If you looked up the word “versatile” in the dictionary, you just might come across a photo of Natascha Williams, HMCC.
Since getting into event planning in 2001, Williams has handled logistical and strategic planning for meetings hosted by pharma companies, medical-device makers, physician societies, and a group that’s close to her heart: Women of Color in Pharma.
Currently the account manager for events agency Touch Associates, Williams will tap her wide range of expertise for the benefit of fellow life-science event planners when she serves as a co-chair and a presenter at the Pharma Forum conference in Boston in March 2025.
MeetingsNet caught up with Williams in mid-November to ask about her recent work, and particularly the challenges she’s helping her life-science clients overcome as they execute their internal and HCP-facing events.
MeetingsNet: Tell us about your present role at Touch Associates and what you like most about it.
Natascha Williams: As an account manager, my duties are centered around ensuring client satisfaction and fostering strong relationships. It is my job to identify and solve challenges for their events.
Every client is unique, so each project offers opportunities to devise tailored solutions, which keeps the work dynamic and engaging. And seeing the positive impact my team has on clients' success and satisfaction is incredibly rewarding. Whether it’s a well-executed event or a particular challenge we resolve, knowing that we contributed to their progress and growth is fulfilling.
I especially enjoy the interpersonal aspect and getting to know clients on a deeper level; my husband tells me that I have never met a stranger.
MeetingsNet: What are a few of the biggest challenges you deal with when working on life-science companies’ internal meetings?
Williams: Those meetings come with challenges due to the heavily regulated environment and the variety of stakeholders involved.
With constant changes to parts of the Sunshine Act, GDPR, and other ethical guidelines, it is hard for companies to disseminate that information to agency partners, and that is where the guessing game begins. For internal meetings, every detail—such as attendee disclosures, speaker honoraria, or meal costs—must adhere to these rules, and it is pertinent that everyone has the same information. Without this information, it can slow down planning and increase the risk of non-compliance penalties.
One solution is to have a monthly call with all vendors to ensure that the right information is given to everyone. Another is to create a library of meeting materials that is updated regularly to reflect the changes with the Sunshine Act. Also, you could build a standard operating procedures toolkit that includes items such as a compliance cheat sheet that shows planners how to “plug and play” when selecting meals to ensure that we stay in compliance with meal-capacity limits. These tools can minimize errors and ensure that everyone is following the rules set forth by the company.
MeetingsNet: What are some tough issues you deal with when working on HCP-focused meetings?
Williams: Capturing and reporting transfer of value accurately can be very tedious. Capturing timely data is very important, especially with international attendees. Every country has different timelines for when reporting must be done, and we need to know this information to avoid compliance penalties.
My solution here is to work closely with your compliance team—have them build tools that ensure all information is accurate and collected in a timely manner. Creating a pre-event HCP audit process where all meetings are reviewed by a compliance team member ensures that all information is captured within two weeks of an event. This way, no detail is overlooked, all participant demographics are captured, and all the data is saved to the appropriate portal.
MeetingsNet: What are you most looking forward to when you go to the Pharma Forum conference? And as a co-chair and session presenter, what’s one lesson you want to get across to fellow medical-event planners?
Williams: Pharma Forum is an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the latest trends and strategies shaping the medical-meeting industry. I'm looking forward to exploring how others are tackling evolving demands, especially in areas like sustainability, compliance, and strategic growth. The discussions with my peers who truly understand the intricacies of medical-event planning spark new ideas and allow me to refine processes for my own organization.
Being co-chair of Pharma Forum is a privilege that allows me to both lead and learn. I’m especially excited about engaging directly with new planners who are bursting with fresh ideas and who bring an innovative feel to our work.
One thing I’d say to other medical-event planners is to remember that while we plan meetings for some of the most brilliant physicians in the world, just remember how smart we are to be able to bring them together in the most effective ways.
MeetingsNet: If you were not a medical-event planner, what else would you want to do for a career?
Williams: So, my favorite job that I have ever had is being a mom. I have six wonderful kids and four grandchildren. Beyond that, having worked in different fields over many years, there isn’t any other career that I would want to do more than conferences and events. I have done everything from weddings to corporate meetings to international congresses, and I still marvel at how we can take someone’s vision and make it happen to near perfection. They don’t call planners “chaos organizers” for nothing!
