BIO Announces Keynote and Returns to Boston June 4-7 to Celebrate 25 Years of History-Making Innovation
Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2018) –The BIO International Convention, the world’s premier life sciences event, will return to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, June 4-7, to celebrate 25 years of advocacy and innovation. Hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the 2018 event is expected to attract more than 16,000 attendees and 1,800 exhibitors from 74 countries – all who will be welcomed in a special, keynote address by ABC’s Robin Roberts.
“We’re thrilled to announce Robin Roberts as a BIO 2018 keynote speaker,” said Jim Greenwood, President and Chief Executive Officer of BIO. “From her esteemed journalism career to her personal triumphs over illness, she is a true trailblazer and it is perfectly fitting that Ms. Roberts will speak to the Convention’s 2018 theme: ‘make history.’”
This year’s Convention will celebrate the breakthrough innovations that have shaped the past 25 years and the companies, academic centers and investors that continue to advance cutting-edge science and solutions to the world’s toughest challenges.
Registration is open for this year’s event, which promises to be the most comprehensive biotech convention in the world. BIO 2018 will offer:
- Nineteen educational tracks, covering all sectors of biotechnology including genome editing, opioids, digital health, oncology, personalized medicine, food and agriculture and more.
- Discussions by top thought leaders from:
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – Dr. Penny Heaton and Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann
- Food and Drug Administration – Dr. Scott Gottlieb
- Novartis – Dr. Jay Bradner
- Merck – Kevin Ali, Dr. Christine Brennan, Dr. Julie Gerberding and Michael Nally
- Sanofi – Dr. Heather Bell, Dr. Justin Huddleson, Dr. Adam Keeney and Stephen Meunier
- Kraft Group and New England Patriots President – Jonathan Kraft
- BIO One-on-One Partnering™ - Expected to top last year’s more than 41,000 individual meetings held over the course of four days.
- Engaging exhibits such as the Patient Advocacy Pavilion, Emerging Innovators Zone, Digital Health Zone, and Start-Up Stadium – a “Shark Tank”-like program where startups present to leading subject-matter experts in the industry.
As the world’s epicenter of biotechnology innovation, Boston – which last hosted BIO in 2012 – is the prime location for BIO 2018. The city is home to nearly 1,000 biotech companies, academic centers, hospitals and life science centers advancing breakthrough research and product development. Over the last decade, Massachusetts has become a powerhouse for industry growth, with a 30 percent increase in jobs and no signs of slowing down. At last year’s convention, Governor Charlie Baker unveiled a 5-year, $500 million plan to increase infrastructure, research and development, and workforce training to continue building upon Massachusetts’ scientific excellence.
Complimentary media registration is available to editors and reporters working full time for print, broadcast or web publications with valid press credentials.
Roberts will speak at Tuesday’s Keynote session from 9-10:30AM (ET). It is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Innovation and is open to attendees with Convention Access or higher.
About Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts has conducted interviews with countless newsmakers, musicians, authors, athletes and celebrities. Under her leadership, the ABC’s “Good Morning America” has won five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program and the 2017 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Daytime TV Hosting Team. Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2007. Five years later after beating cancer, she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare disease of the blood and bone marrow once known as pre-leukemia. Roberts underwent a bone marrow transplant in September 2012 and has become an outspoken advocate for bone marrow donations and blood cancer research.