DCAT Week is unlike any other event on the industry calendar. DCAT Week offers companies the opportunity to host private meetings with customers, suppliers and potential business partners in their reserved Business Meeting Space across eight Official DCAT Week Hotels. Although those meetings are mostly pre-scheduled, DCAT Week’s activities and events offer additional opportunities for introductions, impromptu meetings and other business connections. The majority of DCAT Week attendees (92%) are high-level decision makers, with one in four attendees being C-Suite executives.

DCAT Week is hosted and organized by the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT), a not-for-profit, member-supported, global business development association, composed of more than 400 corporate members that includes innovator and generic drug companies and suppliers of ingredients, development and manufacturing services, and related technologies.

New for DCAT Week ’18, the InterContinental Barclay Hotel will serve as the official hub of the week’s activities. With full access to the hotel’s facilities and staff, the DCAT organization will offer additional benefits to its member companies, including high-profile branding opportunities and a larger block of sleeping rooms at discounted rates.
In addition to providing its members with a forum for high-level strategic meetings with key decision makers, DCAT Week offers networking events and education programs to help DCAT members expand their business network and stay informed on industry trends, analysis and best practices. 

DCAT Week kicks off on Monday, March 19th with the Member Company Announcement Forum, an important platform for DCAT member companies to make major news announcements on strategy developments, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), post-M&A integration, and significant manufacturing expansion activity in front of the industry press and standing-room only crowds.

DCAT Week ’18: Building Relationships
DCAT Week offers a variety of opportunities for members to expand their network of customers, suppliers and colleagues through a variety of networking events.
The Comedy Club & Networking Event on Monday, March 19th gives attendees the opportunity to network and enjoy one of New York City’s top comedians, all while supporting STEM education. Proceeds from the event support DCAT’s scholarship initiatives, which benefit high school students across the globe who are interested in pursuing a career in science.

DCAT Week would not be possible without the support and leadership of DCAT member companies and their representatives. A Volunteer Recognition Luncheon will thank and recognize the over 100 volunteers who serve on the organization’s Board of Directors, Advisory Council, Standing Committees and Task Forces that developed the programs, events and services provided to member companies throughout the year.

After a busy day of meetings, member representatives look forward to the DCAT Member Company Reception on Tuesday, March 20th before heading out to their customer dinners. With over 700 member representatives in attendance, this networking reception is one of the largest gatherings of the week.

Thursday’s DCAT Women’s Networking Breakfast will feature a presentation by Shari Harley, founder and president of Candid Culture, a leadership and business communication consulting firm, and author of “How to Say Anything to Anyone: A Guide to Building Business Relationships that Really Work.” Her presentation will focus on how attendees can take charge of their careers by strengthening their business relationships through improved business-communication skills.

The final networking event of the week is the 92nd DCAT Annual Dinner—a black-tie event not be missed. Over 2,000 DCAT members and their guests will gather on Thursday evening, March 22nd in the Grand Ballroom in the New York Hilton for this festive celebration, including a keynote address by actor, producer, musician and two-time Academy Award nominee and Grammy Award Winner, Will Smith.

DCAT Week ’18: Industry Education with a Focus on Innovation
Innovation drives the pharmaceutical industry, so how is innovation translating into overall pharmaceutical industry growth, advancing R&D productivity, and transforming manufacturing and supply management? The DCAT Week ’18 education programs, developed by the organization’s Education Committee and Task Forces, will address these issues during five education programs that will be held throughout the week. Each program includes a networking component.

The popular Pharmaceutical Industry Outlook will examine pharmaceutical industry growth overall, the product mix between small molecules and biologics, and growth in developed and emerging markets. The program will also have an Executive Forum to gain further insights on the factors impacting industry performance.

A new Executive Insights series will feature two programs with on-stage interviews with leading pharmaceutical executives to examine the macro issues impacting drug development and manufacturing. The first program will include executives from EMD Serono, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Roviant Sciences, who will offer views of the current and future direction of drug development and product innovation, including new business models for R&D, rising therapeutic areas, and the role of precision medicines. The second program, which will feature executives from AstraZenca, Celgene, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, will cover the key drivers influencing biopharmaceutical, and pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply, including how technology and product mix are impacting demand and supply.

The Innovation in Sourcing and Procurement program will offer best practices and lessons learned from leading executives in sourcing, procurement, and supply management on how to drive value and performance in the pharmaceutical customer–supplier relationship. Topics include: advanced sourcing in new product development; innovative approaches in project management and supplier metrics to successfully move manufacturing of a molecule from in-house to external production; and best practices in collaborative supply-chain planning.

Another new program for DCAT Week ’18 is Emerging Pharma: Strategies for Optimizing Manufacturing and Supply, which will examine how emerging pharmaceutical companies can develop and implement the optimal manufacturing strategy for their drug candidates. The program will provide: insights on how drug pricing and the payer/reimbursement environment are impacting product development and commercialization, including how manufacturing and product-design choices can impact downstream pricing and coverage; best practices for the selection and management of CDMOs or CMOs; and manufacturing considerations in the due-diligence process when partnering with larger pharmaceutical companies. 

For a complete schedule of programs and events, visit www.dcatweek.org.