Maximising HCP Engagement at Medical Conferences

		By Vanessa Shane Neo, Account Executive at Onyx Health

In today’s fast-moving healthcare landscape, making an impact at medical conferences goes beyond delivering great content, it requires a strategic approach that drives lasting impact.

At Onyx Health, we combine scientific expertise with creative storytelling to cut through the noise and deliver marketing campaigns that not only informs but inspires healthcare professionals (HCPs) to take action in their practice.

Why does this matter?

HCPs attend congresses to stay informed, with 58% citing medical education as their primary reason for attending.¹ Before the pandemic, HCPs typically went to three conferences a year.² While in-person attendance has largely bounced back, they now balance their time between two virtual and two in-person conferences annually – a pattern that may shift again as virtual fatigue grows.³

With conferences remaining a key platform for engagement, it’s vital that your content is memorable, interactive and impactful. HCPs are bombarded with information, often across three days filled with back-to-back sessions, networking and note-taking. The real challenge is ensuring they remember and apply what they’ve learned when they return to practice.

Creating a “Reason to Believe”

Our approach focuses on giving HCPs a clear “reason to believe”. By supporting HCPs at every stage of their conference journey, we ensure your insights are reinforced at multiple touchpoints:

1. Pre-conference engagement

Capturing attention begins well before the congress itself. We develop targeted digital and social media campaigns that position your session as a valuable learning opportunity. Whether through expert-led insights, teaser videos or bite-sized educational content, we spark curiosity and encourage attendance.

Result: Increased visibility, improved attendance, and HCPs arriving prepared to engage.

2. Interactive on-site experiences

The real challenge at congress isn’t just getting attendees to your symposium or exhibition stand, it’s keeping them engaged once they’re there. Our omnichannel approach includes interactive experiences that encourage active participation, such as live Q&As, polling, workshops and gamification. By creating two-way conversations rather than passive presentations, we increase knowledge retention and build stronger connections with your audience.

Result: Deeper engagement, improved information recall, and stronger connections with your content.

3. Post-conference reinforcement

Research shows that 90% of HCPs say access to follow-up content helps them apply new medical approaches more effectively.⁴ We provide expert summaries, clinical pathway guidance and interactive case studies, reinforced via various channels including email, educational newsletter, social media and on-demand webinar.

Result: Sustained engagement, continuous learning and long-term impact on clinical practice.

Why choose Onyx Health?

We understand that delivering a memorable and impactful conference experience takes more than just great content. It requires a partner who understands the unique challenges HCPs face and how to translate those insights into actionable strategies.

Our approach is built on three core principles that make us stand out:

• We know what HCPs want: Our strong relationships with HCPs provide valuable insights into their preferences, challenges and learning behaviours, enabling us to create content that resonates.
• Omnichannel delivery: By reinforcing key messages across multiple touchpoints before, during and after congress, we support HCPs at every stage of their learning journey.
• Creative solutions with measurable impact: By combining scientific expertise with engaging formats, we deliver memorable experiences that improve knowledge retention and inspire behaviour change.

If you’re looking to maximise engagement and ensure your congress content drives meaningful change, let’s talk.

References:

1. HCPs prefer a return to in-person medical conferences going forward [Internet]. Mmm-online.com. 2025 [cited 2025 Feb 6]. Available from: https://www.mmm-online.com/home/channel/hcp-prefer-in-person-medical-conferences/
2. Marketing to Healthcare Conference Attendees Is it Worth the Effort? | Elsevier Pharma Solutions [Internet]. Elsmediakits.com. 2020 [cited 2025 Feb 6]. Available from: https://www.elsmediakits.com/node/574
3. HCPs prefer a return to in-person medical conferences going forward [Internet]. Mmm-online.com. 2025 [cited 2025 Feb 6]. Available from: https://www.mmm-online.com/home/channel/hcp-prefer-in-person-medical-conferences/
4. The Evolving Role of Websites For Healthcare Professionals – EPG Health [Internet]. Epghealth.com. 2019 [cited 2025 Mar 19]. Available from: https://epghealth.com/reports/the-evolving-role-of-websites-for-healthcare-professionals/