ne of the most engaging new components of DIA Europe 2018 is the Leaders of Tomorrow program, which connects emerging pharmaceutical professionals through a mobile app that creates a digital community for sharing their own ideas about healthcare before, during, and after they convene in Basel for DIA Europe 2018, and as they prepare for our DIA Global 2018 gathering in Boston later this year.

Recognizing that digital – or, more specifically, mobile – engagement is the primary way in which these leaders learn and work, DIA Marketing Manager Julien Meinrad and Elena Popa, who lead the DIA team behind this new initiative, strategized the Leaders of Tomorrow (LoT) program to neatly fit within their connected world. LoT aims to bring together emerging professionals with similar profiles; topic channels in the app encourage their conversations in regulatory science, clinical science, pharmacovigilance, or other interest areas. At press time, there were nearly 500 users; 620 posts; 4,800 comments; 8,000 likes; and 15,000 views of the newsfeed, in the app.

Who doesn’t like a little friendly competition?

The “Leaders of Tomorrow Challenge” has further energized this community: After completing a series of “challenges,” such as sharing LoT content through social media posts, completing an informational webinar, or other activity that combines information with engagement, these leaders become eligible for a drawing to win complementary registration to DIA Europe 2018. Leader of Tomorrow champions will also benefit from a dedicated DIA Europe 2018 programme that includes guided visits to industry sites (Roche, Novartis, and Actelion), special professional development sessions, and speed networking activities with senior professionals.

“Leaders of Tomorrow is about getting out of your comfort zone and finding new ways to reinvent yourself. It’s the perfect platform to inspire and to be inspired,” Elena suggests. “I encourage all emerging professionals and students to get into the digital world of Leader of Tomorrow and take the challenges.”

“We are so thrilled to see that we have surpassed 500 downloads of our ‘Leader of Tomorrow’ app dedicated to emerging pharmaceutical professionals. This app brings this specific audience together and creates debate around various, crucial healthcare topics,” Julien explains. “Every day, participants post comments, pictures, and share their knowledge and ideas through the app. In fact, they don’t only connect via the app but also through real-life social events and, ultimately, at DIA Europe 2018, DIA Global 2018, and other regional annual meetings around the world! Please download the “DIA Global / Leader of Tomorrow app (it takes about one minute) to join our growing network!”

DIA has also established a dedicated Community as a forum for more advanced emerging professionals’ conversations, and has just announced plans to keep the LoT program rolling through DIA Global 2018 in Boston this June. To download the App, search for “DIA Global” in the App Store or Google Play. Once downloaded, select the “Leader of Tomorrow” event to join.

“The Leaders of Tomorrow challenge has been stimulating and well designed! I’m a 26 years old biotechnologist. As a very young healthcare professional, still in her own educational program, I was immediately attracted by DIA Leaders of Tomorrow when I saw the advertisement on LinkedIn. I discovered the challenge to get a free seat at DIA Europe 2018 in Basel, where I’ve lived and worked for the past two years, so I said, why not? Always worth a try! The challenges were fun, particularly the interview with my boss about DIA and the future of healthcare. See you at DIA Europe 2018!” – Caterina Arno, Regulatory Affairs Postgraduate

“I am a Leader of Tomorrow because I am a young pharmacist at the beginning of my professional career, and it’s an opportunity for me to develop my communication ability, get more self-confidence, and meet new people from all parts of Europe. This programme is an excellent occasion to exchange ideas, hear more points of view concerning problems, and making new friends. I definitely want to be part of that! – Claudiu Radu, Head of Analytical Development, Laropharm (Romania)

“I chose to take part in the Leader of Tomorrow challenge because I could connect with its vision and purpose. As I am interested in continuous development and leadership, this challenge represents the perfect environment for my personal growth. This experience made me see that we, as young professionals, can form a great community where we can exchange opinions and experiences. I participated last year at DIA Europe 2017 and knew the greatness of the event; when I saw this amazing opportunity for complementary access to this year’s event, I was more than motivated to engage on a daily basis. This is definitely a great idea that combines promotion, reward, and competitiveness.” – Alexandra-Mihaela Lupu, MPharm; Regulatory Affairs Officer, Laropharm (Romania)

“I am a Leader of Tomorrow because I strive for excellence and am eager to innovate to help saving millions of lives. My current work in biostatistics helps to pave the way for personalized medicine, allowing patients to benefit from the right drug for them.” – Nicolas Ballarini

“Leader of Tomorrow is a great opportunity for young professionals working in healthcare drug development (and students) to exchange knowledge and experiences. It is a very nice way to share our point of view and debate on the different topics burning within this community, and the chance to win free registration for DIA Europe 2018 demonstrates our commitment and engagement. Thank you!” – Manon Cappadoro, Regulatory Affairs Postgraduate, Novartis Pharma AG