THE NEWSLETTER OF THE HEALTHCARE BUSINESSWOMEN’S ASSOCIATION Advancing Women’s Careers NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002

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How Companies Can HelpEmployees Struggling withDomestic Violence

turn to LEVERAGING AN IDEA on page 6

www.hbanet.org

turn to DOMESTIC VIOLENCE on page 3

Britta HerlitzPresident, Herlitz HealthCare: ACommunications Co.; Editor, HBA Bulletin

ot our problem,” used to be themantra of executives who wereasked to provide help to employ-

ees facing domestic violence. This trend,thankfully, is beginning to change. Forexample, a decade ago, few US compa-nies had formal policies to help employ-ees deal with domestic violence—today,

hundreds do, according to DonnaNorton, Manager of the Workplace Re-source Center (Rockville, MD/San Fran-cisco, CA). If your company does nothave such a policy, read on.

Why is this Relevant to theWorkplace?

Aside from the fact that, from astrictly humanitarian standpoint it isnot appropriate to simply “stand by anddo nothing” while a fellow human be-

ing is in trouble, there are compellingeconomic incentives for companies todevise domestic violence policies thatprotect their employees. Indeed,mounting research reveals that thosecompanies who offer help to such em-ployees actually save money over thelong-term via enhanced worker pro-ductivity. Twelve years ago, the Bureauof National Affairs (Washington, DC),a private company that monitors work-place trends, estimated that the cost ofdomestic violence in lost worker pro-ductivity was $3 to $5 billion a year.Moreover, according to 2001 data fromthe American Institute on DomesticViolence (Lake Havasu City, AZ) em-ployers lose another $100 million in

Britta HerlitzPresident, Herlitz HealthCare: A Communications Co.Editor, HBA Bulletin

good idea is only valuable if you can makeuse of it and survival in today’s uniquelycompetitive pharma environment is of-

ten determined by those who know how to makethe best use of their ideas in order to execute aproduct launch that is successful on every front.That’s where media know-how and effective team-work come in to play. How do you get a productteam behind a unified launch and what are thebest ways to integrate advertising and promotion,medical education, public relations, managed careand Internet marketing under the same launch umbrella?This article summarizes highlights from the HBA’s Octo-ber 3rd evening seminar, hosted by GlaxoSmithKline, onhow to leverage an idea across all media.

Case in Point: That “Little Purple Pill”This unique HBA seminar was built around a true in-

dustry success story. Expert panelists from AstraZeneca’s

Nexium™ (esomeprazole magnesium) launch team as-sembled to provide insight into how they executed one ofthe most effective and memorable product launches to date.Indeed, this team took the “loss” of Prilosec® (omeprazole),a widely-prescribed drug for gastroesophageal reflux diseasethat was about to go off patent, and turned it into a majorwin with the launch of their next generation proton pump

GSK HOSTS THE HBA’S OCTOBER EVENING SEMINAR

Leveraging an Idea across All Media

(Left to right) Catherine Angell Sohn, PharmD, GlaxoSmithKline; Jim Coyne,AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP; Michelle Ritchie, Accenture; Jane Ames,

Healthcare Resources Group/Klemtner Advertising; Lois Brothers, Lisa Schoenbergand Sharon DeBacco, all three of AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP; HBA PresidentMary Cobb, PACE, Inc,. a Lowe Healthcare Company; Julia Danielak, Bristol-Myers

Squibb Company; and Sandy Sommer, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.

BMS HOSTS EXECUTIVE WOMEN’S BREAKFAST PROGRAM

Challenging Choices in Healthcareand Implications for Pharma

MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

2 www.hbanet.org HBA Bulletin November/December 2002

is published bimonthly for the members of theHealthcare Businesswomen’s Association, 333BRoute 46 West, Suite B-201, Fairfield, NJ 07004.Phone: (973) 575-0606 Fax: (973) 575-1445E-Mail: hbanet@aol.com Web: www.hbanet.org

EDITORBritta Herlitz

CREATIVE CONTRIBUTORRosemary AzzaroMANAGING EDITOR

Joanne McCaffery TanziCHAPTERS CORRESPONDENT

Eileen WoodsART DIRECTOR

DeborahAnne Chingas SandkeADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

Rosanne GogertyPlease send correspondence regarding theHBA Bulletin to: Joanne McCaffery Tanzi atthe above address.

HBA BOARD OF DIRECTORSPRESIDENT—Mary E. Cobb, Chief Executive Officer

and President, PACE, Inc., a Lowe Healthcare CompanyPRESIDENT ELECT—Nancy Larsen, President,

PROmedica Communications, Inc.IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT—Teri P. Cox, Senior

Managing Partner, Cox Communications PartnersFIRST VICE PRESIDENT—Daria Blackwell, President,

White Seahorse, Inc.SECOND VICE PRESIDENT—Barbara Pritchard,

President, The Pritchard GroupSECRETARY—Mariana Palacios, Partner, The

Trillium Group, LLCTREASURER—Kathleen Milligan, Vice President,

Marketing and Sales, Endeavor PharmaceuticalsCO-DIRECTORS OF COMMUNICATIONS—

Donna Ramer, Executive Vice President, LippeTaylor Marketing Communications andSusan Youdovin, Principal, B&Y Communications

CO-DIRECTORS OF MEMBERSHIP—Janna K. Calhoun, Vice President, TNSIntersearch, Inc.

