Pharmaceutical Market Europe • July/August 2024 • 71
HEALTHCARE COMMS
Inizio Engage merges Ashfield Event Experiences and WRG to create Emota
Inizio Engage has announced that it has merged Ashfield Event Experiences and WRG to create a new global experiential agency, Emota.
The agency sits within the experience design (XD) department of Inizio Engage and provides a portfolio of services and capabilities for the healthcare industry and global brands.
Experiences created by Emota include medical congresses and conventions, brand activations and experiences, advisory boards, investigator meetings, roadshows, product launches, sales meetings, public events, symposia, incentive trips, and training and educational programmes.
Its offering comprises in-house services such as a diversity, equity and inclusion centre of excellence, and a sustainable event and exhibition methodology supported by industry body TRACE.
Mark Jackson, previously global head of environments for WRG and head of experiential at Inizio Engage XD, will head the agency as global managing director and will report to Russ Lidstone, president of Inizio Engage XD.
Lidstone said: “We believe that businesses and brands are increasingly defined by the experiences that they create for their stakeholders. So now is the right time to combine our two event brands into Emota, one global offer.”
Jackson will be accompanied by a leadership team consisting of Simon Davenport as global head of exhibitions and environments, Katie Coleman as head of meetings and events US, Tripp Mahan as head of live production US, Dan Walker as head of meetings and events UK, Saira Dickinson as head of live production UK, Katie Streten as global head of creative strategy and Mark Gass as group chief creative officer.
Jackson said: “I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside our newly formed leadership team to combine the unparalleled experience and talent of our two legacy brands into something truly special.
“We’re already helping clients tackle their business challenges, demonstrate return on investment and better connect with their audiences.”
Mark Jackson
Russ Lidstone
OPEN Health and fusion join in AI partnership
OPEN Health and fusion have entered into a partnership aimed at delivering artificial intelligence (AI)-powered healthcare communications.
fusion, which will work exclusively with OPEN Health, specialises in delivering AI and machine learning (ML) solutions. The alliance will see the agency’s AI capabilities deployed across OPEN Health’s global client base.
Margot Hannah, chief executive officer of scientific communications at OPEN Health, said: “We immediately recognised the need to expand our capabilities and started a dialogue with fusion about an exclusive partnership to provide pioneering solutions that integrate OPEN Health’s capabilities with fusion’s cutting-edge expertise in AI and ML.
“fusion’s expertise in this area is unparalleled and we are excited about the possibilities this partnership brings for our clients.”
fusion has described its expertise in both supervised and unsupervised ML as “the bedrock of [its] innovative approach”. It analyses audience segment behaviour, preferences and engagement patterns to generate personalised content and activation strategies, ensuring programmes are evidenced with real-world data, and tailored to the specific needs and interests of healthcare professional personas.
Commenting on the collaboration, Mary McGregor, fusion’s founder, said: “OPEN Health provides an unrivalled platform to expand the AI agenda globally in our sector… This partnership empowers us to redefine the boundaries of what AI can accomplish in healthcare.”
The announcement follows OPEN Health and Nested Knowledge’s strategic research collaboration focused on leveraging AI to “enhance the speed, efficiency and depth” of evidence synthesis.
OPEN Health said at the time of the December 2023 announcement that the partnership would see Nested Knowledge’s AI-driven platform applied within its own strategic market access and evidence synthesis teams to accelerate research analysis and the derivation of insights.
Commenting on the latest deal, Steve Duryee, chief operating and transformation officer at OPEN Health, said: “We are committed to harnessing the power of cutting-edge technologies, including AI, ML, robotic process automation and data analytics, to drive higher value and improved outcomes for our clients.”
Duryee added that the agency is now “in pole position” to deliver innovative and technologically advanced solutions to its biopharmaceutical partners.
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