After months of planning and collaboration the Arizona contingent packed our bags and headed out to Washington, D.C. to join the bioscience world at the 2011 BIO International Convention. Erin and I headed out early Saturday morning to Sky Harbor where we boarded our USAIR flight to DC. Packed in our bags was our new AZBIO information package hot off the press after long hours of collaboration by the AZBIO Marketing and Communications Committee, especially Renee Narvaez of DPR and Lisa Minzey of Affordable Image who worked overtime to get us ready to go . (You can see the online version here at Scribd. )
Collaboration – Partnerships – Connections
Here are just a few of the highlights as Arizona put its best foot forward…
- Joan Koerber-Walker and Jon McGarity teamed up to represent Arizona at the Council of State Bioscience Associations meetings and events. We connected with leaders, shared best practices, and let our partners know that more that the temperatures are heating up in AZ.
- The Arizona Commerce Authority took the lead in organizing the 600 square foot Arizona Pavilion to showcase our industry and the communities they call home. Joining them in the pavilion were representatives from 360Vantage, Agilent, AZBio, Boyer, Fennemore Craig, GPEC, Mission3, Polsinelli Shughart, TD2, the Cities of Chandler, Maricopa, Tempe, and Phoenix along with the town of Gilbert.
- Mayor John Lewis of Gilbert was on hand to meet with companies from around the world and also to share the latest about Gilbert and the new M.D. Anderson/ Banner Cancer Center that is opening this fall.
- Sarah Duncan and the team at GPEC lined up 28 company meetings for Arizona representatives to attend and help connect and inform these companies about opportunities in AZ.
- Daniel Casey and the team at the City of Maricopa put together 2 hours of Arizona Highlight Videos that ran throughout the week in the Arizona Pavilion.
- Xan Simonson (2007 Bioscience Educator of the Year) presented at the BIO Education Community Forum
- New discussions and collaborations are in the works with partners from BIOCOM. Utah Bio, Colorado Bio, New Mexico Bio, AdvaMED, PhRMA, and more.
- BIO Unveiled A Strategic Initiative to Speed Scientific Breakthroughs, Develop Cures and Grow the Bio-Economy
We’ll be back.
Boston is the place for the BIO International Convention 2012 and we already have our space booked for the Arizona Pavilion at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. The team will be gathering this July to start the planning process and recap what we learned this year and how we can apply that knowledge to next year’s event.
One thing I know for sure…we will have more AZBIO members with us at BIO in Boston. After all – as we move forward faster – we’ll have lots to talk about.
About AZBio
AZBio – The Arizona BioIndustry Association: Business + BioScience for a Better Arizona
AZBio is comprised of member organizations in business, research, government, and other professions involved in biosciences.
The Mission of AZBio:
To serve our Members, both as organizations and as individuals, by providing access to the key resources, connections, and information that support their ability to Connect, Collaborate, Innovate and Succeed thus supporting the growth of a thriving economic ecosystem for Arizona’s Bioscience Industry.