Overall attendance for Medtrade, held the week of Nov. 15 in Atlanta, was 11,756, according to show director Kevin Gaffney.
Gaffney added that the Georgia World Congress Center hosted 577 Medtrade exhibitors, with 6,788 DME suppliers and clinicians attending.
He described attendee and exhibitor feedback as “very positive,” noting, “We increased our marketing efforts this year, and with the support of our many partners, were able to reinforce the message that attending Medtrade is not only good for your business, but good for the industry overall.”
Noting that all types of tradeshows “are experiencing flat or lower participation than in recent years, due mostly to the economy,” Gaffney said show management was happy with how Medtrade went. He added that Medtrade “exceeded our goals in terms of exhibitors and attendees.”
While Medtrade participation among complex rehab technology exhibitors and attendees had dropped over the last few years, Gaffney pointed out that the Complex Rehab Pavilion sold out its exhibit space. Now in its second year, the Pavilion was positioned in the front of the exhibit hall and included booths from organizations including NRRTS, RESNA and the University of Pittsburgh, in addition to complex rehab technology manufacturers.
“Partnering with NRRTS has been a positive experience and has added to the Complex Rehab Pavilion being a success,” Gaffney said. “It was unique in that the participants were representative of associations, educational organizations and manufacturers – even some that had traditional booths outside of the pavilion. Naturally, we would like for it to grow – the space sold out well in advance of the show – so we need to consider allotting more show floor space to allow those who want to participate in that opportunity. Along with that, we will continue to specifically target rehab providers in terms of marketing efforts and keep them informed of all Medtrade has to offer in terms of the Expo and the educational conference.”
Medtrade also invited consumers to attend on Nov. 18, the final day of the event. Gaffney said 47 consumers participated.
He praised the efforts of the Consumer Education/Advocacy Group, saying, “Its members created a strong educational program, and the day-long event would not have been possible without them. And although we would have liked to have seen more consumers attend, we realize this type of event needs time to build momentum.”
