A practical 4-week guide to identifying the right contacts, sending meeting invitations, preparing for discussions, and following up after the show.

CPHI Milan 2026 will take place from 6–8 October at Fiera Milano, Italy.

With less than a month to go, flights, booth materials and product brochures may already be on your checklist. But there is another task worth starting now:

Booking meetings with the people you actually want to meet.

Trade shows are great for unexpected connections. But if you already have prospects who requested a quote, discussed a sample, showed interest in your products, or simply have a strong business fit, it makes sense to contact them before the exhibition.

A simple “Welcome to visit our booth” may not be enough.

Give people a reason to meet you, tell them what you would like to discuss, and make it easy to choose a time.

1. Start with what you want to discuss

Before building a long contact list, decide what you are actually promoting at CPHI Milan.

For example, an API supplier may want to meet pharmaceutical manufacturers sourcing specific APIs or intermediates.

A finished dosage manufacturer may focus on importers and distributors in selected markets.

A CDMO may prioritize companies whose project stage and technical requirements match its capabilities.

The objective does not need to be an immediate order. A useful meeting might simply confirm whether a product is within the buyer's sourcing scope, clarify supplier qualification requirements, or establish what information should be exchanged after the show.

A shorter list with a clear business fit is usually more useful than hundreds of generic contacts.

2. Use the next four weeks wisely

A simple schedule can keep the team organized:

TimingWhat to DoExpected Result4 weeks beforeConfirm priority products and review existing prospectsBuild the first meeting target list3 weeks beforeVerify contacts and send invitationsTrack contacted, replied and pending prospects2 weeks beforeFollow up with priority contactsConfirm meeting time, place and topicFinal weekReconfirm meetings and prepare relevant materialsCreate a shared meeting schedule

For an initial meeting, 15–20 minutes is often enough.

Leave some space between appointments for moving between halls, unexpected conversations and meetings that run longer than planned.

Once a meeting is confirmed, send a calendar invitation with the Milan local time, hall/stand number and on-site contact details.

And remember:

Invited ≠ Confirmed.

3. Decide who should be contacted first

Start with people who already know your company.

This may include previous inquiries, quotation requests, sample discussions, existing customers, or prospects where a conversation stopped before reaching the next stage.

Then expand your list using company websites, public professional information, industry resources and CPHI exhibitor information.

CPHI's Event Planner can also help attendees discover companies and products and organize meetings. Availability and features may vary depending on attendee access.

One important distinction:

An exhibitor list is not a buyer-intent list.

A pharmaceutical manufacturer appearing at CPHI does not automatically mean it is currently sourcing your API.

If the sourcing requirement has not been verified, do not write:

“We understand that you are currently looking for…”Instead, explain the actual business connection between your companies.

A simple priority system can help:

Priority A: Previous communication or confirmed demand + strong product fit Priority B: Strong business fit, but sourcing demand has not been confirmed Priority C: Potential relevance that still needs qualification

AI can help organize information and draft messages, but company activities, contact responsibilities and sourcing requirements should still be checked individually.

“Likely to need” is not the same as “confirmed to be sourcing.”

4. Keep your meeting invitation short

You do not need to attach your complete catalogue to the first email.

Choose one relevant product, capability or cooperation topic and explain why a meeting could be useful.

Sample CPHI Milan Meeting Invitation

Subject: Meeting at CPHI Milan 2026 – [Product / Company]

Hi [Name],

I noticed that [Company] is active in [verified business area].

We will be exhibiting at CPHI Milan this October and thought it might be useful to meet, as we supply [specific product / service].

Will you be attending the show?

We will be at [Hall / Stand] and currently have availability on:

6 October, 11:00 7 October, 14:30

If either time works for you, I'd be happy to reserve it. If not, please feel free to suggest another time.

Here is a brief introduction to [product / capability]: [Link]

Best regards, [Name] [Position] [Company] [Business Email] [Website]

If a priority contact does not reply, a short follow-up after 3–5 business days is reasonable.

There is no need to keep sending invitations after someone has clearly declined.

5. Once the meeting is booked, prepare for that specific customer

Before the exhibition, ask:

“Is there anything specific you would like to discuss or review during the meeting?”

Their answer tells you what to bring.

If the buyer is interested in a specific API, prepare the relevant specification, COA, regulatory documentation and supply information.

If the discussion concerns a CDMO project, make sure the appropriate commercial or technical colleague is involved.

For every meeting, your team should know:

What does the customer want to discuss? What do we need to answer? What should happen after the meeting?

That is far more useful than simply exchanging brochures.

6. Follow-up starts at the booth

After each meeting, record what the contact was interested in, which questions remain unanswered, what documents were promised and who is responsible for the next step.

A practical follow-up schedule could be:

TimingAction1–2 business days after the meetingSend promised information and summarize key pointsFirst week after CPHIFollow up on specifications, quotations, samples or technical questionsAfterwardsContinue according to the customer's sourcing or project timeline

Avoid sending another generic company introduction after the exhibition.

If the discussion was about an API specification, continue with that specification. If you promised a COA, send the COA. If samples were discussed, confirm the sample requirements.

The best follow-up continues the conversation that already started in Milan.

Meet Drugdu.com at CPHI Milan – Stand 20C65

Drugdu.com will also be exhibiting at CPHI Milan 2026.

📅 6–8 October 2026 📍 Fiera Milano, Italy 📌 Stand 20C65

Drugdu.com is a global B2B platform for the pharmaceutical and medical industries, helping suppliers showcase products and companies, connect with international buyers, and develop global business opportunities.

During the exhibition, we will also introduce our 10th Anniversary Overseas Promotion Assessment Program, open to 100 pharmaceutical and medical companies.

Selected companies can receive:

1-month overseas promotion experience · Promotion performance review · Customized assessment report

If you are an API, pharmaceutical, intermediate, medical device or healthcare supplier looking to expand internationally, come and talk to us about your products and target markets.

See you in Milan at Stand 20C65.

By editor