Lights, Camera, Confidence!

The New Normal: Irish Life-Sciences Events Are Mostly on Screen

Remote and hybrid formats now dominate everything from quarterly town-halls to KOL-led CPD webinars. In early 2024 90% of global event-management organisations predicted that all large-scale events will be virtual or hybrid within two years¹, while webinar attendance has risen 167% in just five years². For Ireland’s €100-billion pharma export sector, that means staff who once spoke to a room of 40 must now connect with 4,000 faces they cannot see.

Yet research shows that audiences abandon streams with poor delivery long before they notice a shaky camera³. To keep viewers engaged—and compliant—you need presenters who are as polished on screen as they are at the lab bench.

What Exactly Is On-Camera Training?

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland’s one-day Media Training syllabus, for example, walks clinicians through hostile questioning and live-studio simulations to “be interesting, understandable, memorable and persuasive.”⁴

Seven Business-Critical Benefits

1. Turbo-charges Audience Engagement

On-camera trained speakers employ deliberate pauses, storytelling hooks and interactive cues (polls, hand-raises). Virtual‐event analysts report a 34% higher audience satisfaction rate when moderators facilitate one-to-one interactions³.

2. Boosts Recall & Compliance

HSE’s National Healthcare Communication Programme notes that structured communication improves knowledge retention and patient outcomes⁵. The same clarity helps employees remember updated SOPs introduced during town-halls.

3. Lowers Reputational Risk

Forbes reminds executives that media-ready spokespeople “cope with nerves and anxiety” while maintaining message control under pressure⁶—vital when discussing adverse-event data in public.

4. Improves Talent Retention

Harvard Business School Online links continuous professional development to higher staff loyalty and productivity⁷. Employees who master on-camera skills feel more confident and valued.

5. Delivers Measurable ROI

VirtualDays found that 66% of event pros say virtual formats offer better ROI than physical ones⁸. Sharper presenters keep viewers watching longer, which translates into lower cost-per-view and stronger lead-conversion metrics.

6. Scales Specialist Expertise

With 62% of pharma firms adopting immersive or video-based training by 2024⁹, a single adept presenter can now reach every site on the island—plus affiliates in Boston or Basel—without expensive travel.

7. Future-proofs Your Event Strategy

As the WHO highlights Ireland’s leadership in national healthcare communication training¹⁰, regulators and professional bodies will increasingly expect on-screen competency as standard.

Why Bring in a Specialist Training Agency?

Three strategic wins:

1. Speed to competence. Agencies compress months of trial-and-error into a two-day boot-camp that includes mock town-halls recorded in 4K for instant feedback.
2. Regulatory peace-of-mind. Trainers who understand HPRA advertising codes flag potential off-label statements before they go live.
3. Technology alignment. Good partners liaise with your AV integrator so that camera angles, lighting, and confidence monitors complement the performance coaching.

Case in point: Dublin-based On Your Feet reports that its in-company programmes “boost confidence, clarity and overall polish” for scientific presenters delivering both virtual and face-to-face pitches.¹¹

Building a High-Performing Presenter Pipeline

1. Audit Skills & Event Types
   Map upcoming town-halls, fireside chats, KOL panels and product launches. Identify frequent spokespeople and rising talent.
2. Select a Training Partner
   Short-list agencies with proven life-sciences clients and GDPR-compliant video-review portals.
3. Run a Pilot Boot-Camp
   Start with 6-10 cross-functional staff (medical, commercial, HR, regulatory). Capture before/after clips to showcase ROI.
4. Integrate With Your Broadcast Studio
   Schedule joint sessions so presenters drill on the actual stage, mics and teleprompters they will use on the day.
5. Layer in CPD Credits
   Align modules with Irish professional bodies (HCI, RCPI, IPU) so staff earn mandatory CPD hours while training.
6. Measure & Iterate
   Track key metrics—viewer retention curves, Q&A sentiment, post-event survey scores—and feed insights back into quarterly refresher workshops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Our clinicians fear appearing “salesy.” How does training address authenticity?
A: Coaching focuses on conversational storytelling rooted in clinical data, helping speakers balance regulatory guardrails with human-centred narratives.

Q: We already use Zoom. Isn’t that enough?
A: Platforms change; communication principles endure. On-camera training is platform-agnostic—skills transfer seamlessly to Teams, Webex or a 4K broadcast studio.

Q: Is there evidence that better presenters increase attendance?
A: vFairs reports companies that feature engaging speakers see up to 70 % greater virtual attendance¹², while Wild Apricot found a 46 % boost in fundraising success when guest experts headline webinars¹³.

Quick Win Tips Your Team Can Try Today

• Record a 60-second “elevator pitch” on a smartphone; review posture, pace and eye-line.
• Introduce energy resets every eight minutes (poll, chat prompt, slide animation) to combat virtual fatigue.
• Use the “3-3-30” slide rule: Three key messages, three supporting facts, 30 seconds per slide.
• Stand-up delivery improves breath control and camera presence—use a standing desk for live streams.
• Warm-up like a radio host: lip-trills and tongue-twisters unlock articulation.

In Conclusion

Irish healthcare and pharmaceutical organisations already lead Europe in exporting innovation; now it’s time to broadcast it with equal excellence. Investing in professional on-camera training—delivered by a specialist agency—turns nervous clinicians and brand managers into compelling storytellers who can spark engagement, protect compliance and drive measurable ROI. In a future where every major town-hall or KOL webinar may be watched on demand for years, those skills aren’t a luxury—they’re mission critical.

Ready to upskill your team? Reach out to Agency X and one of our team of experienced and professional on-camera trainers will help to schedule a pilot boot-camp before your next town-hall goes live.

References

1. Sci-Tech Today. Global Events Outlook 2024: Virtual Is the Future. Available at: https://sci-tech-today.com
2. UMA Technology. The Rise of the Webinar: Engagement Trends Over 5 Years. Available at: https://umatechnology.org
3. Markletic. The State of Virtual Events: Engagement & Drop-Off Rates. Available at: https://markletic.com
4. Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Media Training for Healthcare Professionals. Available at: https://courses.rcpi.ie
5. Health Service Executive (HSE). National Healthcare Communication Programme. Available at: https://www.hse.ie
6. Forbes. How to Be Media Ready in High-Stakes Situations. Available at: https://forbes.com
7. Harvard Business School Online. The Impact of CPD on Employee Retention. Available at: https://online.hbs.edu
8. Airmeet / VirtualDays. Why Virtual Events Offer Higher ROI. Available at: https://airmeet.com
9. Gitnux. 2024 Pharma Industry Training Trends. Available at: https://gitnux.org
10. World Health Organization (WHO). Ireland’s Healthcare Communication Leadership. Available at: https://www.who.int
11. On Your Feet. In-Company Presentation & Confidence Training. Available at: https://onyourfeet.ie
12. vFairs. How Presenter Quality Affects Virtual Event Attendance. Available at: https://vfairs.com
13. Wild Apricot. Fundraising Success and Webinar Engagement Trends. Available at: https://wildapricot.com