Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the landscape of continuing medical education (CME) has changed. While organizations are preparing for the eventual return of live events, virtual events have come to the forefront as the ideal way to hold meetings. Regardless of the type of event, it is critical to target the correct audiences to improve attendance numbers and maximize engagement through proper strategy and having access to up-to-date medical marketing lists. Whether you are planning a virtual or live event, here are three steps to follow to isolate the best prospects for your marketing efforts:  1. Determine the Geographical Area You Want to Reach What to do is dependent on whether the event is live or virtual. If it is a live event, be sure to study past attendee lists to see where most of the past attendees came from. From there, you can determine an ideal location that is easily accessible. You will also want to review your budget to see how far out from the meeting venue you are able to afford to market. If your event is virtual, you will have more leeway since you do not need to take geography and distance into consideration. Attendees will be able to access the event from the office or the comfort of their own home 2. Decide the Type of Health Care Providers to Invite If you are offering an American Medical Association (AMA) accredited course, you already know which healthcare professionals (HCP)s can claim credits. However, you may want to coordinate with your Course Director to determine other types of HCPs who could benefit from your event. If this is an annual event, check past participants to see who has attended, and ensure that you and the Course Director are on the same page on who to target. For example, if your Course Director believes your event should target nurses, but your records show that no nurses have attended in the past, you should adjust your marketing strategies to better engage with them 3. Identify Targets with Pinpoint Accuracy Demographics are also key to determine which prospects to target. One example is the age of the HCP. Older HCPs tend to prefer live events but may not be willing or able to travel long distances to attend. Younger HCPs are more likely to be technologically savvy and may prefer virtual events to fit their schedules. This, and other demographics, provide the fine details that may be the determining factor on whether your event is a success. What’s the Next Step? Now that you know the steps, it’s time to put them to practice. Redi-Data can help you plan your next virtual or live event by providing the most current, highest-quality healthcare data, data enhancement, and omnichannel marketing solutions, backed by a team with decades of experience in the life sciences, pharmaceutical CME/CE and specialty markets. Leverage our email, postal, and digital solutions to help increase attendance. Contact us today for a free consultation with one of our veteran sales staff and take your CME event marketing to the next level! To learn more about finding the best prospects for your virtual and live events, contact a Redi-Data representative today.