CO-DIRECTORS OF PROGRAMS—Stephanie G. Phillips, PhD, President, ProjectHouse, Inc. andJill Quist, Vice President, Client Services,Right Management Consultants

CO-DIRECTORS OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT—Anne Camille Maher, Consultant, HealthLeaders andHelen Eldridge, Director, Marketing Research,Ortho Biotech Products, LP

CO-DIRECTORS OF MARKETING—Dianna W. Main, President, DWM HealthcareCommunications andMaureen Fiori, Director, Business Development,Tandem Research Associates, Inc.

PAST PRESIDENT–STRATEGIC PLANNING—Sylvia Reitman, Vice President, Marketing & BusinessDevelopment, International Medical News Group

ATLANTA CHAPTER PRESIDENT— Jan Hannon,President, Envision Communications, Inc.

BOSTON CHAPTER PRESIDENT— Karla Gonye,Boston District Sales Manager, Schering-PloughCorporation

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CHAPTER PRESIDENT—Gayathri Koundinya, CV Therapeutics

LEGAL ADVISOR—Geraldine E. Ponto, Esq., Partner,Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione

ADMINISTRATORSEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR—Carol Davis-Grossman,The Charles Group, Inc.ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR — Susan Dunkelman,The Charles Group, Inc.

HBA STANDING COMMITTEESASSOCIATION RELATIONS—Barbara PritchardCAREER DEVELOPMENT—Helen Eldridge and

Anne Camille MaherCHAPTERS—Leigh Ann SoltysiakCORPORATE MEMBERSHIP—Sharon CallahanFINANCE—Kathleen MilliganFUNDRAISING—Teri P. CoxINDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP— Harriet GruberMARKETING—Dianna MainNEWSLETTER—Britta HerlitzNOMINATING—Teri P. CoxPROMOTION—Dawn FaintPUBLIC RELATIONS—Donna RamerRESEARCH—Rose RiosSENIOR WOMEN’S BREAKFAST (AD HOC)—Shellie CaplanSTRATEGIC PLANNING—Sylvia ReitmanVOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT—Barbara PritchardWEB SITE—Dianna W. MainWOMAN OF THE YEAR—Teri P. Cox and Nancy Larsen

Meeting Photos by Joe Vericker/PHOTOBUREAU, Inc.

Margaret GardnerManaging Director, Global MedicalCommunications LLC

Not so long ago, high-level strategic discus-sions took place among a group of men whohad the years of experience and the knowl-edge base necessary to predict future trendsand issues. Not any more. The group gath-ered at The Executive Women’s Breakfastheld on September 27th, 2002, confirmedthat women are “in the know.” The program,“Challenging Choices in Healthcare & Im-plications for Pharma” was led by threewomen who have achieved leadership posi-tions within their companies, and as suchare well versed in the trends that may im-pact the pharma industry in the near future.

Hosted by Bristol-Myers Squibb Com-pany (East Hanover, NJ), the breakfast pro-gram encouraged free discussion by the se-nior level women attendees following pre-sentations by three panelists: PatriciaPesanello, a former consultant withPricewaterhouse Coopers (New York, NY)with over 25 years experience working withinthe pharmaceutical industry; Karen Clark,Chief Operating Officer of Horizon/Mercy(Trenton, NJ), a managed health care orga-nization; and Renee Tannenbaum,PharmD, RPh, Vice President, HealthcareChannel Management, Bristol-MyersSquibb Company.

Pesanello shared her view of future trendsin healthcare and pharma. She predicted thatforces shaping the future of the pharmaceu-tical industry will include globalization,blurring of company boundaries as compa-nies merge and forge co-licensing agree-ments, and changing expectations of con-sumers and payers. She anticipates a moretiered system as consumer demands for com-prehensive healthcare conflict with the pres-sure to control costs. This discord will re-quire healthcare policy leaders to make dif-ficult choices. Hospitals will be required toupgrade their systems and services, payerswill need more user-friendly systems, and

there will be an ongoing focus on evidence-based, outcome-driven care.

An Analysis of Pharma TodayWhere is pharma now? In the current

competitive climate, pharma companies areunder pressure to perform flawlessly. Wemust constantly increase the productivity ofR&D and decrease the time to market toenjoy exclusivity and enhanced sales. As the

percentage of total healthcare dollars spenton pharmaceuticals grows, there is increasedscrutiny of the industry by government andpayers. And, many companies are strugglinginternally to replace a multitude of impor-tant products that are losing patent protec-tion. Clark and Tannenbaum discussed theimpact of the current state of affairs on fu-ture trends. Clark noted that approximately20% of her organization’s budget is spenton pharmaceuticals—a cost that is movingcloser to overall hospital costs, and there-fore gaining more attention. Tannenbaumnoted that even though pharmaceuticals aretaking a greater percentage of managed careorganization budgets, the industry can’t af-ford to continue to discount prices as pharmaprofit margins are decreasing.

The Role of Patient Education in CostControl

One possible solution to this conflict be-tween pricing and profit margins is patienteducation and compliance. Both the speak-ers and the audience recognized that patientcompliance is a critical component of theequation that calculates the effectiveness of

FUTURE TRENDS IN PHARMA

● Globalization

● A tiered industry structure—one that betterbalances consumer demands with cost control

● A push to upgrade hospital systems andservices to those that are more user-friendly

● An increased focus on evidence-based,outcomes-driven care

HBA Bulletin November/December 2002 www.hbanet.org 3

drugs and overall healthcare costs.Tannenbaum noted that although theindustry has introduced numerousdrugs to treat hypertension over the lastdecade, many Americans still have theircondition uncontrolled, putting themat risk for more serious events. If pa-tients don’t use the drugs as prescribed,the dollars spent on them are wasted.As the session closed, there was generalagreement that there is an opportunityfor pharma companies and managedcare to work more closely together onpatient compliance programs that

would benefit both groups. Some com-panies are already testing the waters inthis area. As leaders in the healthcare

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE from page 1

RESOURCESThe following resources provide valuableinformation for employers who want toimplement a domestic violence policy in theworkplace, as well as for employees who arevictims of domestic violence.

