by Constantine Constantinides, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive, healthCare cybernetics The Practical Philosophy …that goes with it As far as the industry is concerned, when it comes to industry conferences and exhibitions, one can do the following (or none of the following):
- Attend
- Exhibit
- Sponsor
But the question asked by the thinking industry player (supply-side stakeholder) is: why do any of these things? What is the advantage and benefit? Well, we need to look at “advantage” and “benefit” separately – because they are not synonymous. “Advantage” means getting something that makes you “better than your peers” (primus inter pares). On the other hand, “benefit” means that you get something useful – but this will not make you any better than your peers who obtained the same benefit. And of course, there is no way you can have an advantage if, at the very minimum, you have not acquired the same benefits as your peers. When you want to both benefit and attain some advantage, you may need to do all three things listed above. Conferences and exhibitions as an institution …associated with “benefits for all” We have come to accept that conferences and exhibitions are an integral part of every industry and sector. When justifying their existence, we refer to such “benefits” as opportunity to:
- Learn (and maybe also share experience)
- Network
- Formulate industry policy and strategy – and even, regulation
- Promote, market and sell (directly or indirectly)
- Conduct business meetings
- See what the competition is up to
Opportunities to gain an Advantage What about opportunities that confer an advantage? Of course, we again have to qualify things and point out the difference between competitive advantage (a good thing) and absolute advantage (the Holy Grail). Competitive advantage merely allows you to qualify and play in a higher league, with fewer competitors, but where the competition is even more aggressive and sophisticated – and has deep pockets. Gaining a “competitive edge” …if not the absolute advantage My years-long observation and study of the health tourism sector – and the medical tourism segment – have convinced me that to beat the competition, one needs to do the following:
- Introduce innovations (which the market likes and wants – and is prepared to pay for)
- Demonstrate leadership
Introducing innovations requires deep knowledge and understanding of the sector, which can be gained, in part, by attending conferences and exhibitions.But demonstration of leadership additionally requires the characteristic of “generosity” (in terms of spirit, attitude and money). But how is leadership demonstrated? Innovation alone, in most cases, is not enough. The other ways are:
- Pitting yourself against the competition – and being declared “the leader” (by the industry)
- Putting your money where your mouth is by sponsoring
- Supporting and championing concerted action initiatives (which benefit the sector)
What has all this to do with conferences and exhibitions? …what is connection and point? I have frequently questioned the rationality of exhibiting and sponsoring when the audience is the competition. But I have done this in the spirit of wanting to identify and announce the benefits and advantages. The benefits are obvious. But what about advantages? The absurdity of addressing your Competitors …lessons from the natural world So, besides benefitting by attending events, why bother to exhibit and sponsor when all the others at the conference and exhibition are your competitors? Well, a look at behavior and activity in the natural world can provide the answer – and demonstrate the rationality of the act. When the “industry” in the natural world (the male gender) wants to prepare to successfully address the “market” (the female gender) – it starts off by first addressing (in fact, confronting) the industry (sometimes quite aggressively). This is done to establish the “pecking order” and “industry ranking” which can then be announced to the market. And, the market knowing who is “top” – or “most suitable” – can make choices based on preferences and “ability to pay”. A Clear Case in support of Conferences and Exhibitions …attend, exhibit, sponsor Yes, one can definitely obtain benefits and gain advantages. But are all the health tourism events around the world equal? How can they be? Use due diligence – and as a buyer, remember caveat emptor. In the interests of transparency and full disclosure, it needs to be revealed that healthCare cybernetics has designed a number of events, which it plans to stage in collaboration with professional conference organizers. Some of these events may be co-staged with other conferences or exhibitions.