EVENT PREVIEW
A century of DCAT Week
The key global event for companies engaged in the pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain takes place in March
Described as the“ premier event for companies engaged in the global( bio) pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain”, DCAT Week began as an industry dinner in 1926. This year represents 100 years since the first DCAT Annual Dinner, a black-tie gala occasion which is still the climax of the week and the largest event of its kind in the world.
Over the years, the Annual Dinner has welcomed guest speakers from the worlds of politics, sport and entertainment. This year, the 98th DCAT Annual Dinner takes place once again at the New York Midtown-Hilton Hotel’ s Grand Ballroom on Thursday 26 March, with the guest speaker being actor, producer, screenwriter and entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds.
DCAT Week, however, has long since expanded into much more. Hosted by the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association, a notfor-profit, member-led business development association, the rest of DCAT Week offers participants such opportunities as:
• Educational sessions
• Access to various networking events
• Use of member company lounges and other areas only
• Purchasing tables at the DCAT Annual Dinner and hosting on-site pre- and post-hospitality events.
• Marketing their company through member-only branding
DCAT members represent a broad range of products and services for the entire pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain. They include innovator companies, generic drugs and biosimilar makers, C( D) MOs, manufacturers of APIs, intermediates and drug products, distributors, agents and many more.
Numerous members take suites in the official hotels in Midtown
Manhattan in the three days prior to the Annual Dinner to receive clients to conduct business meetings privately to their own schedule for purposes such as project or relationship updates, potential new business, capability presentations and more. Full details are on the dedicated website.
Typically, about 10,000 people attend DCAT Week, representing around 700 companies from over 50 countries. Of these, over 90 % are decision-makers in areas such as: the sourcing, procurement and supply management of materials; sales, marketing, manufacturing and quality operations; and corporate support functions. Around 25 % of attendees are C-suite level.
The InterContinental Barclay Hotel is the centre of operations, with the DCAT office open there daily from 8.00 to 17.30 and the member lounge from 9.00 to 17.30. The former is the place to register on-site for programmes and events. The other official hotels are, as before, the Benjamin Royal Sonesta, the Fifty Sonesta Select, Hotel 48LEX, the Lexington, the Lotte NY Palace and the San Carlos.
All of the events on the first three days of DCAT Week take place at the InterContinental Barclay. The educational events are all preceded by half an hour of coffee and networking. Please note that charges apply to some of these and only DCAT member companies can attend the networking
receptions. The schedule for the week is as follows:
Monday 23 March
• 9.00 to 11.00: Member Company Announcement Forum
• 12.00 to 13.00: New Member Company Reception
• 15.00 to 18.00: Pharma Industry Outlook followed by a Networking Reception
Tuesday 24 March
• 5.30 to 7.30: DCAT Week Run and Walk in Central Park
• 9.00 to 10.00: Manufacturing Investments, Capacity and Financial Outlook. A Pharma and CDMO perspective
• 11.00 to 12.00: Future Proofing the Pharma Customer Supplier Relationship
• 13.00 to 14.30: AI and Digitalisation. The State of Sourcing, Procurement and Supply Management
• 16.30 to 18.30: DCAT Member Company Networking Reception
Wednesday 25 March
• 6.45 to 9.00: DCAT Women’ s Networking Breakfast
• 10.00 to 11.00: Creating Value Beyond Product and Price in the Pharma Customer Supplier Relationship
Thursday 26 March
• 17.45 to 18.45: Pre Dinner
Networking Reception
• 19.00 to 21.30: DCAT Annual Dinner
• 21.30 to 23.30: Post Annual Dinner Hospitality Networking Events
DCAT
k + 1 609 208 1888 J info @ dcat. org j www. dcatweek. org
MAR / APR 2026 SPECCHEMONLINE. COM
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