Safe Horizons, Inc.www.safehorizons.org (212)577-7700

Safe at Workwww.safeatworkcoalition.org

(Refer to the web site for the phone numberof the coalition partner you wish to contact.)

Workplace Resource Centerworkplace.samhsa.gov (301)443-6780

Bureau of National Affairswww.bna.com (800)372-1033

Partnership for Preventionwww.prevent.org (202)833-0009

Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violencewww.caepv.org (309)664-0667

American Institute on Domestic Violencewww.aidv-usa.com (928)453-9015

Family Violence Prevention Fundwww.endabuse.org (415)252-8900

New York State Office for Prevention ofDomestic Violence

www.opdv.state.nv.us (518)457-5800

lost wages, paid sick leave, and absen-teeism linked to domestic violence. Inaddition, a 1994 study commissionedby Liz Claiborne Inc. (a leader in thecampaign for greater awareness of thisproblem and a member of the “Safe atWork” coalition of companies, laborunions and government agencies thatraise awareness about domestic violenceand its impact on the workplace) foundthat family disputes, including domes-tic violence, kept 1 million workers offthe job every day.

What Can We Do?†

In a recent interview with Good Morn-ing America, Co-anchor Diane Sawyer,Brooke McMurray, Vice Chair of SafeHorizons, Inc. (New York, NY), a non-profit victims services group that focuseson domestic violence, outlined effectiveways in which companies can interveneto protect their employees who face do-mestic violence.● Devise and enforce a domestic vio-

lence policy.● Encourage the employee to save

threatening emails or voicemails.These can potentially be used for fu-ture legal action, or can serve as evi-dence that an existing restraining or-der was violated.

● Provide priority parking near the of-fice building.

● Have calls screened, transferring ha-rassing calls to security—or have em-ployee name removed from the au-tomated phone directories.

● Relocate the employee’s workspace

to a more secure area or another site.● Encourage the employee to obtain

a restraining order that includes theworkplace and to keep a copy onhand at all times. The employeeshould consider providing a copy tothe police, her supervisor, buildingsecurity and/or human resources.

● Allow the employee to provide a pic-ture of the perpetrator to receptionareas and/or building security.

● Identify an emergency contact per-son so that, if the employee does not

arrive at work and there are suspi-cions that she may be in trouble, thatcontact may be notified immedi-ately.

● Have security escort the employeeto and from her vehicle or publictransportation.

● Issue employee paychecks to a loca-tion other than her residence.

● Make sure all employees know thespecific details of company policy ondomestic violence and how they canreport any incident.

● Most importantly, ask the employeewhat changes could be made tomake her feel safer. Remember: thevictim knows the perpetrator betterthan anyone else.

A 2002 Centers for Disease Control-sponsored study by the Partnership forPrevention (Washington, DC) foundthat 75% of domestic violence victimsare targeted at work, with everythingfrom harassing phone calls to the abu-sive spouse arriving at the office unan-nounced. According to this report,some employees are actually assaultedby their spouse while at work. Employ-ers can make a real difference in chang-ing this by establishing and enforcinga formal workplace policy, thus break-ing down the wall of silence that hasallowed domestic violence to continueunchecked for so long, McMurrayconcluded. �

† Source: Ms. McMurray’s tips were originally de-vised by the Corporate Alliance to End PartnerViolence (Bloomington, IL).

SOME KEY CHALLENGESFACED BY PHARMA TODAY

● Increasingly competitive climate

● Constant pressure to increase theproductivity of R&D and decrease thetime to market

● Heightened level of scrutiny bygovernment and payers

● Need to replace important products thatare losing patent protection

industry, HBA members may be ableto pioneer wide-spread implementa-tion of these types of initiatives.

The morning’s program offered anopportunity for senior level women tocome together for a few hours of net-working and strategizing. Sometimes,taking time away from the office is thebest way to let fresh ideas germinateand take hold. Thanks go to ShellieCaplan, President of Caplan AssociatesInc. (East Hampton, NY) and Chairof the Senior Breakfast Committee, fororganizing an excellent session. �

4 www.hbanet.org HBA Bulletin November/December 2002

n the late 1990s, Eisai Inc., (USHeadquarters, Teaneck, NJ) be-came aware of the burdens

placed on family members caring forolder relatives when it was conductingresearch related to Aricept (donepezilhydrochloride), its treatment for mild tomoderate Alzheimer’s Disease which it co-promotes with Pfizer.

In response, Eisai formed an advisorycouncil of experts on the subject, includ-ing members from AARP, Alzheimer’sAssociation-Greater New Jersey Chapter,Hospice Association of America, Inter-faith Caregivers Alliance, National Alli-ance for Caregiving, National Associationfor Home Care, The National Councilon the Aging, National Family CaregiversAssociation and Towson University’s De-partment of Gerontology.

Over a three year period, they devel-oped and field-tested Caring to Help Oth-ers: A Training Manual for Preparing Vol-unteers to Assist Caregivers of Older Adults,

perhaps the most comprehensive volun-teer caregiver training resource availableto community organizations to help trainvolunteers to support chronically ill olderadults and their caregivers.

