Investigator meeting is an event that makes all the principal investigators and researchers to meet in person at one place to discuss and to get trained about the clinical study protocol. The sponsor hosts the investigator meeting and provides hands-on training and orientation for the investigators and study coordinators. The purpose of the investigator’s meeting is to introduce one researcher to the other on a single platform where every investigator is introduced to the research study as a whole and get trained in appropriate study conduct.
The investigator’s meeting is conducted prior to the first patient screening at any clinical site. Further, the clinical trial material is supplied to all the clinical sites only after the investigator’s meeting is conducted. This shows that only after receiving hands-on training in appropriate study conduct, the investigators were given access to the clinical study material.
Many clinical research professionals have less or no knowledge about the conduct of investigator’s meeting. Recently, while I was reading an article, I found that most of the researchers were discussing about the hospitality and dinning of the investigator’s meeting instead of the main concept of having a common and same understanding of the research by the investigators about how they would conduct. The successful conduct of the investigator’s meeting lies on the pre-planning and hosting the event.
Pre-planning of the event includes the reception and registration, transport and tour, venue preparation, accommodation and hospitality. Location of the venue plays a major role in the event conduct. The venue is selected in such a way that the location facilitates the event conduct in good environment, transport ease, and with good climate conditions. Once the venue is selected, the accommodations should be arranged prior to the event for the participants. The investigators and assisting coordinator(s) are invited for the investigators meeting. A private travel agency or meeting planner can be hired to make travel arrangements for the investigators.
Event hosting should be pre-planned and make sure of the presentation content and time management. Welcome gifts and memento gifts for the guests should be selected and make sure of their availability at the moment. To conduct an investigator’s meeting successfully, hiring the professional conference planners who are specialized in orchestrating clinical investigator’s meetings would be a perfect choice.