4.L. Skills building seminar: Skills building seminar: Enhancing your elevator pitch: persuading a policymaker in seconds

Abstract Numerous public health researchers aim to influence evidence-based policymaking with their scientific discoveries. However, bridging the gap between research and policy remains a significant challenge. While researchers excel in data analysis and publishing, effectively communicating with policymakers requires additional skills. One crucial skill is the ability to succinctly present research findings, such as in an elevator pitch. In this seminar, top-scoring abstract presenters will have the opportunity to convey their work in just 60 seconds to a panel of policymakers and politicians. Through a hands-on approach, both presenters and attendees will learn, as each pitch receives immediate feedback from the panel. Are they interested? Do they remember the key message? And if all goes well, do you get an invitation to come back and present more of your work? Since several years the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) has been organising skills-building seminars on the elevator pitch. Building forward on those previous five successful and well-attended workshops, the current workshop will follow up on this series and take forward where the previous editions ended. Lessons learned at the previous elevator pitch workshops: - Have a clear ask (keep it simple) and show enthusiasm. - Appeal to the policymaker’s own interests and priorities. - Spell out how action will be beneficial for the policymaker. - Be aware of upcoming elections. - Build a relationship with the assistants of politicians. - Consider the ‘policy window’. - Make the comparison with the policy plan. - Propose an action the politician should undertake. - Identify the relevant stakeholders and groups affected by the problem. For this sixth edition we take the elevator pitch to the next level. Whereas previous editions allowed pitches up to 2 minutes, the current seminar will set the timer at 60 seconds. The previous editions showed that keeping the pitch very short was more successful. The session will be wrapped up by a key note with reflections on the pitches exercise and linking this to what the literature says about influencing healthy policy making. Key messages • The elevator pitch is a useful skill to have for public health researchers to facilitate the outcomes of their research feed into health policies. • There are numerous tools available to effectively communicate public health messages to policymakers and promote evidence-informed policy making. Speakers/Panelists Charlotte Marchandise EUPHA