It all started in 2006, when Christine Pierre of RxTrials had a novel idea. “Why not hold a meeting for clinical research professionals focused on the sites (for a change) where the participants set the agenda? “ At the Summit, all sites are created equal. The clinical research industry needed a place where site owners and industry executives shared freely, while through anonymous survey, provided operational information that set industry benchmarks.

With a solid foundation of data and resources, the Summit grew to include pertinent workshops and solution-driven roundtables. The learning opportunities at the Summit have been critical to the business practices of hundreds of the industry’s best-performing sites. The attendees were willing to roll-up their sleeves, which directly contributed to the growth of one clinical research’s fastest growing meetings.

Naysayers predicted competitors wouldn’t show their cards. A forum like the Summit had not yet existed. But Pierre, who chaired the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), had a notion that like-minded people doing the same things in different locations would be motivated to share their best practices so they could learn from each other.

The first year’s Summit proved Christine right, and set the stage for what has become the industry’s preeminent meeting. We didn’t say it was a complicated idea! Site owners and industry executives are motivated by the opportunity to compare notes and air issues plaguing study outcomes.

In the years since the Site Solutions Summit has begun, a groundswell of interest that has led to a community of sponsors, CROs, site directors and investigators sharing a mutual interest in building partnerships.

This is democracy in action. RxTi convenes the community and provides a conduit for the exchange of information, ideas, opportunities and solutions, but it’s the presenters, attendees, and exhibitors who make the event noteworthy.

So what’s next?

Site Solutions Summit continues to grow, year to year, for the best of reasons—it exceeds the expectations and needs of the dozens of exhibitors and hundreds of investigators, site directors, sponsors and CROs who participate.

Please join us this fall in Palm Beach Gardens for the most opportunity-laden agenda ever, including a new series of master workshops on audit readiness, business development, budgeting and contracting and recruiting and retaining study volunteers.

Give us a weekend and we promise you’ll agree that it was the best use of your time.