Building a careful invitation plan for pharma and life sciences events

Work from the participant categories

Ask the organiser to define the relevant groups. These might include researchers, healthcare professionals, patient representatives or industry staff; the list will depend on the event. Confirm how each category is defined and who decides eligibility when a role is unclear. An email domain is not enough to establish professional status.

For each group, record which sessions are available and where the person should register. A scientist assessing research methods may need a different programme summary from a manufacturing operations manager. Use different invitation versions when the offer differs, and check whether a forwarded registration link still leads through the required eligibility review.

Find out which codes apply before promising support

The EFPIA Code sets ethical rules agreed by its members for medicines promotion to healthcare professionals and interactions with healthcare professionals, healthcare organisations and patient organisations. Its scope needs checking for the particular sponsor, activity and countries involved; it is not a universal rulebook for life sciences events.

Under the 2026 consolidated code, member companies remain responsible for relevant obligations when third parties carry out covered activities on their behalf. For events within its scope, the code restricts hospitality to specified categories, including travel, meals, accommodation and genuine registration fees, with further conditions. Applicable national codes also matter. EFPIA's events and hospitality explainer describes checks involving the event location and the healthcare professional's country of practice.

Put the organiser's medical or compliance approver on the campaign brief. Agree how they will review copy and later changes. Give the invitation team an approved support statement covering who may apply, what is included and who can authorise it. If support has limits, the email needs to state them. A general promise that all expenses are covered would leave the team unable to answer follow-up questions accurately.

Contracted advisory or speaker engagements need their own terms and approval route. Keep their correspondence separate from ordinary delegate invitations.

Keep a reference copy of the programme

Write from the confirmed agenda. Explain the session format and time commitment, with enough topic detail for the recipient to judge whether it is relevant to their work. Keep unconfirmed speakers and accreditation out of the invitation until the organiser supplies approved wording.

Maintain a small reference sheet showing the source and approval date of factual statements. The person replying to emails should use the same sheet as the person writing the first invitation. Route scientific questions to the named specialist. The invitation team should not improvise therapeutic claims or suggest that a treatment is suitable for an individual.

Plan for the replies you cannot answer

Before launch, agree how messages mentioning product safety concerns, clinical questions or complaints will reach the organiser's specialist team. Record that a handover has happened without circulating the message more widely than needed. Pause automated follow-up when a reply requires a person's judgement. Routine questions about registration and logistics can use approved answers.

The registration form needs similar care. Use the organiser's approved form, explain the eligibility fields and avoid asking for unnecessary sensitive detail. In particular, do not invite patient stories or medical records into a campaign inbox. Give accessibility and other personal requests a clearly assigned private route so the recipient knows whom to contact.

Keep the attendance record useful

Track pending eligibility decisions and approved registrations separately. Record cancellations promptly. If a registered person proposes a substitute, apply the same eligibility process to the replacement before confirming their place.

Decide what will count as attendance. Where access differs by session, event entry may answer a different question from participation in a particular session. Cvent OnArrival describes event and session check-in capabilities; the organiser can choose a suitable process of its own.

At campaign close, reconcile the agreed attendance record and resolve exceptions before calculating fees. Include a short account of unanswered questions and registration problems, with the audience groups affected. Retain and remove campaign records according to the agreed data arrangements.

Editorial and source note

By Summitrix editorial team. Draft for founder review. Sources checked 26 September 2026. EFPIA's official page linked the 2026 consolidated code on that date. Its scope and national requirements need event-specific review. The workflow is our recommendation; participant examples are illustrative and no client results are claimed.