Amsterdam, 29 January 2018: UBM’s pharma portfolio announces its most successful year to date, with further industry firsts forecast for the year ahead. The UBM pharma brands – including the largest dedicated pharma exhibition series in the world, CPhI – have reported a number of new accomplishments in 2017 with the successful launch of CPhI North America, as well as record figures for its eponymous Worldwide edition. In 2018, UBM will expand its offerings even further, with the relocation of CPhI Istanbul to Abu Dhabi for CPhI Middle East & Africa (September 3-5), and bioLIVE launching in October (9-11).

Last October (24-26, 2017), the world’s largest pharma event, CPhI Worldwide, closed its 28th edition with audited figures indicating a record-breaking attendance of 44,993 and 2,598 exhibitors. Remarkably, in just the last three years, CPhI Worldwide has grown its audience base by a staggering 10,000 people, pulling in new attendees from across finished formulations and the growing biopharma space – with the latter set to see further rises with the launch of an independently branded adjacent event in bioLIVE. This new event has been created after independent research identified a gap in the market for a new global exhibition and content platform that could establish premium-class, global leadership across the entire biomanufacturing value chain.

UBM attributes the impressive increase in attendance at CPhI Worldwide to its commitment to introducing the latest technological advances and matchmaking tools, making the event easier to navigate and furthering opportunities to meet with potential partners. This included 952,152 interactions though its supplier finder system, 9,000 downloads of its mobile app (up 80% year-on-year) and a huge rise in social media engagement.

In another ground-breaking achievement, UBM celebrated in 2017 one of its most successful ever launch events, with CPhI North America hosting over 7,400 attendees. The North American pharma market is the pre-eminent pharma economy globally and one of the fastest growing. UBM is optimistic that CPhI North America 2018 will see an increase on the 630 exhibitors that attended the inaugural event.

In Asia, UBM continued to push ahead, hosting the largest pharma events in both India and China. CPhI India reported a 20% growth in attendee numbers and a 35% growth in its award entries, as UBM launched the second India Pharma Week; featuring 10 events, this week-long platform of bespoke programmes has been a key addition in attracting greater audiences. CPhI & PMEC China also experienced a 14% growth in overall visits and a 12% growth in overseas visits – a remarkable achievement for a mature market with 17 previous editions behind it.

Finally, highlighting the global strength of the CPhI brands in pharma, 2018 will see the leading pharma event in the Middle East and Africa move to a new venue in Abu Dhabi (UAE). Moving CPhI Middle East and Africa to the ADNEC Centre (September 3-5, 2018) from its home of the last 4 years in Istanbul means it increases access to audiences in Africa, whilst harnessing world class infrastructure and Abu Dhabi’s strategic location in the Middle East. The event will attract pharma leaders and key decision makers from across the region, bringing the expertise and reach of the CPhI brand to the heart of this new pharma hub. Alongside the exhibition, there will be sessions on the latest trends, keynote addresses, and numerous networking opportunities, with 200 local, regional and international exhibitors from 30 countries expected alongside 5,000 attendees.

“CPhI Worldwide has yet again achieved another record year with 44,993 attendees and continues to be a bellwether of the entire global industry. In 2017, UBM has also expanded its pharma reach into new sectors of the pharmaceutical value chain, as well as geographically, with the successful launch event in North America. Furthermore, we will introduce CPhI Middle East & Africa in September 2018. Our strategy of bringing the global community together with platforms that meet local needs is integral to the brand’s success. At UBM we are committed to keep our customers at the centre of what we do throughout the year. With the implementation of innovative campaigns across all communication channels, we strive to remain relevant and add value by sharing the latest industry insights with our audience,” comments Andreas Mavrommatis, Global Marketing Director at UBM.