Making Pre-meetings Work for Your Company
By Cammie Edwards, DNA Gateway International, LLP

The value of BIO partnering meetings is clear. They provide a venue in which a large number of high-value business contacts can be made within a very compressed time frame. The previous two articles discussed how to take full advantage of one-on-one partnering sessions at BIO conferences. In addition to one-on-one partnering, you can maximize the use of your time by pre-scheduling meetings outside of this formalized partnering.

Begin by contacting people early: Eight weeks prior to the selected BIO meeting is a good rule of thumb. Contact anybody you think could be attending, including companies you are currently working with; meeting with them at BIO conferences provides all-important face-to-face contact without the need to coordinate special trips. Review the partnering pages to identify additional companies with which you have contacts.

Compose a concise, generic email that you can blast to your distribution list: Follow-up emails to people who respond to your initial email will be more personal and most likely take longer than you expect. Be prepared to spend a reasonable amount of time responding personally to these potential leads and working with respondees' schedules.

Research places where you can meet with your contacts, such as hotel lobbies or cafes: Some of the partnering meetings provide space for unstructured meetings within the meeting area. If you have an exhibit booth, consider placing a table and a few chairs in your space so that you can hold meetings. Additionally, some of the pre-meeting venues, such as the International Marketplace at BIO, can provide good meeting places.

Come to the meeting prepared: Conduct market intelligence on each of the companies you'll be meeting. Learn about their competencies, the current status of their business and their current needs. This will allow you to pitch your technology/product effectively. Practice your pitch and make sure that all the people from your company are telling the same story. This reinforces your professionalism and sets the tone for long-term trust.

Most importantly, once the meeting is over follow-up. We recommend you send a thank you email immediately after the conference followed by a 'plan of action' email one to two weeks later. Make sure to schedule enough time in the three weeks following the meeting to complete these activities. It is important to take advantage of the momentum generated from the meeting.

Partnering meetings are a highly effective way to initiate new, effective business relationships as well as solidify established ones. Pre-scheduled meetings with known contacts will maximize your time and return from these partnering venues.