14 - 17 November 2012, Düsseldorf, Germany.The demand-side markets for medical technology and medicinal products are undergoing changes worldwide and the supply side is providing the right answers with its solutions for high-quality but also economic medical care. Everyone who attended the world’s largest medical trade fair MEDICA as well as the leading trade fair for upstream suppliers in medical production, COMPAMED in Düsseldorf, was able to see this for themselves. The guiding motto "Be part of the No. 1" was followed by professionals from doctors' surgeries, hospitals, laboratories, retail, industry and the health care economy who were impressively present over the four days of the trade fair while making for stable attendance figures in the fully booked exhibition halls.
One trend that has been visible at MEDICA for years now even increased: There are more and more top decision-makers also from the commercial divisions attending. Altogether 93% of the 130,600 trade visitors (2011: 134,500) had decision-making competence. Since health care professionals in the middle management are subject to especially strict travel restrictions the percentage of international visitors (with longer travel routes) is always also indicative of a high ratio of decision makers at MEDICA. One in two visitors came from abroad and from more than 120 countries in total.
"MEDICA is a true reflection of the market. Tight health care system budgets prompt more and more commercial departments and sickness funds to intervene in investment decisions. Furthermore, the purchasing power in hospital associations and chains centres on fewer and fewer top decision makers," explains Joachim Schäfer, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf. Schäfer also regards this as a confirmation of the long-term marketing strategy agreed with MEDICA's Advisory Board: "With new event formats such as the MEDICA ECON FORUM, the re-oriented MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM, the English-speaking seminars at the MEDICA TECH FORUM or target-group specific themed campaigns we directly address the decision makers that count in the exhibitors' eyes. Because exhibitors want class rather than mass at their stands."
MEDICA's role as the No. 1 market platform for international business is also underscored by Hans-Peter Bursig, General Manager of ZVEI - Electromedical Technology Association: "Especially small and medium-sized enterprises from Germany can leverage MEDICA very well as a platform for developing key foreign markets. The high demand for medical technology products 'made in Germany' and the highly international flair of the trade fair are two elements that complement and promote each other."
The high international flair amongst visitors to MEDICA should have been very much to the taste of suppliers (MEDICA 2012: 4,554 exhibitors from 64 nations). Also making a decisive contribution to this every year are the numerous groups of visitors from other countries such as South America, North Africa and Asia, to name but a few this time.
The MEDICA Congress was well attended across the board attracting several thousands of participants and covering an extensive range of topics from intensive care to homeopathy on all event days.
Forming an integral part of MEDICA, the 35th German Hospital Day, the leading information and communication platform for all hospital managers in Germany, especially addressed the various aspects of personnel management this year under the heading "Future Business Health - Priority Personnel". Federal Health Minister Daniel Bahr was the most prominent among the 2,100 participants. In the kick-off event he praised the outstanding position of the health care sector as being one of the few growth sectors capable of offering safe jobs over the next few years.
Upstream Suppliers - Best Partners for Product Development
Held in parallel with MEDICA was COMPAMED, the leading international trade fair for suppliers to medical device manufacturers with 645 exhibitors from 34 nations. In the two exhibition halls (8a and 8b) over 16,000 visitors could convince themselves of how closely the upstream suppliers cooperate with medical device manufacturers in terms of product development today. Current supply market trends were also addressed at the two technical forums integrated into COMPAMED, which specifically targeted experts for manufacturing processes and product development.
For information online go to: http://www.medica.de and http://www.compamed.de
Dates of the next MEDICA in Düsseldorf: 20 – 23 November 2013
Dates of the next COMPAMED in Düsseldorf: 20 – 22 November 2013