Pharma Forum 2025 brought together industry leaders to explore the evolving landscape of pharmaceutical meetings—and Ten Events was right in the mix. We sat down with our Chief Revenue Officer, Alex Kunin, and VP of Sales Operations, John Dajnowski, to hear their biggest takeaways from the event. From the rise of AI-driven personalization to the realities of doing more with less, their insights shed light on where the industry is headed and how pharma meeting and event planners can stay ahead of the curve.

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Alex Kunin  |  John Dajnowski

1. What was the biggest insight you took away from Pharma Forum 2025, and how does it apply to the future of pharma meetings?

John:  I did notice there was a big push for AI-powered data analytics, and the expectations for what the attendees are going to get out of the event are much higher now because data shows what they want. And now the personalized experience can be done so you can have segments of your attendees really receive a personalized experience. I think that is a big difference. Increase in peer sharing, different types of sessions rather than just being served content.  

Alex: The prevalence of AI. The other piece I walked away with was the consolidation of the industry. Larger pharma orgs taking control of the smaller ones with new drugs and launches.  

2. What are the biggest challenges pharma event planners are facing right now, and how can the right event partner help solve those challenges?

John: The cost of goods has gone up so much since the pandemic that the challenge is now with reduced budgets, meeting planners and event professionals are challenged with “doing more with less.” And then the added pressure of all the new technologies that are out there and the different production levels, now not only do you have to do more with less, but the expectations are higher. That’s one of the biggest challenges I see in the industry now.

Alex: The consolidation is creating just what John mentioned, organizations want to do more with less. Fundamentally that also creates a dispersed environment where partnerships with event firms ultimately helps have that single vendor/trusted source to collaborate and expand.

John: And to add to the idea of how the right partners can really help, it comes down to the consultative approach. If you have a partner that’s vested in your event success and they can help you plan and prioritize the most important thing, that can really help you not only with making your event memorable but with meeting budget constraints.  

3. What new trends or technologies did you see that are shaping the future of pharma meetings and events?

John: The AI-powered data analysis is important because now, you’re able to do a couple different things as a meeting professional. You can customize the experience, you can tailor the content, you can find the right presenters that suit the audience and really give them what they’re looking for. You can also leverage that data analysis to your stakeholders to show how impactful the event is and what their ROI is. That’s a big thing when people are looking at their budgeting.  

Alex: As John referenced earlier, more with less. The world of AI is all about data. So as you consume data, whatever it may be – event data, technology data – people want to be able to execute more effectively and efficiently because of AI.  

John: And to a lesser degree, I did notice some other immersive technologies like VR and AR. If you think about making it an experience, you want people to retain whatever they’re learning, you want them to get that content and some of these things, for example, if you’re doing a remote presentation of a knee replacement or hip replacement, that visual really helps accentuate the messaging.  

4. Based on what you learned, how can Ten Events better support pharma companies in planning seamless, compliant, and impactful events?

John: Being that we’re a production support company – the production expertise cascades across all types of events. A lot of companies are looking for that consolidation. A vendor that can help consolidate not only their costs and who they’re dealing with but really streamline the theming of the meeting, the branding, everything is housed under one roof and one partner. No matter what you do, everyone is sort of in the same lock and step as they put the project together.  

Alex: Our teams pride ourselves in the fact that we’re an organization that can do it all. We can cover the live, the hybrid, the virtual and become a trusted partner to our customer, creating the white glove experience.  

5. If you had to predict one major shift in pharma meetings over the next five years, what would it be, and how should planners prepare for it?

John: Because of all this data available now, it’s going to allow the meeting organizers to effectively plan events but they’re also going to receive more pressure to do it very efficiently and to take a lot of things into consideration. That data is important – it can tell you what’s working, what’s not working. I think there will be a more intense look at how the data – especially powered through AI analysis - can help drive the industry and put on great events.  

Alex: With data being prevalent for the current market and as part of the consolidation as the smaller companies get absorbed by the larger companies, you’re also going to have a large disbursement of individuals still working from home or satellite offices, where the hybrid market may ultimately escalate and become an ideal environment.  

John: We use AI all the time to create efficiencies – whether that’s in writing copy for something or coming up with a creative idea, AI really helps generate some thoughts very quickly. As a meeting professional myself, I’d say if you’re not using AI tools now, you’d better get started soon.