Science remains our first priority
A year ago, we published a press release with the title “Historical Virtual Meeting for AAT-AD/PD™ 2020”. It was a special moment – our first experience converting an in-person event to fully virtual. Skip forward to today and we are completing a full circle of online events with the 15th international conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD™ 2021).
The 2nd AAT-AD/PD™ Focus Meeting 2020 took place 2-5 April 2020 and for the first time was held as an entirely virtual event. The four live event days were attended by 1143 healthcare professionals from 56 countries. Working around the clock, the Kenes Group IT team managed to convert the meeting under three weeks into a complete virtual experience.
We now look back with pride, and a little disbelief, at how much we have transformed, learned and grown in the past year. We continuously stretch the boundaries of what is possible, striving for better, more engaging virtual meetings, and it shows.
The 15th international conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD™ 2021), took place March 9-14, and during this time 2700 participants joined the event from 49 countries. This time our team had ample time to produce an outstanding virtual event.
AAT-AD/PD™ 2020 and AD/PD™ 2021 are events organised under the same umbrella and what unites them is the powerful science. The Executive Organisers declared last year “Even in difficult times, the science remains our first priority.” This was the attitude for 2021 too. Top scientific peer-reviewed content. In this year’s program, one of the stars was the reveal of the full results of a TRAILBLAZER-ALZ study – breakthrough findings on the effects of donanemab, an antibody, that showed significant slowing of AD in patients.
In the 2020 survey that Kenes Group carried out with healthcare professionals, about 92% of respondents evaluated high-quality scientific content as the top decision factor to attend virtual events. The AAT-AD/PD™ Focus Meeting 2020, as well as the AD/PD™ 2021 proved that point. Gamification, interactivity and social activities online have their audiences. But for the hard learners of the AD/PD™ brand, what remains a top priority is the science that would help them advance their practice and deliver better care to their patients.
We all wonder what the future will bring – more virtual events, in-person meetings, a mix of the two that we are inclined to call hybrid? While we will get the answer to this question soon enough, one thing can be certain – science is the way forward. For this reason, the bi-annual AAT-AD/PD™ Focus Meeting and the AD/PD™ conference are merging into one annual event. Real science led by real people that ultimately make patient care better.
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