Washington, D.C. (March 23, 2017) – Registration is open for the 2017 BIO International Convention, the world’s premier life sciences event, which returns to the San Diego Convention Center from June 19 to 22.
Hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the event is expected to attract more than 16,000 attendees and more than 1,800 exhibitors to the downtown convention center. BIO has assembled stellar steering and host committees, which include a wide range of San Diego business leaders, academics, government officials and life science advocates. Early bird registration ends on April 10.
BIO held its international convention in San Diego in 2008 and 2014. The 2014 event drew 15,667 industry leaders, including nearly 2,500 CEOs from 50 states and 70 countries. Local economic impact was estimated at more than $56 million, which is expected to be surpassed in 2017.
“BIO is pleased to return to San Diego, one of the world’s largest and most innovative centers for biotechnology development,” said BIO President and CEO, Jim Greenwood. “This event provides biotech leaders with opportunities to showcase their breakthrough innovations, partner with C-level executives and network with the global biotech industry. We are excited to see that exhibit space is being reserved at a record rate. We look forward to announcing more details over the next two months as the education sessions are finalized and major speakers are selected.”
The BIO 2017 schedule provides the most comprehensive informational, networking and partnering opportunities available at any biotech convention worldwide. Convention programming will highlight the work in some of San Diego’s key biotech clusters, which often play a leading role in global innovation. Workshops, panel discussions, exhibits and other events will highlight the latest life sciences advances, including gene editing, stem cells, genomic diagnostics, devices and much more. Featured tracks in oncology, value, big data and digital health will be among the convention’s highlights. In addition, BIO will feature thematic exhibits and presentations, such as the Innovation Zone, Digital Health Zone, Start-Up Stadium and BIO Talent Connect.
This is the second consecutive year a California city has hosted BIO and with good reason – California is the world leader in life sciences innovation. San Francisco hosted BIO 2016, featuring exhibitors and speakers from throughout the Bay Area.
“Biocom welcomes BIO 2017 to San Diego, where the sun reflects on our city’s astonishing breadth and depth of life science innovation and success,” said Joe Panetta, President and CEO of BIOCOM. “In San Diego you will find bright minds collaborating to overcome the most complex challenges in R&D, big data, precision medicine, genomics and breakthrough therapeutics. San Diego exemplifies the perfect convergence of expertise across the healthcare spectrum, with transformative leaders bringing hope for the future of humanity.”
“The California life sciences community is thrilled to welcome BIO to San Diego for the 2017 BIO International Convention,” said Sara Radcliffe, President and CEO of the California Life Sciences Association (CLSA). “Medical researchers and innovators across San Diego and California’s life sciences community are leading the way in bringing new therapies to patients and indeed have had a laudable and remarkable history of addressing unmet medical needs, enhancing and saving millions of lives. I know that as the global biotech community gathers for BIO 2017, they will find a warm welcome and a robust local biotech sector with whom to partner, collaborate and advance the innovative technologies for which our industry is so well known.”
San Diego alone boasts hundreds of companies – from startup biotechs to genomics giant Illumina that will participate in BIO 2017. The city is home to some of the finest academic research institutions in the world: The Scripps Research Institute, University of California San Diego, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology.
“The Southern California Biomedical Council (SoCalBio) is pleased that the BIO International Convention will be held in San Diego in June, 2017,” said Ahmed Enany, SoCalBio's President & CEO. “We are encouraging our member companies in the Greater Los Angeles Region to participate in this preeminent event which will offer many opportunities to discuss public policy developments that are shaping the future of health care, nutrition, the environment and solving unmet medical needs. Our members, particularly emerging companies, can also benefit greatly from the partnering sessions which may provide access to capital, technology and other business services that are essential to the growth of biotech companies. We would welcome the opportunity to host this unique convention in Los Angeles at some future date.”
Learn more about BIO’s registration options. Complimentary media registration is also available to editors and reporters working full time for print, broadcast or web publications with valid press credentials.
About BIO
BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO's blog chronicling “innovations transforming our world” and the BIO Newsletter is the organization’s bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter.
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