Our expertise in action

The European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) was created as an individual membership organisation from the European Federation of Endocrine Societies in 2005. Its aim is to promote research, education and clinical practice in endocrinology for the benefit of public health.

Since then, we have partnered with ESE to support its transformation into what is now the society at the centre of the endocrine community in Europe. Its activities, which have grown and developed with Bioscientifica’s support, include research grants, prizes and awards, educational courses, the ESE curriculum of specialisation and the European Board Examination, not to mention the European Congress of Endocrinology and other events throughout the year. We supported EFES’ initial transition and the launch of ESE as an incorporated company and individual membership society and have since worked with them on a full rebrand, strategy developments, website development, marketing and communications campaigns as well as providing full membership support. From a membership of zero the current membership number is over 4200 and continues to grow.

We’ve conducted research among our clients’ members to understand how they perceive the society, what they value and how they would like to see the society move forwards. This has helped governing bodies to answer specific questions regarding their strategic direction and priorities, to progress plans and to hone their member benefits to provide real value. Through both full surveys and pulse surveys we’ve helped our clients track progress and engagement over time. A recent member survey for an association whose membership had seen a reduction in applications during the COVID-19 pandemic showed a real desire from members to engage with online activities. This lead to the introduction of a webinar series which attracted over 180 participants and increased membership applications. More generally, surveys have resulted in increased engagement in specific activities and provided justification to the associations to continue providing programmes and initiatives. They are also reported to corporate supporters to demonstrate member engagement, thereby securing ongoing funding.

The UK & Ireland Neuroendocrine Tumour Society (UKI NETS) has seen a 50% increase in both members and meeting delegates since we delivered a strategic review for them in 2015. The review enabled the Executive Committee to set the priorities of the organisation, focus energy and establish agreement around outcomes to increase the effectiveness and productivity of the organisation. As a result the society has been able to enhance its impact within the field and better support its community through the provision of additional educational and clinical resources for members, wider networks with the national patient support groups and other meetings.

We’ve helped societies to secure sponsorship for their educational activities through impact reports, specifically helping to secure a 50% increase in financial support for ESPE’s Clinical Fellowship. The ESPE Clinical Fellowship programme has been running for over 25 years and since 2018 we have delivered an annual impact report which, crucially, demonstrates a return on investment for the pharmaceutical companies who are under increasing pressure to justify their spending. It also enables ESPE to show the ‘career path’ to the
paediatric endocrine community ensuring its relevance and increasing membership application rates. Through the collation and professional presentation of both qualitative and quantitative feedback, results and expenditure, the report succinctly demonstrates the clear impact of the programme in terms of reach, knowledge and skill enhancement.

The European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology quarterly newsletter, ESPE News, has seen a 46% increa e in readership over 3 years and a recent member survey scored it over 4/5 for value which is a direct result of a redesign and relaunch we undertook in 2018. Working with an editorial board to establish priorities and goals, we developed design concepts, established processes and guidelines and managed the ongoing editorial process. Through this project we delivered a step-change in readership through a professional, accessible design and well thought-through, useful content to support ESPE’s community.

In 2018, the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (BSPED) asked Bioscientifica to completely overhaul its website. We managed and supported a volunteer-based working group to establish the content and design priorities of the different audiences and to develop content. We then utilised in-house design and development expertise to develop a fresh, brand-relevant, intuitive and mobile responsive website that would showcase the work of the society and become a relevant and useful resource for its members. This
resulted in a 30% increase in traffic to the site in the year following the redesign. 

In 2020, we provided vital support to our clients in adapting quickly and effectively to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to guide them to consider the short- and long-term financial implications of the pandemic and assess the viability of activities, providing reassurance to governing bodies, updating risk registers where appropriate and mitigating risks where possible. We worked with them to implement policies, such as the initial cancellation of all face-to-face events and courses, to ensure clarity for members and committee members. Our membership marketing campaigns highlighting new and adapted activities during the pandemic have proved successful, with retention rates for 2020 improving on those of 2019. AGMs and award presentations were expertly converted to virtual events, ensuring legal compliance and maximum member engagement. We helped our clients to prioritise and to continue to demonstrate member benefit during the crisis and beyond.