As the DME industry faces ever-mounting funding and policy challenges particularly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the organizers of Medtrade and Medtrade Spring say their events are still relevant.

Medtrade Spring will take place April 10-12 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. It’s the year’s first industry-wide event with a traditional education/exhibits focus, and it may be a test of the DME industry’s willingness to keep investing staff time and travel expenses when Medicare’s competitive bidding program is taking round 2 bids, and as the industry braces for a three-year, seven-state power mobility device demonstration project.

Despite the dynamic nature of the DME industry at the moment, Kevin Gaffney, Medtrade’s group show director, said the booth space square footage for this year’s show is about 56,000, while last year’s was about 57,000.

“Slightly reduced space commitments may be a reaction to uncertainty over round two of competitive bidding, and that is understandable,” Gaffney said in a Medtrade news announcement. “However, it is telling that the numbers are so close to last year. Despite the recent setback with the doc fix and the market pricing program — that still may replace competitive bidding — no exhibitors have chosen to back out of Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas.”

Early-bird registration rates for Medtrade Spring end March 12. Conference passes are $99, and expo hall passes are $25 through March 12.