“Family caregivers often balance full-time jobs with caring for older familymembers,” says Bill Sheldon, Presidentof Eisai, Chair of the project’s advisorycouncil, HBA Advisory Board member,and recipient of the HBA’s 2001 “Hon-orable Mentor” award. “By helping com-munity groups enhance or create volun-teer caregiver programs, we can increasethe pool of skilled volunteer caregivers incommunities to improve the quality ofcare for older adults—and the lives oftheir families. It was the right thing todo.”

HBA Leader Shares in SuccessAs Senior Consultant to Eisai, Teri

P. Cox, Senior Managing Partner ofCox Communications Partners

(Lawrenceville, NJ) and ImmediatePast-President of the HBA, was projectmanager. In that role, she conductedthe research and created the concept forthe training program, served as its pri-mary writer and editor and staffed theadvisory council. The project was fea-tured in her article, “Forging Alli-ances—Advocacy Partners,” in the PRPower supplement to the September is-sue of Pharmaceutical Executive.

In October, Eisai and Cox Commu-nications Partners were awarded theDenny Griswold Award for social respon-sibility in elder care from The Founda-tion of Women Executives in Public Re-lations for this important project. In No-vember, Eisai also received special recog-nition in corporate philanthropy from theCommunity Foundation of New Jersey.

Earlier this year, Eisai and its nine ad-visory council partners received theAmerican Society on Aging BrookdaleAward for Best Practices in Human Re-sources and Aging, for setting a new stan-dard for excellence in training. “Candi-dates are impressed with a company thatwould take on something like this,” saysSheldon. “So, it also has helped in ourrecruitment efforts.” �

HBA MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Eisai Inc. Awarded for Doing theRight Thing

I

Dianna W. MainPresident, DWM HealthcareCommunications;HBA Co-Director of Marketing

BA’s web site has undergonesome exciting changes. Follow-ing is a brief summary of what

new things you can expect to find the nexttime you visit www.hbanet.org.

DesignThe Home Page has been modified

to make articles more easily accessible.New graphic elements have been addedas well as new buttons so visitors to thesite can access additional sections andpages. The HBA Calendar has also beenredesigned and is now easier to navigate.For those of you with MS Outlook,we’ve enabled relevant portions of the

site to be updated into Outlook.

New Sections● Career Connections is a new section with

a great design that houses informationon career advancement. Sub-sections tothis valuable new component of the sitewill include such features as Skills for Suc-cess and the HBA’s P.O.W.E.R Study andothers are under consideration.

● Industry Links is also new, and will in-clude a varied selection of Internetlinks to Rx Companies, Associations,Communications Agencies, Condi-tions/Diseases, Healthcare News, Pub-lications and more.

● An online Event Registration formhas been added to all events listed onthe site so that visitors can reserve aspace and pay by credit card online.The Meeting Survey form has also been

included so that visitors to the site cansubmit their feedback on HBA eventsquickly and easily.

● Upcoming Industry Events is new on theHome Page. This section contains infor-mation about important industry eventswith links to the respective sites. HBAmembers may submit upcoming eventsfor inclusion in this listing.

● Members in the News showcases im-portant news about HBA members,the Advisory Board and Board of Di-rectors. Members are also encouragedto submit published news items to beincluded in this section.

● Link to Us is new to the Home Pageand provides all the information nec-essary for a company or organizationto display a link to www.HBAnet.orgon their site.

● Tell a Colleague is also new to theHome Page. This feature enables visi-tors to click on an email form and senda message with the Home Page link. �

HBA Web Site Update

H

Successful Exhibit Management:The Devil is in the Details

Whatever your current career position, you aspire to greater responsibility. Whatever your current skills,you must sharpen and expand them to achieve your next targeted level of accomplishment.

SKILLS FOR SUCCESSA CAREER-DEVELOPMENT COLUMN ON BUSINESS SKILLSA CAREER-DEVELOPMENT COLUMN ON BUSINESS SKILLSA CAREER-DEVELOPMENT COLUMN ON BUSINESS SKILLSA CAREER-DEVELOPMENT COLUMN ON BUSINESS SKILLSA CAREER-DEVELOPMENT COLUMN ON BUSINESS SKILLS

HBA BULLETIN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002 SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

WWW.HBANET.ORG

Kristofer Steven Herlitz*Vice President, The Herlitz Company, Inc.

People are often surprised when I tellthem, calmly, that our company handlesExhibit Management for meetings ofmore than 25,000 attendees. In fact, TheHerlitz Company, Inc. (formerly StevenK. Herlitz, Inc., with offices inLarchmont, NY, and New York City, NY)has been succeeding in the Exhibit Man-agement business for more than 65 yearsand what was true when my grandfa-ther and father ran the business is truetoday—a large meeting is no more dif-ficult to run than a small meeting ifyou are well organized and able to thinkon your feet. With Exhibit Manage-ment, the devil is in the details.

Annual Meetings: Where theMarket Meets Medicine

Most readers of this article have at-tended numerous medical/scientific so-ciety annual meetings where the latestdata are exchanged as peers assemble toshare research findings via symposia andposter presentations. What makes theseannual meetings unique is not just theirsize and scope, but the addition of in-dustry to the professional mix. In thenearby exhibit halls, industry representa-tives (“exhibitors”) converge so that cli-nicians and researchers can meet the facesbehind the products they use every day.This is where the market meets medicineand it is up to Exhibit Management toorchestrate and execute every aspect ofthis convergence, while maintaining theintegrity and scientific rigor of the soci-ety they represent. In this article, I’ll share

the basic principles of successful, honor-able exhibit management as I’ve learnedand practiced them over the years.

