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Strategy tips for the JP Morgan healthcare conference (and what comes after)

Veterans know the annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference week in San Francisco isn’t just about […]

Veterans know the annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference week in San Francisco isn’t just about the conference. The entire week is an event that includes literally dozens of ancillary gatherings and small-company conferences. That is why JPM has become an annual must-attend event for public or private emerging healthcare companies.

But next week should only be the start for investors syndicating deals and building dealflow in 2015, and startups set on recruiting investors for a new round. Think of JP Morgan week and its 15,000-plus attendees as the NFL Combine. Have you considered the critical next steps after JPM to sign those deals?

One Critical JPM Tip (For The Rookies)

In my opinion, if a company is seeking capital, seeking to scale, looking for an exit, seeking to grow their brand, JPM is the best week of the year. Go — if even to just participate in the ancillary events. Take your CFO, your IR person…go in multiple directions and cover as many events as possible.

Expect to find eight to 15 events all competing for the same audiences simultaneously, all day, every day, Monday through Wednesday. Then expect to wrangle a last-minute invite to the 50 or so evening receptions every night.

(Here’s a head start: take an invite to the Healthios Xchange equity funding reception and the Polsinelli and MATTER reception.)

JPM lets you build a list built on human handshakes and short-social conversations that should provide a list of follow-up tasks that can consume the month of February. Depending on a company or investor’s objective, I think it’s important to be very clear that this strategic week is not likely to produce traditional ROI i.e. sit down meetings talking deal terms unless those conversations have been cooking for some time prior.

Next Step: The Ideal Place to Follow Up

So just as critical as your JP Morgan strategy is what comes next. Where will you get additional all-important, sit-down, in-person, deal-closing meetings, stay on key targets’ radars and expand the JPM pipeline?

That requires a venue.

My suggestion for a next-step spot is the MidAmerica Healthcare Forum on March 10-11 in Chicago. Here are some reasons I feel this is a great post-JPM for your 2015 capital raise and strategic endeavors:

  • We all need a deadline, and it is reasonable to think that ‘live’ investors and strategics looking for deals are also looking for the next place to go.
    • The end of Q1 timing of the MidAmerican event gives you a bookend to your first 2015 efforts
    • Even if your new JPM friends don’t attend, it provides a non-salesy opportunity to request a meeting
    • If you are able to participate in the event in some way—even by attaching to a party or booth, you have more reason to engage
  • The event is highly regarded largely because is put on by MedCity News and the Mid-America Healthcare Investors Network, a collection of investors from the Midwest and beyond
    • This assures extensive event-promotion, awareness and credibility
    • This also assured relevant investors will be there. Previous attendees include Baird Venture Partners, BlueCross BlueShield Venture Partners, Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, GE Healthymagination Fund, Lemhi Ventures, Mayo Clinic Ventures, Thomas, McNerney & Partners, and Venture Investors LLC
  • The keynotes and panel discussions are relevant with industry leader speakers
  • This isn’t 15,000 people like JP Morgan. But the right 300 people. Last year the strategics and speakers were accessible for handshakes and short discussions. Prepare for intense networking
  • The company tracks had active investors and strategics in the rooms
  • The MidAmerican Healthcare Forum occurs at the end of the 1st quarter so the momentum from JP Morgan is still fresh and alive
  • It’s hosted in Chicago (easy to get to!)

So here’s to Q1! Get out to JPM and start building new partnerships. Then weed, feed and nurture the most strategic. And lay the groundwork for a March meet-up in Chicago.

[Photo from Flickr user pshutterbug]


Chelli Miller

Chelli Miller is the president and CEO of ChelliConnects. Her professional reputation provides her with an unprecedented reach into new and evolving Life Science technologies, innovative marketing and communications platforms, related investor world, and strategic relationships. Chelli embodies the ethics and integrity to see client needs through to completion by designing innovative growth solutions and deep relationships that bridge gaps with both new and existing resources. Chelli has the innate ability and proven track record to find cutting edge growth strategies that are winners for everyone involved.

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