Michigan Biosciences Organization - MichBio Announces Annual Business Meeting Keynote and Pre-Meeting Workshop

ANN ARBOR, MI--(Marketwire - March 10, 2010) - MichBio, the association for Michigan biosciences, will for the first time host its Annual Business Meeting and Showcase in Grand Rapids. The event will be held at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center on April 21 and feature a strolling dinner amid bioscience-related company exhibits from 5-7 p.m., followed by a keynote address by Mark B. Leahey, president and CEO of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association. The Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) is a national trade association based in Washington, DC, that represents research-driven medical technology companies.

Leahey will address the topic: “Washington Update: What Lies Ahead for the Medical Device Industry?” Leahey’s responsibilities include advocating on behalf of the entrepreneurial sector of the medical device industry to Congress, the FDA, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other federal and state agencies. He has lobbied for a more reasonable user fee for smaller companies and worked to open access to the hospital marketplace, among other issues.

“We are looking forward to this opportunity to bring together bioscience leaders in one of our key Michigan hubs of bioscience innovation and growth,” said Stephen Rapundalo, Ph.D., MichBio president and CEO.

“We are pleased to be a sponsor of the MichBio Annual Business meeting in Grand Rapids. The keynote speaker is an excellent choice which complements the medical device focus of the region,” said Rich Cook, interim-executive director of the WMSTI. “The meeting will help bring attention to other regional life science capabilities in drug and diagnostic development and clinical care, as well as plant based bioscience through the BioBusiness Accelerator located in Holland.”

The MichBio Annual Business Meeting draws the industry’s leaders and most influential bioscience professionals from across the state. The cost before April 1 is $65 for members, $80 for non-members. After April 1, the cost increases to $85 and $110, respectively. For sponsorship information and to register, please visit www.michbio.org or contact MichBio at 734.527.9150.

Workshop Will Lead into Annual Meeting

Immediately preceding its Annual Meeting, MichBio will present a workshop titled, “May Your Partnering Be Long Lived and Prosperous (Why partnering is important to your company’s long-term health).” The workshop will discuss why partnerships are becoming even more important as change rushes through the bio-pharma industry and how you can prepare yourself to have the best possible potential for success.

Representatives from large pharma, biotech, VC, law and software companies will share their perspectives with plenty of time for networking and Q&A.

The workshop will run from 1-5:00 p.m. at Eberhard Center on April 21, prior to the strolling dinner. The cost is $60 for MichBio members and $75 for non-members, rising to $80 and $100, respectively, after April 1.

Those attending both the workshop and annual meeting get a discounted rate of $100 for members and $130 for non-members, $140 and $185, respectively, after April 1. Registration is at www.michbio.org.

MichBio is committed to driving the growth of Michigan’s bioscience industry and to fostering the collective impact of its members by serving as their unified voice and by providing them with education, information, connections and other services. MichBio members include biosciences companies, academic and research institutions, bioscience service providers, and related organizations.