We have spent over $600,000 on vendors we hired after the Summit

“We have hired two vendors we met at the Marcus Evans Summit, and have spent over USD 600,000 on their solutions so far. One vendor was not on our radar while we had ignored the emails from the other. Talking to them at the Summit gave us a better understanding of what they do” said Tara Lehner, Vice President, Clinical Operations, INmune Bio Inc., a speaker and delegate at the Marcus Evans Evolution Summit.

What new possibilities and business opportunities has the Evolution Summit introduced you to?

I connected with different people and learned about solution providers I was not aware of. I receive many cold outreach emails and calls, and don’t look at most of them in any great detail due to the sheer volume. At the Summit, sitting down with vendors gave me the opportunity to think how they could make a meaningful impact or bridge any areas where we lack solutions. Talking to their executives helped us get a good understanding of their offerings.

Did you hire any of those solution providers?

Yes, we hired two. We met one of the vendors over a coffee break and had a very good conversation. I had never heard of them before and was very intrigued by their model. They have helped us bridge a need we had for contractors, and we are now looking at potentially expanding the relationship. We have spent around USD 400,000 on their services so far.

The second vendor is one that had reached out to me before the Summit, but I hadn’t looked at them. At the Summit, we had a chance to discover what they do. We have now engaged in a contract and working on their new platform. We spend around USD 250,000 a year.

In addition, there are at least two more companies we hope to use in the future.

Would you have discovered these vendors or solutions on your own?

Probably not. I was not even considering that solution at that point, as I thought we couldn’t afford it. It was at the Summit that I discovered it was financially feasible for our company.

Have either of them replaced an existing vendor?

Yes, one of them has. I was dissatisfied with our vendor and hadn’t decided if it was better to just stick to someone we already knew. When I met the new vendor, we clicked, so I decided to try a few of their people. I appreciate the oversight and diligence that goes into their approach.

Are the one-on-one meetings a good way for vendors to get your attention?

Yes, if they’re not on our radar it’s usually tough for them to get their pitch heard. The meeting format is very efficient and effective. It helps accelerate relationship building with vendors. That was critical for me.

How do Marcus Evans Summits compare with other industry events?

I have attended various scientific conferences, but I found the Evolution Summit much more organized and streamlined. The quality of the vendors was also better. I loved the roundtable and panel discussions.