With the 2018 BIO International Convention back in Boston June 4 – 7, we spoke with Elizabeth Steele, VP of Programs & Global Affairs at MassBio about the convention, why she’s excited to have it back in Boston, what MassBio has planned, and how people can participate.
Why is it such a big deal that BIO is coming back to Boston this year?
BIO is the premier annual event for our industry, attracting people and companies from all over the world. 74 countries are represented and more than 40% of attendees are c-suite. For Massachusetts and our partners across the state, it’s an amazing opportunity to showcase what’s possible in Massachusetts, to make new connections, and for partnerships to take shape.
When BIO was in Boston in 2007, it broke attendance records. As the world leader in life sciences, everyone wants to see Massachusetts for themselves. And more and more, those people and companies are expanding here and opening offices and labs after they visit. The density of research, early stage companies, talent, and financing makes Massachusetts the place to be for life sciences.
What does the MassBio have planned for the week?
As the host state, we’ve got big things planned. For those who are attending BIO, the Massachusetts Pavilion (Booth #349) is the place to be. With the support of our Pavilion sponsors, there will be a near-constant stream of inspiring and engaging content – what we’re calling Possible Talks – from industry leaders and patients about why Massachusetts is the State of Possible. These Talks will range in topic from using technology to accelerate rare disease diagnosis to supporting women entrepreneurs in the life sciences. Additionally, in between every ten-minute Talk there will be a ten-minute networking break.
But we know that not everyone attends BIO. With more than 66,000 people working in the life sciences in Massachusetts, we also wanted to figure out how to celebrate with them during BIO week. Our solution? Hold a community concert for anyone that works in the life sciences. On Tuesday, June 5th from 6 – 10pm, we are hosting a concert featuring the band Little Big Town at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion. This concert is free, and you don’t have to be attending BIO to go.
To see the full schedule of events in the Pavilion and register to attend the Little Big Town concert, go to www.stateofpossible.com