The 2018 BIO International Convention will be officially running from June 4 through June 7 and is celebrating 25 years of innovation.
The BIO International Convention will be officially running from June 4 through June 7, although activities began on Friday, June 1. Hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the convention represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organization across the U.S. and the world.
This year the convention is being held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Last year it was held in San Diego. Approximately 16,000 people attend the conference each year to listen to presentations, visit exhibitors, and network.
The first BIO International Convention was held in 1993. It is the largest global event for the biotechnology industry and attracts the most well-known names in the industry. Past speakers have included Will Smith, Bennet Omalu, President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Michael J. Fox, Sir Elton John, General Colin Powell and Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Rob Reiner. Other speakers include Edward Abrahams, president at Personalized Medicine Coalition, Mitch Abrahamsen, chief scientific & commercialization officer at Acceligen, Aman Bhandari, vice president, Data Strategy and Solutions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Colonel Terry Virts, former NASA Astronaut, Martin Tolar, chief executive officer of Alzheon, to just name a few.
Companies giving presentations include, but are not limited to Azitra, Personal Genomics, IMPACT Therapeutics, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Kao Corporation, APRINOIA Therapeutics, Arcturus Therapeutics and many others.
Meeting sponsors include AbbVie, Amgen, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson and many of the most-recognized names in the biopharmaceutical industry.
There are also numerous networking events, with 16,000 participants from over 70 countries and literally hundreds of companies represented. The BIO Exhibitor Hospital Receptions & Open Night is Tuesday, June 5, and there are additional smaller, more intimate opportunities, such as Women in Bio – Speed Networking for Existing and Prospective Members, Women in Bio – Boston Meetup, GLBT Professionals & Friends Meetup, Student Day Meetup and Academia-Industry Tech Transfer Meetup.
Wednesday, June 6 is Student Day. BIO says, “To encourage students and young professionals to engage with the biotechnology industry, we are launching a new program for BIO 2018: Free Student Day! This program provides students with a free Exhibition Access registration ($300 value) on Wednesday, June 6. As the world’s largest biotechnology event, BIO provides several specialized opportunities for young professionals seeking a career in biotechnology and pharma.”
There are 1,800 exhibitors, and the limited education programming for students include more than 220 company presentations.
Some of the topics covered include “Advanced Business Development Course,” “Negotiations and Strategic Decision Making,” Fireside Chats with James Bradner, president of Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), Albert Bourla, chief operating officer of Pfizer, Paul Stoffels, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson, and another keynote address with ABC News’ Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.
The conference rotates locations. In 2019 it will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in 2020, back to San Diego.
Attention 2018 BIO Conference attendees! Whether you’re a content-hungry life sciences professional or represent an organization looking for top talent, be sure to stop by the BioSpace booth during this event. Conveniently located near the entrance to the vendor space, booth number 2410 is the place to learn about everything BioSpace has to offer. Come talk to BioSpace CEO Josh Goodwin and Media Executive Melissa Nazzaro to talk about trends in the life sciences industry, pick up free BioSpace Hotbed map promo items, and learn how BioSpace can help you stay informed in a rapidly changing biotech landscape.
See you at booth 2410!
