CPHI Worldwide 2020 transforms into Festival of Pharma

The world’s largest in-person pharma exhibition CPHI Worldwide has transformed into a unique digital experience and expo for 2020 to ensure that the industry can continue to connect, interact and learn despite current restrictions due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The virtual exhibition will include an interactive digital marketplace for sourcing products and services, enhanced AI-powered matchmaking for connecting with new and existing partners and world-renowned speakers for learning about the latest innovation and industry development.

“This large-scale digital exhibition will mirror on-site offerings and provide our community with a powerful platform to access vital one-to-one client meetings and high-quality leads, which are critically important in these challenging times,” says Adam Andersen, Group Director, Pharma, Informa Markets.

“The pharma community is a highly resilient and innovation-driven industry, underpinned by global partnerships and international supply chains. Many of our customers are part of the solution to the COVID-19 pandemic and we feel compelled to support these efforts, providing new and alternative ways to foster connections, discover new partners and help lead the global response and recovery,” he adds.

The event will feature a highly anticipated keynote address from former US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner (2017-2019) and Former Senior Advisor - CMS, Dr. Scott Gottlieb.

Dr. Gottlieb is a physician, medical policy expert, and public health advocate who previously served as the FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs and before that, as a senior advisor to the FDA Commissioner.

And delivering a keynote on how lessons learnt from COVID-19 may shape new EU pharmaceutical policy, opening up numerous opportunities and challenges for manufacturers, will be Director General of European generics industry association Medicines for Europe, Adrian van den Hoven.

Event organiser, Informa Markets, had been working with all partners directly involved with CPHI Worldwide 2020 to determine if the physical show originally scheduled for 13-15 October in Milan, Italy would have been both practical and beneficial to the market.

From a health and safety standpoint, Informa Markets felt confident it could deliver a safe and secure show, incorporating the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness. However, with other countries and locations at different stages of recovery from COVID-19 and with international travel only returning gradually, it was clear that it would have been difficult to ensure the same level of participation and high-quality, in-person experience at Milan this year that everyone has come to expect at CPHI Worldwide.

Informa Markets has therefore agreed with key stakeholders and partners to focus on other ways to support the industry in 2020, with a commitment that CPHI Worldwide will return stronger than ever in 2021.

Click here for more information on the agenda and speakers at this unique virtual experience and on how you can create an alert to be informed by email when registration for CPHI: Festival of Pharma goes live!