Boehringer Ingelheim Develops Unique Solutions with Modular Inventory

A leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim transforms lives with breakthrough therapies.

Before Covid shut down the face-to-face industry for more than two years, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) had invested in a significant inventory of beMatrix components. The idea was to use the components for a particular product franchise, OFEV, which treats idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. When congresses in this therapeutic area resumed in 2022, there were conversations about the inventory, the budget for the exhibits for the rest of the year, and a plan that would make the most of a modular solution. Was there a strategy that could use the modular components to promote the single drug at a variety of shows?

A Modular, Personalized, Sustainable Event Experience

The solution was simple, elegant, and budget-friendly.

Using the BI owned beMatrix inventory, the exhibits for the three scheduled congresses (CHEST, ACR, and ATS) were designed to celebrate the city in which each congress was held, complete with streetscapes, local icons, and hospitality items. The exhibit designs were enhanced by floral arrangements and city-specific archetypes.

Moreover, since the beMatrix components are reusable, year after year, this solution not only builds consistent brand awareness but it is an example of a sustainable practice that cuts down waste in the exhibit industry.

The design for CHEST in Nashville mimicked Broadway in Nashville, the destination for music venues. The floral arrangements were in the shapes of guitars, boots, cowboy hats, as well as wings, representing the opening of the lungs. Hospitality provided Nashville favorite, Goo Goo Clusters!

At American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in Philadelphia, the street where attendees could find Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell created a path in the exhibit. A Rocky impersonator and a Ben Franklin impersonator were in the exhibit, and hospitality included Tastykakes and pretzels with cheese dip.

The path through the ATS exhibit in San Francisco replicated the city’s Lombard Street, an east–west street famous for a steep, one-block section with eight hairpin turns. Hospitality featured sourdough bread pudding with Ghirardelli chocolate sauce, Bay Area specialties. This exhibit at American Thoracic Society won best of show.

Continuing the Experience in 2023

BI had great success with the beMatrix components in 2022, and as they continued to attend congresses, they were able to keep using these components to create new customized experiences in every new city they attended.

The design on display in Washington, D.C. showcased highlights from the city’s rich history—models of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, a rich blue reflecting pool, and imagery that evoked cherry blossoms—to draw in visitors.

When BI attended the ACR Convergence in 2023, they adapted their exhibit to feature the beauty of their host city, San Diego, from manmade skyline to the natural beauty of their beaches and local wildlife.

At CHEST, hosted in Hawaii, BI’s exhibit captured the vibrance of its host city with bright flowers on display, as well as mural-sized imagery featuring the sun and surf Hawaii is famous for.

Medical Affairs

Because it was necessary to have part of the exhibit dedicated to medical affairs and science—particularly because in the three intervening years, OFEV had applied for a new indication (new uses for the drug)–the modular solution allowed for the unbranded medical affairs exhibits to append to the larger promotional exhibits.