So 2,500 biotech CEOs gathered in San Diego for nearly a week. What’s the bottom line?
Besides world attention for keynote speakers Hillary Clinton and Sir Richard Branson, you get an economic infusion topping $50 million.
The four-day BIO International Convention ending June 26 “was expected to bring more than $56.3 million to San Diego’s regional economy,” a spokeswoman for the event said Monday.
Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the San Diego Convention Center event drew 15,667 people from all 50 states and some 70 nations, said Paige Nordeen, the local spokeswoman.
See Times of San Diego coverage:
“This year’s BIO International Convention brought to San Diego leaders in industry, government and academia to help further the promise of biotechnology,” said BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood.
“From our outstanding keynote speakers, to the record number of partnering meetings, the 2014 Convention was a resounding success. This event continues to provide biotech leaders with the opportunity to showcase the best of our industry.”
Besides Virgin Group leader Branson and Former Secretary of State Clinton, more than 800 speakers and 160 sessions addressed the latest business opportunities, breakthroughs in medicine, diagnostics, the environment, energy production and food and agriculture.
Session highlights have been posted at BIO’s news site.
The top 10 largest delegations included (in no particular order) Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, South Korea, China, India, Turkey and Australia.
Governors attending this year’s event were California’s Jerry Brown, Massachusetts’ Deval Patrick, South Dakota’s Dennis Daugaard and Virginia’s Terry McAuliffe. New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadano and Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley also were present.
The BIO Business Forum hosted a record-breaking 29,000-plus scheduled one-on-one partnering meetings between more than 3,100 companies, and featured 192 company presentations.
The BIO Exhibition featured more than 1,800 exhibitors and covered over 160,000 square feet with 55 state and international booths.
“BIO would like to thank California Governor Edmund G. Brown and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer for their hospitality and support leading up to and during the 2014 BIO International Convention,” said a statement.
The 2015 BIO International Convention will take place June 15-18 in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
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