1st day at CPHI at the Fiera Milano ridden off; here is what I want to share, regarding biologics (proteins).
-This is my 1st time at CPHI and Milano can be wet. Do not bury yr umbrella in the depts of yr suitcase.
- The conference is MASSIVE! according to the CPHI website there are 65,000 participants! The biggest conferences I’ve ever seen since 2008 was BIO in the US whith some 30,000 attendees at its best times, I think.
- Up to a few years ago, CPI was not an event for Biologics, but that has changed, starting from a few small fill and finish companies to an almost must-attend biologics manufacturing conference
- The trade fair halls are segregated by topics, yet the usual biologics CDMO / CMO suspects are split between halls 3, 5 and 7. I haven’t seen all known CDMO’s, yet a zilliom chinese/Asisn ones
- I haven’t seen yet any discovery and non-GMP / small scale manufacturing providers, only larger scale (GMP) manufacturing.
- The smallest were CDMO’s have some (estimated) 100-200 employees with several 100 to 1000L BR scale but it went up till the global players in the CDMO contract service business
- I also saw small biotechs attend (as delegates, i.e. potential customers)
Bonus track: Dos & Donts:
1) TRAVEL: from Mailand airport there are convenient coach buses right outside from the terminal, taking you down for instance to Piazzale Lorenzo Lotto for 10€. You can buy the ticket on the bus very easily. From there you can take the metro easily.
2) Bring yr OWN NAME TAG with you, as the CPHI-provided piece of paper is useless. You can’t attach it anywhere and the text is unreadably small. Poorly organized.
3) Bring WALKING SHOES for covering a few kms (unless you plan just hanging out at dome booth)
4) COME BY METRO: Red M1 line subway ticket to Fieramilano as last stop. Takes you straigt there, from Mikano, and dry. 2€ the ticket one way. BUY A SEVERAL-TRIPS-TICKET. Tue to Thu is 6x in and out. 12€. Easy at any Metro station, intuitive. Then just hold the ticket on a field atop of the turnstile. Need it twice: when entering and when leaving the metro.
5) Dont leave at 6PM, .when 30.000 others want to leave too. DO NOT buy yr ticket just at 6 pm at the fiera. same reason:
Hope that helps the one or other new attendee to navigate.
6) Book your accommodation early unless you want to spend hundreds of euros for a substandard place to sleep.
Founder, CEO & Product Manager at Appsibiti, Inc.
4wGlad I attended, the experience cannot be expressed in words. Looking forward to to next year's edition. 🙌