Virtual meetings: Where are we now and where are we going?

Pharma has been forced to hold its meetings virtually for most of the year now – but despite having plenty of time to perfect the art of digital engagement, Impetus Digital’s Natalie Yeadon says the industry still has a lot to learn.

A good virtual meeting doesn’t necessarily follow most of, or even all of, the same rules as a good in-person meeting – but Natalie Yeadon, managing director of Impetus Digital, says that pharma’s virtual meetings are still being held back by an in-person mindset, even with COVID being a reality for most of the year now.

“Companies are still bringing everybody together and gathering insights the same way they would in an in-person meeting, but now it’s just through a virtual platform,” she says.

“In practice, that means you might have a large group of people in a virtual room for hours at a time, and there are many issues with doing that. For example, people can get ‘Zoomed out’ and lose energy without the opportunities for energy dissipation that come with physical meetings – like getting up to go to the bathroom, going to get a coffee, or speaking to somebody in the hallway.”

• Read the full article in pharmaphorum's Deep Dive digital magazine