ISPE Annual Meeting Hits the Mark in Philly

Along with over 115 attendees from the Boston Area Chapter, I had the opportunity to join the vast array of participants who traveled to Philly for the 2018 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo November 4-7. The meeting far exceeded my expectations. It was a fun opportunity to build relationships ‒ some old ones strengthened and many new ones developed‒ plus a phenomenal educational opportunity with the many exhibitors and topic sessions.

The plenary sessions and educational programs were a significant attraction judging by the level of constituents from the operating companies. Topics I found of special interest included:

• outlooks into the future, such as Pharma 4.0,
• new and advanced manufacturing technologies, including single-use-technologies, new modular approaches and continuous manufacturing, and
• insights and practices that impact the landscape of Quality Management and Regulatory.

The exhibit hall displayed the wide range of resources and services support available to tackle a myriad of individual interests. It was also a primary gathering space for networking and for identifying resources we all need to achieve our objectives.

The meeting also offered a venue for NASAAC and JAC sessions which brought together representatives from ISPE chapters and affiliates from around the globe. These sessions were extraordinarily relevant since they offered a forum for review and exchange of best practices for providing value to ISPE members, highlighting specific events, approaches and strategies effective at the local level. As we strive to maximize our “value proposition” for key segments of our chapter membership such as operating company leaders, volunteers, vendors/exhibitors and individual career path candidates at every level, these ideas will help us enhance the many benefits our Chapter offers.

In sum, Annual Meeting was an unbeatable blend of opportunities:

• Focused committee meetings
• Educational sessions
• Networking activities each morning to start the day ranging from a 5K walk/run, to a new member orientation breakfast, to the membership breakfast for review of ISPE strategic planning at the international level, to the Facility of the Year Award presentation
• Exhibit hall
• Plant Tours
• Social activities including the ISPE Leadership Reception, hospitality events every night, our very own Boston Area Chapter Social (see companion post if you missed the fun) and the ISPE “Tuesday Night Party” at the historic Reading Terminal Market.

Certainly a great venue and agenda to foster the enjoyment derived from interacting with other industry professionals and being educated on the many topics that impact our career path. Philly was well worth attending and I am eager for next year’s Annual Event in Las Vegas!