5–10 Years Out: Secure SpaceFor large, established meetings, space

is secured five to ten years before the ac-tual event. It is important to note that, asfar as this decision is concerned, the Ex-hibit Management company serves in anadvisory capacity only. A good ExhibitManagement company will know whichcities will generate the best attendance,what the labor laws are in each city andwhat venues may offer the best opportu-nities for a given meeting; however, thefinal decision for location rests with thesociety itself.

9-12 Months Out: The Site Visitand Floor plan

It is incumbent upon the ExhibitManager to help organize and participatein a site visit. This one- to three-day walk-through of all the space to be utilized forthe upcoming meeting is attended by arepresentative from the society, the eventcoordinator from the convention center,the chief building engineer, and theshow decorator (the company thathelps with important behind-the-scenes logistics including managing la-bor, coordinating shipping and deliv-ery, supplying pipe and drapes forbooth spaces, etc.). By the end of thesite visit, any potential problems must benoted and a plan to resolve them devised.

Shortly after the site visit, the showdecorator provides a blueprint of the ex-hibit hall space—its raw square footage.It is the responsibility of Exhibit Man-

agement to create a floor plan within thatspace. Put another way, Exhibit Manage-ment must turn a “virtual” room into themost efficient, cost-effective, people-traf-fic, exhibitor-friendly space possible.

8-11 Months Out: Sell the Space!The next and perhaps most important

job of Exhibit Management is to sell thebooth space to industry. At this point, Imust emphasize that when you sell, do itwith the integrity and honor that matchesthe society you represent. The fact is thata society’s annual meeting reflects whoand what they are. Are they to be takenseriously? Do they maintain scientificintegrity? Are they sound and well-run?Thus, the impression made by ExhibitManagement, as the society’s representa-tive, is significant.

To maintain a professional approachfrom start to finish, it’s best to leave your-self enough time to sell the meeting prop-erly and professionally. The best tool forthis is an exhibitor prospectus. Thissimple mailer usually contains a letter ofinvitation to exhibit, a copy of the floorplan, a rundown of show specifics (suchas exhibit rates, dates and hours, rules forexhibiting, etc.), and an application forspace. I find it is also useful to request abrief (50-word) description of what thecompany does. These descriptions ensurethat every company is appropriate to ex-hibit to this audience in this particularforum. (For example, physicians maytravel a lot, but it is inappropriate for aluggage company to exhibit at a medicalmeeting—believe me, they’ve tried!)These descriptions may also be used inthe meeting program or exhibit guide as

SKILLS FOR SUCCESS

HBA BULLETIN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002 SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

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The HBA Bulletininvites you to contribute to

this column. Tell us whatskill-building topics you would

like to see covered in the future.

a courtesy to attendees and exhibitors.The prospectus is mailed to a targeted

list of companies who have previouslyexhibited and to potential new exhibitorswho have expressed interest or who havebeen targeted via market researchthroughout the year. (Every Exhibit Man-agement company handles this mail listdifferently. At The Herlitz Company, Inc.,we find it works well to maintain the ex-hibitor database inhouse so that it is regu-larly updated with the most current in-formation.) About two weeks after theprospectus is mailed, expect your firstapplications to come in. Of course, fol-low-up phone calls, faxes and letters are amust during this “crunch time” whenevery day counts and every empty boothmeans lost revenue.

Four Months Out: MailConfirmation Letters andService Kits; Develop Exhibit Guide

By four months out, you should havemost of your space sold (unless the meet-ing is new or less well established). Nowis the time to supply your exhibitors withthe rest of the information they needas you continue to sell any remainingspace. Every confirmed exhibitor shouldbe mailed a letter that includes theirbooth assignment, balance due, hous-ing information, travel information,and an exhibitor registration form to listtheir booth personnel.

For shows with 100 booths or more,an Exhibit Guide becomes essential sothat attendees can navigate the exhibithall. At The Herlitz Company, Inc., weprepare these guides for some of our cli-ents, while others prepare their own withsome support from our staff. If you aregoing to publish an exhibit guide, now isthe time to begin production.

Finally, the four-month mark is whenthe Exhibitor Service Kits should bemailed. These binders contain all of theinstructions and order forms necessary tosecure “à la carte” booth items which in-clude everything from Internet access towaste baskets! The binders are detailedand take a while to review and complete.For this reason, it is important that you

give your exhibitors plenty of time to doso. In addition, be prepared to field phonecalls from those exhibitors who havetrouble understanding some of themore complex order forms. (It is worthnoting that Exhibit Management com-panies do not profit from any of theseadditional utilities/equipment sales,nor do they set the fees or handle bill-ings; however, as it is their goal to en-sure that exhibiting companies are wellcared for, they do field many com-plaints, questions and concerns regard-ing these à la carte items. A good Ex-hibit Management company can answerall questions related to the Service Kit ordirect exhibitors to the person who can.)

One Week Out: Get EstablishedExhibit Management should arrive

on-site about one week before the firstday of the annual meeting. Use this timeto meet with support staff, train tempo-rary staff, set-up the Exhibit Manage-ment Office, work with building engi-neers to triple-check the space, and es-tablish an effective radio communica-tions system so that you can contactanyone you need from anywhere in theconvention center. In addition, this rela-tively “quiet” period is important for youto interface with the Society’s ExecutiveDirector and staff members, addressingany needs or concerns they might have.

One to Three Days Out: Set-UpOne to three days before the official

show opening, exhibitors arrive with theirbooths, boxes, questions, problems, andpraise. They are stressed out, maxed out,traveled out. It is the responsibility ofExhibit Management to be on the exhibithall floor during this set-up time to en-sure that all goes smoothly. By the end ofthis installation period, an empty concretespace—sometimes as large as several foot-ball fields—will be transformed into amulti-colored city of bright carpet,drapes, small booths, large booths, signs,banners, and exhibits.

