The recent staging of MEDICA 2012, International Trade Fair with Congress – World Forum for Medicine, and the concurrently held COMPAMED 2012, International Trade Fair – High tech solutions for medical technology, in Düsseldorf, Germany reflected the demand for medical technology and products with stable attendance figures: 130,600 visitors from 120 countries took part to get a comprehensive overview of the latest innovations in the medical sector.
A total of 93% of the visitors had decision-making authority. Since health care professionals in the middle management usually have especially strict travel restrictions, the percentage of international visitors is always indicative of the high ratio of decision makers at MEDICA. This year, every second visitor came from countries other than Germany.
The 4,554 exhibitors from 64 nations at MEDICA 2012 praised the high quality and international flair of the MEDICA 2012 attendees which also included visitor groups from countries such as South America, North Africa and Asia.
On the exhibitor side, 74% of the MEDICA exhibitors were from nations other than Germany, including a record 416 companies from the U.S. Other leading foreign exhibitor countries included Italy, Great Britain, France and China. As in the past, Messe Düsseldorf North America organized two successful U.S. Pavilions with 191 companies presenting their latest technologies.
MEDICA is a true reflection of the market. Due to tight health care system budgets, more and more sales departments and insurance companies intervene in investment decisions. Furthermore, the purchasing power in hospital associations and chains centers on fewer and fewer top decision makers,” stated Joachim Schäfer, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf. In this regard, he also considers the long-term marketing strategy for MEDICA a success: “With new event formats such as the MEDICA ECON FORUM, the re-designed MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM, the English-speaking seminars at the MEDICA TECH FORUM and target-group specific themed events we directly address the decision makers which are the exhibitors’ target group. Because exhibitors want class rather than mass at their stands.”
The exhibits at MEDICA 2012 were complemented by a wide ranging ancillary program. The MEDICA Congress attracted several thousand participants with its broad series of topics ranging from intensive care to homeopathy. The 35th German Hospital Day was the leading information and communication platform for all hospital managers in Germany and especially addressed the various aspects of personnel management with the motto “Future Business Health – Priority Personnel”. German Federal Health Minister Daniel Bahr was the most prominent among the 2,100 participants. He praised the very positive status of the health care industry as one of the few growth sectors capable of offering secure jobs over the next few years.
At the parallel staged COMPAMED 2012, the leading international trade fair for suppliers to medical device manufacturers, 645 exhibitors from 34 nations presented their latest products and technologies. In two halls, over 16,000 visitors could experience how closely suppliers cooperate with medical device manufacturers in terms of product development. 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. COMPAMED also featured a U.S. Pavilion organized by Messe Düsseldorf North America with products presented by 11 exhibitors. Overall, 67 U.S. companies participated in COMPAMED 2012.
