BIO 2001 BREAKS RECORDS: MOST SUCCESSFUL BIOTECH CONFERENCE EVER
By far, this was the best attended and most successful international meeting and exhibition the biotechnology industry has ever held, said David E. Robinson, chairman of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), which sponsored the event. The number of registrants surpassed 14,000 and we saw a dramatic rise in overseas participants and exhibitors. I want to thank Mayor Murphy, the City and County of San Diego, area law enforcement personnel and San Diego’s biotechnology community for all of their assistance in making BIO 2001 such an overwhelming success.
Robinson said that San Diego showcased its leadership in biotechnology to the world and once again demonstrated the city’s ability to host major events. San Diego is a world-class city that knows how to accommodate and entertain visitors. Our delegates were appreciative and impressed with San Diego’s hospitality and the high degree of professionalism exhibited in its preparations for our convention, Robinson said. San Diego truly has technology’s perfect climate.
Conference Facts:
- Over 14,000 registrants, a 30 % increase over last year’s convention.
- Almost 5,000 international participants, over twice the number last year, representing 44 countries.
- 800 exhibit booths, the most to date.
- An industry-sponsored teacher professional development program that was enthusiastically received by the 80 participating middle school, secondary and community college teachers from throughout the country.
- The first minority fellowship program organized in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health that awarded scholarships to approximately 50 professionals from across the United States.
- A free, on-site job fair where 60 companies interviewed a record 2,500 prospective employees.
- The industry’s largest international partnering forum to date, where more than 1,200 meetings were arranged for representatives from 422 companies to discuss potential collaboration.
- The BIOGENEius competition that awarded a total of $24,000 to San Diego-area middle and high school science students.
- A highly successful global roundtable that addressed issues and challenges confronting both industrialized and developing countries involved in commercial biotechnology efforts for meeting needs in human health, agriculture, the environment and industry.
- 238 ½ hours of symposia and seminars.
BIO represents more than 950 companies, academic institutions and state biotech centers in all 50 U.S. states and 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.