Show Time!No matter how prepared you are, a

curve ball or ten will come your way—especially on the first day of exhibits. Thisis when patience, experience, a cool headand the ability to think on your feet canmean the difference between a lacklustershow opening and a great first day. In-variably, some exhibitors will haveproblems. Their booths never arrived,they are missing badges, they didn’t re-alize they were located so far from theentrance. . . . Take a deep breath andhandle these concerns in a way thatprovides exhibitors with the highestdegree of satisfaction. If it is not pos-sible to meet their needs, explain why.

Then, there are the truly unexpectedscenarios. For example, three years ago alarge portion of the roof blew off of amajor convention center during a storm.Needless to say, we did not have a spe-cific plan for that occurrence. However,we quickly responded (by coordinatingwith local authorities, building mainte-nance and professional attendees) to en-sure that no one was injured, the damagewas contained, and the hall was recon-figured. The meeting went on!

In essence, Exhibit Management is thehub of a very large, complex wheel. Agood Exhibit Management companykeeps that wheel turning smoothly, hasfun doing it, and makes it seem easy toanyone looking in from the outside! �

*Kristofer S. Herlitz is Vice President of TheHerlitz Company, Inc., sister company tothis Editor’s division. For additional infor-mation, contact The Herlitz Company, Inc.,at 914-833-1979 or visit www.herlitz.com.

6 www.hbanet.org HBA Bulletin November/December 2002

of how a launch should work,” said HBA Immediate Past-President, Teri P. Cox, Senior Managing Partner, Cox Com-munications Partners (Lawrenceville, NJ). “The multi-disciplinary teaming that pervaded the entire process wasimpressive. Indeed, the degree of collaboration describedby the panelists emphasized to the HBA audience the im-

portance of positive partnering within a pharmaceuticalcompany. Even the vendors were treated as equally valuedteam members.”

“I learned about the value of collaboration over compe-tition,” said one attendee during a breakout session. “Col-laboration and open communication within a company, be-tween a company and its vendors, and between vendors

LEVERAGING AN IDEA from page 1

SPECIAL THANKS TO

GlaxoSmithKline for sponsoring this event and for providing facilitiesfor this program. And thanks to Program Organizers BARBARAAMABILE, Business Development, Advisory Services, Software Asso-ciates International and JULIA DANIELAK, Manager, Leadership De-velopment & Staffing, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and to the HBA’sCo-Directors of Programs, JILL QUIST and STEPHANIE PHILLIPS, PhD.

inhibitor, Nexium. How did they do it? Here are some tipsfrom the trenches.● “Build strong partnerships with target associations and

customers. This enhances education and knowledge inthe disease area. In addition, always strive to raise thestandard on patient care.”—Lois Brothers, Brand Promotions Leader, Nexium

● “Strategy is important, but so are ‘people issues.’ A keypart of our success was rooted in our ability to functionas a cohesive team.”—Sharon DeBacco, Consumer Brand Promotions Leader,Nexium

● “Executing the strategy was critical to our success butequally important was the trust and mutual respect thatexisted within the team.”—Sandy Sommer, Product Strategist, Nexium

● “Leveraging an idea across multiple channels begins witha shared ownership of strategy and objectives. On a teamas large as ours, it was critical to know that everyone wasclear on where we needed to go and how we would getthere. With this as a foundation, it was easy for us toleverage the talents within our team and empower eachmember to create a component of our overall launch planthat was truly integrated.”—Lisa Schoenberg, Group Director, Nexium;HBA“Rising Star”

(Left to right) Stacey Sunshine-Tito;Arnell Davis, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company;

and Norma Del Viscio, Quest Diagnostics.

Maria Crocitto, AdvantageCommunications, LLC; with Mike Squires,

Pharmaceutical Marketing Consultant.

Cheryl Umbles, Life Sciences Consulting;speaking with Preeti Pinto, AstraZeneca

Pharmaceuticals LP.

Lisa Schoenberg, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, speaking tothe audience at October’s meeting.

● “AstraZeneca’s Nexium Team offers a case study for suc-cessfully launching a megabrand, because they did a stel-lar job of creating the optimal mix of strategy and execu-tion across all audiences, media, promotional vehicles,and other critical commercialization components.”—Sarah S. Harrison, VP, Customer Strategy Integration,AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP; HBA 2002 “Woman ofthe Year”

Audience CommentsPost-seminar interviews with attendees revealed that ev-

ery one who participated in this event learned a great dealabout the delicate balance of an integrated launch.

“The Nexium marketing program is a perfect example

working on the same launch is not an easy accomplishment;but, as the Nexium team revealed, this approach will alwaysgarner more success in the long-term than an internally com-petitive approach.”

“Respect and support for every member of the team, fo-cused leadership, a common goal and the freedom to com-

HBA Bulletin November/December 2002 www.hbanet.org 7

Eileen WoodsManaging Partner, AgentiveHBA Bulletin Chapters Correspondent

The Atlanta Chapter of the HBAThe Atlanta Chapter of the HBA

ended its year on a high note with a pre-sentation on November 6th from NadineCraig, Vice President of Sales and Mar-keting at UCB Pharma Inc., (Smyrna,GA), a global research-based pharmaceu-tical company. Her presentation was en-titled: “Climbing the PharmaceuticalLadder while Achieving and Maintain-ing Work/Life Balance.” This well-at-tended evening event was held from 6:30to 9:00 pm at the Maggiano’s at Perim-eter Mall in Atlanta, Georgia.

