The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) held its annual conference last weekend, and it was my privilege to be in attendance. As COVID-19 had put the brakes on the show for the past two years, that same sentiment was shared by most of the attendees and exhibitors this year. Admittedly, attendance was down slightly from previous years, but that just meant shorter lines and extra opportunity to learn at each booth, and I have no doubt that it will exceed its former glory once COVID goes the way of the double hockey sticks.
It is well known that the AAD is a non-profit organization, so to see a conference of this magnitude flowing so smoothly really speaks to the dedication of the staff, volunteers, and donors. The reason I was able to have so much fun is because technically I am none of the above, nor was I an exhibitor, but in a sense, I do help the AAD raise the funds they need to continue doing the good work that they do.
This partnership with the AAD allowed me the freedom to walk the room, meet the people, and talk to them about what they get out of being there. Stories ranged from family business to industry icon, to personal passion-driven by hereditary concerns, but one message rang throughout, and that was everyone’s appreciation for the AAD and the work that they do.
Providers and individuals alike visit AAD.org millions of times each year, and each person goes there with their own questions.  The answers to those questions typically lead to more questions, so something as simple as, “what is this” can quickly turn into article after article as people deep dive into a deep well of valuable medical content in search of treatments, solutions, and accommodations for their issues.
My job, for advertisers,  is to turn that user experience through the deep well of content into an opportunity to reach your physician and patient customers, while they get the answers they seek quickly and easily. As the exclusive digital advertising representatives for the American Academy of Dermatology websites,  we can work with the AAD to ensure all the ads on their page are relevant to the cause and the content, and with every ad you place, you are helping patients and physicians by funding the AAD’s good work.
Many of the medical device and pharma companies are aware of this, and the professional side of AAD.org has benefitted from this relationship, but I noticed during the show that many of the cosmetic and hygiene brands were completely unaware that they could be advertising on the patient side of the website. The good thing is that most of the people I spoke with were excited by the opportunity. Hopefully, we can all work together this year to help patients, providers, businesses, and the AAD so next year’s show will be even better.
