors. It’s a touch point. It counts.
Giving away food and beverages does seem to be working. Even doctors who probably make half-a-million dollars a year still want free stuff. When they start to plan ahead better, they’ll be bringing in zip-lock bags to the booths so they can stock up on the cookies for their kids.