UCB Pharma Inc. is the NorthAmerican subsidiary of UCB PharmaInternational, which is headquarteredin Brussels, Belgium. Craig, who over-sees more than 500 employees andseven departments, joined UCBPharma Inc. in 1997. Since then shehas played a major role in thecompany’s success and expansion. In-deed, they have experienced a mini-mum of 20 percent annual growth glo-bally for six consecutive years. Muchof this growth has been driven by suc-cesses in the United States.

“The opportunity to meet femalesuccess story Nadine Craig, Vice Presi-dent of Sales at UCB Pharma Inc. gen-erated lots of excitement in the AtlantaChapter. The meeting was definitelyone of the year’s high points,” said

Linda Bishop, Director of Commu-nications for the Atlanta Chapter of theHBA. Bishop went on to say, “In a pow-erful presentation based on her own experi-ences, Nadine shared career tips and her ownhard-earned lessons on balancing work withfamily. Two that come to mind is her em-phasis on ‘relentless follow-up’ when man-aging a workforce, and her own at-homespa recipe—one quart of buttermilk withone cup of honey in a tub of warm water.”

The Boston Chapter of the HBAMembership in the Boston Chapter

of the HBA continues to increase andthey are now at 50+ members, notedChapter President, Karla Gonye, Dis-trict Sales Manager, Key Pharmaceuti-cals (Plymouth, MA). She added thatthe chapter continues to seek volunteersupport for 2003 and needs help on theNewspaper, Membership, and Programcommittees. A treasurer is also needed.Those interested should contact Gonyeat karla.gonye@spcorp.com

November Networking ReceptionDue to a high number of member

requests, there was a networking re-ception held on Thursday, November21st at 5:30 pm at the NewtonMarriott, (Newton, MA), Gonye said.The purpose of the event was to meetand greet colleagues, stay current onindustry news, and find out what theBoston Chapter of the HBA is allabout. According to attendees, theevent was a great succcess! Look for an

update on this networking reception inthe next issue of the HBA Bulletin.

The San Francisco/Bay Area(SFBA) Chapter of the HBA

On October 15th, the SFBA Chap-ter of the HBA held its kick-off eventin their evening seminar series at theGuidant Corporation, (Santa Clara,CA) from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. TheChapter’s goal throughout this seminarseries is to arm their members with theleadership tools necessary to succeed intheir careers. Loren Walsh, Vice Presi-dent, Organizational Consulting, RightManagement Consultants (San Fran-cisco, CA), conducted a session en-titled: “Leadership: Communicate, In-fluence and Impact.”

During this thought-provokingevening, participants learned aboutproven methodologies to enhancetheir strategic thinking capabilities.In a highly interactive format, attend-ees had the opportunity to learn andtake away strategic communicationtools designed to enhance profes-sional influence and impact.

Following the session, members par-ticipated in a networking session wherethey had the opportunity to meet andexchange ideas with Bay Area col-leagues in the industry. Chapter Presi-dent Gayathri Koundinya, Commer-cialization Manager, CV Therapeutics(Palo Alto, CA), offered a special noteof thanks to Guidant Corporation andGenetech, Inc. (San Francisco, CA) forsponsoring this well attended event.Both companies are HBA-SFBA cor-porate members. �

HBA Chapters Update

TIME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The HBA is a volunteer group, and its success is due tocountless hours of time spent by members to plan and executeprograms, publications and other services.

At the October 3rd meeting, HBA President Mary Cobb,CEO and President of Pace, Inc. (Parsippany, NJ), honoredCAROL HOLLISTER, President, HRM, Inc. (Hollister Research &Marketing, Inc., Mendham, NJ) as the recipient of theassociation’s “Time to Make a Difference” award. Hollister wasnominated because she has provided strategic counsel forresearch programs that have resulted in essential informationfor the future direction of the HBA.

municate ideas—that’s what I learned are some of the keysto making a powerful launch team and executing an effec-tive launch,” commented another attendee.

“The launch of a potential blockbuster into a very com-petitive market requires strong leadership, integration acrossa multidisciplinary team, very effective and consistent com-munications, and great marketing savvy,” said HBA Presi-dent, Mary E. Cobb, CEO/President PACE., Inc.(Parsippany, NJ). “The presentation by the Nexium team(composed mostly of women) is a testament to the contri-butions women are making in this industry. We can onlyexpect to see the role of women expand as they move upand into the Executive Suite!” Cobb concluded. �

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HBA CORPORATE MEMBERSHIPAccel Healthcare Communications

American Academy of Family PhysiciansAstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP

Bayer CorporationAccelera

Bradin Search Group, Inc.Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Chandler Chicco AgencyCline Davis & Mann, Inc.Clinical CONNEXION

Communications Media Inc.Compas, Inc.

CovanceDimensional HealthCare, Inc.

Dorland Global Health CommunicationsDowden Health Media

Eisai Inc.Elsevier Science, Inc.

Ernst & YoungETHICON, Inc.

FCB HealthCareFleet Bank

Genentech, Inc.Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione, PC

GlaxoSmithKlineGrey Healthcare Group Inc.

Guidant CorporationHealth Resource Publishing

Healthcare Resources GroupHerlitz HealthCare: A Communications Company

Hill & Knowlton, Inc.Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.

Innovative Media ResearchInnovative Medical Education

International Medical News GroupInternational Meetings & Science

Janssen PharmaceuticaKPR

Lally McFarland & Pantello Inc.Lyons Lavey Nickel Swift, Inc.

