New exhibitor insights reveal strong opportunities for growth

Strivenn, the life-science commercial strategy consultancy, has released new findings from its comprehensive exhibitor survey conducted in partnership with ELRIG with exhibitors at ELRIG’s annual conference, Drug Discovery 2025: A Festival of Life Science. The study, which gathered feedback from nearly 200 exhibiting organisations, reveals an exhibitor landscape full of optimism, innovation, and community spirit – while also highlighting clear opportunities for exhibitors to strengthen commercial impact in 2026 and beyond.

ELRIG’s flagship conference continues to be a standout event in the global life science calendar: a vibrant, free-to-attend meeting that connects scientists, technologists, and innovators across academia and industry. Exhibitors remain at the heart of this ecosystem, powering scientific progress through the tools, services, and technologies that enable discovery.

Three structural pressures defining the 2025 exhibitor experience:

Survey results show that exhibitors are navigating a complex commercial environment shaped by three converging pressures:

Exhibitors reported muted confidence in the macroeconomic environment, funding constraints across academic, biotech, and pharma sectors creating pressure on purchasing cycles. While caution remains high, the data suggests strong opportunity for exhibitors who adapt their go-to-market strategies rather than wait for economic recovery.

Lead quality, acquisition, awareness, and conversion remain consistent pain points for most exhibitors – with many facing multiple bottlenecks simultaneously. Segment-level analysis revealed striking differences: reagent companies, for example, face almost double the lead-generation pressure of CRO/CDMOs.

Growing urgency for AI-enabled commercial capability, AI optimism is strong (68%), yet structured AI adoption remains low. Barriers are operational rather than financial: data quality, governance, and skills. Only 7% of exhibitors are “power users,” the clear opportunity is to help teams move from experimentation to real business impact.

Opportunities for improvement: Better preparation, sharper positioning, stronger follow-up

Despite the challenges, exhibitors remain highly committed to ELRIG’s Drug Discovery event as a key moment to reach new customers. Stand traffic and engagement was strong across all segments, reinforcing the conference’s reputation as one of Europe’s most commercially valuable scientific gatherings.

Yet the report also highlights several areas where exhibitors can significantly enhance their performance: Focused and specific messaging with a clear value proposition. Improved sales collateral for example only 14% of exhibitors bring competitive battle cards, leaving most teams improvising when prospects ask how they compare. Improved follow-up by capturing problem statements at the event and delivering personalised follow-up.

Strivenn and ELRIG: Supporting exhibitors to succeed in 2026

These insights will directly inform how ELRIG develops additional exhibitor support, training, and commercial enablement ahead of Drug Discovery 2026. Strivenn will continue working closely with ELRIG to help vendors not only participate in the event but genuinely thrive.

“ELRIG’s Drug Discovery meeting remains one of the most commercially effective life science events in Europe,” said the Strivenn Insights Team. “What the data shows is clear: exhibitors aren’t lacking opportunity – they’re lacking the strategic tools to fully capture it. With the right preparation, AI capability, and competitive clarity, 2026 can be a breakout year for vendors across every segment.”

ELRIG continues to provide a world-class, free-to-attend platform for scientific discovery and commercial innovation. The organisation’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and scientific excellence ensures that their annual Drug Discovery conference will remain unmissable for exhibitors and delegates alike. You can catch up with ELRIG and Strivenn to explore the findings of this survey in more detail in our upcoming Webinar – Wednesday, January 21st, at 3pm. Sign up here – Webinar Registration – Zoom