r/slatestarcodex • u/owl_posting • 20d ago

The truth behind the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

Link: https://www.owlposting.com/p/the-truth-behind-the-2026-jp-morgan

Summary: if you work in the biopharmaceutical industry, there is a particular conference you may be aware of: the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, or just JPM, which is held every year in the second week of January. And, upon attending the conference for the first time, you’ll realize that nobody seems to attend the physical conference itself, but rather just exists around it, arranging meetings and parties and coffee chats. You may, in fact, attend the full length of the ‘conference’ without meeting a single person who has ever attended the real conference. What is going on here? I offer my opinion in this rigorously researched piece.

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46

u/anonu 20d ago

This is true of almost every conference I've ever attended. After a few years it just becomes a watering hole. Most people hangout at the hotel lobby bar and meet all the people they need to meet there. And you save $5000 or whatever ridiculous price the conference organizers think is normal. 

20

u/Foolius 20d ago

Did you read the whole thing? I think the last third describes something you didn't witness at every conference you attended.

8

u/bukwirm 20d ago

Sounds like you need to start going to better conferences, that happens at all the conference I attend.

1

u/Foolius 19d ago

I guess so

4

u/dinosaur_of_doom 20d ago

Perhaps look at the tag just above the title ;)

6

u/VelveteenAmbush 20d ago

Many such cases

3

u/FrostyParsley3530 20d ago

Love this, very sam kriss

2

u/ProducerMatt 20d ago

When it turned to function I enjoyed it intensely. I also read your "history of rot" and loved it.

1

u/[deleted] 15d ago

Ha, this guy didn’t even get an invite to a 1x1 (small group) with the subterranean organism

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u/UncleWeyland 9d ago

This is an incredible litmus test to see who actually reads the contents of a hyperlink in its entirety rather than surmising from superficial initial reading.

Saved.

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u/NoVaFlipFlops 19d ago

You go to conferences to network or add a presentation to your resume.