M/C CommunicationsMediVia

Medivisor, Inc.Merck & Co., Inc.

Merkley Newman Harty HealthworksNCI Advertising, Inc.

Newton Interactive, Inc.Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Organon, Inc.Ortho Biotech Products, LP

Ortho-McNeil PharmaceuticalPfizer Inc.

Pharmacia CorporationPROmedica Communications, Inc.

Publications of the American Medical AssociationPWC Consulting

Regan Campbell WardReliant Pharmaceuticals, LLC

Sanofi-Synthelabo, Inc.SCP Communications, Inc.SimStar Internet Solutions

SoftWatch Inc.Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Sudler & Hennessey/IntraMedVOX Medica, Inc.

Wyeth

HBA ADVISORY BOARDJack E. Angel, Greenwich Communications Ltd

Sharon Callahan, The Summit GroupCarrie S. Cox, Pharmacia Corporation

Rose Crane, Johnson & Johnson PharmaceuticalServices, LLC

Martin DriscollDebra Freire, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Lynn Gaudioso, Ivanhoe Strategies, LLCMatthew Giegerich, CommonHealth

Kathryn Giusti,Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

Kathleen Harrison, Pharmaceutical Media Inc.Sarah Harrison, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LPMichael Hickey, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP

Tamar Howson, Bristol-Myers Squibb CompanyHeidi Hunter, Wyeth

Elizabeth Kapalla, MediViaKaren Katen, USPG, Pfizer Inc.

Tom Lusty, PACE, Inc., a Lowe Healthcare CompanyLouis J. Manzi, GlaxoSmithKline

Charlotte McKines, Merck & Co., Inc.Paula Meade, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.

Dorothy Philips, PhD,Philips Healthcare Communications, Inc.Thomas Pizor, Dowden Health Media

Myrtle Potter, Genentech, Inc.Charlene Prounis, Accel Healthcare Communications

Maureen Regan, Regan Campbell WardTimothy Rothwell, Pharmacia Corporation

Barbara Saltzman, BSC CompanyJean Sharp, Sharp & Associates Healthcare

Communications Consultants, Inc.William C. Sheldon, Eisai Inc.

Charlotte E. Sibley, Pharmacia CorporationCatherine A. Sohn, PharmD, GlaxoSmithKline

Lynn O’Connor Vos, Grey Healthcare Group, Inc.Kitty Walsh

Carol Webb, Ortho Biotech Products, LP

PRESIDENT’S FORUM

Looking Back and Forward

8 www.hbanet.org HBA Bulletin November/December 2002

Mary E. CobbHBA President

As I write my lastPresident’s Forum for theyear, it is hard to believethat my term as HBAPresident will end shortly.One of the challenges inthis role has been to writePresident’s Forums thatnot only reported on keyactivities and achieve-ments of the organizationand its members, but that

also delivered a message and addressed impor-tant issues. While I will not miss these frequentcolumn deadlines, I will miss serving as thePresident of the HBA. It has been a tremen-dous year for me, both personally and profes-sionally, as I was able to meet so many ofour individual and corporate members. Ithas also been quite exciting to take part inshaping the HBA’s future—to help the tal-ented members of the HBA Board to iden-tify opportunities and a direction for thiswonderful organization.

During the year and at the HBA’s “Womanof the Year” event, I spoke about making a dif-ference—about making a difference in our in-dustry and in how we run our businesses—and making a difference in the healthcare thatis delivered to all people. I believe that the HBAmembers and the women in this industry trulyhave a passion for doing their best. Together, Iknow we will make positive changes for thegood of our industry and the people we serve.

Looking to HBA AchievementsThe growth of the HBA is quite impressive

with membership increasing, interest and par-ticipation in programs at a very high level, andgreat visibility in the industry. However, theHBA is only successful if we have met the needsof our members. In assessing our accomplish-ments this year and what you have gained fromthe organization, I would propose that becauseof HBA’s unique initiatives and dedication towomen in the healthcare industry:● More women have experienced the value

and reward of networking with otherwomen.

● More women have learned to value andpromote themselves and their ideas as

they contribute and make a difference.● More women are reaching out to their

peers, sharing even one “gem of an idea”to help other women pursue new optionsand approaches to problems.

● More women have expanded their profes-sional networks and even turned some ofthese valued business colleagues into friends.

● More women have gained an appreciationfor the incredible talents of other womenin the industry and have inspired themto do more!

● More women have expanded their pro-fessional knowledge base—attendingHBA seminars and learning some of theessentials skills for becoming better pro-fessionals such as negotiating, managingchange, Internet marketing, etc.

● More women have strengthened theircurrent positions or expanded their ca-reer options.

● The entire industry has been made awareof the power and talent of its women pro-fessionals.It has been my great pleasure to play even a

small part in these invaluable contributions thatthe HBA has made and continues to make tothis industry.

With a Special Heartfelt ThanksOne of the most rewarding parts of serv-

ing as President is the opportunity to workwith such a committed and talented groupof women who care so much about the or-ganization—the HBA Board, the HBACommittee Chairs, all committee membersand volunteers. Thank you also to our Ad-visory Board Members for their strategic sup-port and advice. And, to our Chapter BoardMembers, thank you for taking a leadershiprole in bringing the HBA to more womenaround the country. A special thanks goesto our Executive Director, Carol Davis-Grossman, and The Charles Group for theiradministrative excellence and organizationalsupport. Finally, I want to thank you—ourindividual and corporate members—for yourinvolvement. We continue to make a differ-ence because of you.

I wish all of you a very happy and peacefulholiday season. �

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