For those who plan pharma, medical device, and other life sciences-related meetings, there’s another learning and networking opportunity right around the corner. The 7th Annual Pharmaceutical Meeting Management Forum, also co-organized by The Center for Business Intelligence and Medical Meetings magazine, will be held March 27-29 at the Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia.

This global gathering for life sciences meetings professionals will provide interactive educational opportunities to learn about the compliance and regulatory framework that shapes their meetings, from the PhRMA and AdvaMed Codes to the Sunshine Act and Corporate Integrity agreements. David Townson, Ph.D., PMP, Senior Vice President, Development, MannKind Corp., will discuss how the unpredictable nature of the drug-development and regulatory-approval processes can impact planning, the use of meeting planning services, and venue selection. Another keynoter, Thomas D. Forrester, Vice President, U.S. Corporate Compliance Officer, sanofi-aventis, will outline why it is critical for the industry to define compliance issues related to medical and promotional meetings, and provide a framework for meeting management compliance.

Experienced meeting professionals from companies including Eli Lilly & Co., Pfizer Inc., Daiichi Sankyo, Millennium: The TAKEDA Oncology Company, Medtronic, and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals will provide timely info on topics including global meeting management issues, from international regulations to strategic global planning and management, and education on strategic meeting management, from data quality and management issues to product portfolio alignment. There also will be tracks on tradeshow and convention management, and on how to get the most out of technology such as social media and virtual and hybrid meetings.

What you don’t learn in the session rooms, you may learn in the myriad networking opportunities, in evening receptions and dedicated exhibit hall times, and in special closed-door summits where meetings professionals can share their frustrations and their best practices.

To register or learn more, go to the event Web site. For a look at some of what happened at last year’s conference, check out the June 2010 issue of Medical Meetings.