The date (in mid November) for the globally leading live platforms for the medical technology industry remains a fixed feature in everybody’s calendar this year too. The plans for MEDICA 2021 in Düsseldorf, the world’s no. 1 medical trade fair, and COMPAMED 2021, the international main event for medical technology suppliers which is held in parallel, are progressing full steam ahead (the fairs will be held from 15 – 18 November). The exhibitor registration trend this year has confirmed that service providers really want to fly the flag for their products on-site in Düsseldorf and present their innovations at all stages of the industrial value-added chain and show what they can offer to assure a complete workflow for modern healthcare.
Due to an increased demand for consultation due to the pandemic, the registration period has been extended up until the beginning of May. Planning of the hall layout will begin immediately after this, and Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf, has good reason to be hopeful, based on the customer feedback: “Our exhibitors are delighted to see all of the important decision makers in the industry and exchange with them in real life again at Messe Düsseldorf, after so many months of exclusively digital contact with business partners and potential customers. The majority of the planned exhibition space has already been booked up.”
Numerous start-up companies are set to present themselves at MEDICA again. They’ve got good reason to as well: MEDICA has been the catalyst for so many success stories over the past few years. International stakeholders and the movers and shakers of the health industry are always represented here, but that’s not all: healthcare accelerator programme investors, family offices and well-known venture capital funds are also sure to be roaming the halls. The MEDICA START-UP PARK has established itself as a central meeting point for the creative start-up scene, where start-ups can take part under attractive conditions.
A hybrid reboot, powered by tradition
As a result of the pandemic, Messe Düsseldorf is expanding their digital offensive, which is also being implemented for MEDICA and COMPAMED. The digital offers will be expanded and will mesh with the live on-site programme. This isn’t new territory for the team; it’s simply the next logical step based on years of successfully implemented conception. Christian Grosser, Director of Health & Medical Technologies for Messe Düsseldorf, emphasises this: “For many years, our medical technology industry portals which achieve excellent sector penetration have been the first port of call for the health industry. Here and via social media, we provide current industry information and document trends using a variety of media channels all year round, 24/7. Exhibitors can present themselves and their products in online showrooms and live web sessions, or get in touch with customers during the trade fair using the Matchmaking app. Now, we’re taking the next step.”
Free choice: Online or a special experience on-site
Based on our experience with the events which were held entirely online in November 2020 due to safety reasons (but still drew a total of 45,000 unique users and 405,000 page views), programme items that are in high demand will be offered online and on-site, and will be accessible and viewable for participants via simply structured ticketing. This also applies for the forums which are integrated into the themed segments of the trade fairs, such as: the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM (including the MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION and the Healthcare Innovation World Cup), MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM, MEDICA TECH FORUM, MEDICA LABMED FORUM and the MEDICA ECON FORUM, brought to you by Messe Düsseldorf and the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK, a German health insurance fund). At COMPAMED, the following forums are on the programme: the COMPAMED HIGH-TECH FORUM by IVAM with a special focus on the microtechnology and nanotechnology sectors and the COMPAMED SUPPLIERS FORUM by DeviceMed, where the content is focused on the entire development and manufacturing field.
In addition to these highlights, a programme of on-stage events at the epicentre of the trade fair will also be on offer. Holders of the relevant tickets can follow the talks and discussions simultaneously, live on the industry portals MEDICA.de and COMPAMED.de.
Ticket holders are also free to choose whether they participate in the accompanying conferences and congresses on-site or virtually. This also applies for the 44th German Hospital Conference, the main event for directors and managing executives of German clinics, and two conferences held in English that will address an international professional audience: DiMiMED, the Conference on Disaster and Military Medicine, and the MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE for the who’s who of sports medicine and science.
Always cutting edge and the hub for networking
MEDICA and COMPAMED together form a completely unique duo that is unparalleled throughout the world, and are able to present a complete portfolio of medical products, devices and instruments, including all the stages in their development, production and distribution processes. Both events are able to meet the increased need for information, exchange and networking, which has risen in no small part due to the pandemic. Together, they constitute the leading industry platforms with virtual programme formats that pick up on the relevant market trends and give a taster of the trade fair’s run and new products from manufacturers via their content.
For example, the COMPAMED Innovation Forum (organized by the IVAM Association for Microtechnology) will dedicate itself to exploring how microfluidic components can accelerate the battle against the pandemic. This digital event will be held on 16 June. This also applies for lab-on-a-chip components and chemical microreactors that enable rapid testing on the go and are also speeding up vaccine development.
