CBI's Melanie Demakis welcomed participants to this year's Forum.

To get the conference anthem started, SongDivision asked for an audience member to hop up on stage and play a few chords on the guitar. Richard Godfrey (center) was happy to oblige. When he's not acting as complex director of sales and marketing with the Crowne Plaza Princeton in New Jersey, Godfrey plays in a local band.

SongDivision, which over the course of the conference crowdsourced a Pharma Forum anthem, warmed up the audience by asking them to pair up and tell each other about the first concert they ever attended.

Jocelyne Cotè, far left, American Express Meetings and Events, moderated a high-powered panel of safety and security experts (left to right): Alan Orlob, vice president, global safety and security, Marriott International; Kenneth Dixon, VP security and safety solutions, Javits Center; John McCormack, detective JTTF Special Events, FBI, NYPD; Michael Dominguez, chief sales officer, MGM Resorts International; and Jonathan Spero, MD, CEO, InHouse Physicians.

Michael Mahoney of Genentech, Pharma Forum's chairman for day 1, challenged participants to discover three actionable takeaways during their time at the conference.

Pharma Forum participants were reminded of just how important the work they support is when Cat Greenleaf used her Talk Stoop format to interview Rolf Benirschke, founder of the Grateful Patient Project and former NFL placekicker. Rolf's story of how pharmaceutical companies saved his life really hit home.

Cat Greenleaf's boots were the envy of many, but Rolf's socks were pretty snazzy too.

The show floor was bustling as participants grabbed some lunch in between appointments.

Left to right: Lisa Truelove and Carolyn Maloney, both with BCD Meetings & Events, on the show floor with day 2 chairwoman Monica Dickenson, Shire Pharmaceuticals.

Life sciences planners relished the opportunity to share experiences and best practices.

Hilton teamed up with Repeat Roses to challenge the inner flower arranger in Pharma Forum participants. Planners reorganized the flowers, which were left over from weddings and other recent special events, then tied on well-wishing notes. Participants made 104 arrangements, which were delivered to Philadelphia's Magee Rehabilitation Hospital. The activity also diverted 785 pounds of floral waste from the landfill.

The Monday evening reception was held next door to the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown at the Field House, where dueling pianos, Philly cheese steaks, and some crazy face painting were all on the menu. The reception was sponsored by Marriott International.

MeetingsNet editor Sue Pelletier got her weird on at the face-painting area at the Monday night reception. Don't worry, it came right off with soap and water.

The dueling pianos were a big hit with the crowd.

Michael Varlotta, director, medical education, with Janssen Biotech, led a closed-door think tank session tackling hot topics for senior corporate and third-party life sciences planners.

Left to right: Hara Hawthorne, Eisai; Ryan Mazon, Educational Measures; and Katie Koziol, CMP, HMCC, Ashfield Meetings and Events, led an experiential learning session designed to walk participants through the entire attendee experience from the healthcare professional's perspective.

Cornered in the hallway in between breakouts: Alain Barathe and Marlize Eckert, both with Global Conference Organizers BV.

Janet Sperstad, program director at Madison (Wis.) College, explained the science behind how people behave at meetings.

Participants learned a little RFP magic during a breakout led by independent planner Meghan Palm, CMP, HMCC.

Planners and hoteliers dove into some of the topics that tend to cause the most friction between life sciences planners and their supplier partners, from RFPs to meal caps. From left to right: Julie Morey, Cogentix Medical; Nicole McCoy, Bishop McCann; Lori Schreiber, Siemens Healthineers; moderator Kristi Casey Sanders, CMP, CMM, DES, director of Meeting Professionals International's MPI Academy; Julie Hills, Hilton Worldwide; Bonnie Weiss, HMCC, Hyatt Hotels Corp.; Stephanie Russo, Marriott International.

Laurie Cooke, RPH, CAE, CEO of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association, provided strategies life sciences meeting professionals can use to reignite their careers.

The CSR booth run by Access Destination Services was a hub for would-be artists as participants used markers to decorate pairs of TOMS shoes. In all, 68 pairs of decorated shoes were donated to Ronald McDonald House, and 32 pairs were donated for kids to decorate themselves.

One participant showing a real flare for shoe design at the CSR booth run by Access Destination Services.

Day 3 chairman James Vachon provided some of his highlights from the conference, some of which required "jazz hands."

Heather Hansen O'Neill, president of Find Your Fire, got the crowd fired up as she explored strategies to face fear, increase confidence, deepen relationships, and ignite passion for their work.

SwarmWorks was a hit with the crowd, who got to compete in a virtual soccer game and collaborate on a virtual sailing trip through New York Harbor by holding up sensors that controlled the action on the big screen. 

Heather Hansen O'Neill challenged the audience to share something they're passionate about with a neighbor.

Cramer's Brent Turner, together with his colleague Julie Walker, took the audience through a whirlwind tour of what's now and what's just around the corner in meeting technology.

Experience Innovation Trailblazer Award winner Robin Macario, Genentech, gets a congratulatory hug from Pharma Forum co-chair Monica Dickenson.

Pharma Forum’s three inaugural Trailblazer award winners were honored by the conference co-chairs and organizers. From left: Melissa Fromento, MeetingsNet; Monica Dickenson, CMP, SMMC, Shire; Michael Mahoney, Genentech; Collaboration Trailblazer Award winner Brian McArdle, Allergan; Passionate Leadership Trailblazer Award winner Donna Grissom, Ashfield Meetings & Events; James Vachon, CMM, Takeda Pharmaceuticals; Experience Innovation Trailblazer Award winner Robin Macario, Genentech; Melanie Demakis, CBI

Gail Frazer, vice president, global sales—corporate accounts with Marriott International, welcomed this year's participants to the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown during the opening general session. 

SongDivision closed the conference with a rocking rendition of the anthem they had crowdsourced with participants over the course of the meeting.