During the final phase of exhibitor registrations for MEDICA 2019, the world's leading medical trade fair, it is already apparent that exhibitors take a positive view of the revised allocation of exhibit categories within the halls and will coordinate their participation accordingly in terms of target group orientation, placement and, in some cases, by expanding their presence. Despite an increasingly demanding market environment, more than 5,000 exhibitors from over 60 nations are once again expected to take part. MEDICA will be held from November 18 – 21, 2109 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

“Increasing trade restrictions, higher margin pressure and Brexit - the market situation calls for a concentration of forces on the part of our exhibitors and, of course, on the part of MEDICA. The focus is clearly on future topics and growth markets,” explained Wolfram Diener, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf. According to Diener, digitization is currently clearly setting the pace for the market and MEDICA is taking this into account with its new hall structure and the program of the accompanying conferences and forums: “In future, the healthcare industry and medical technology will only be competitive if they are strategically consistent in their response to digital change.”

Based on this development and the increasing convergence of software and hardware, especially in the fields of medical technology and electromedicine, the MEDICA information and communication technology segment will be moved from Hall 15 to Hall 13, where it has a direct connection to the halls for medical technology and electromedicine (Halls 9 to 14). The communication and information platforms MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM and the MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM will also be located in Hall 13 in the future. These forums both attract a lot of attention, drawing in at least 10,000 visitors at the last trade fair, and are established audience magnets with sessions and presentations on all of the relevant digital healthcare trends. The same applies to the MEDICA START-UP PARK, the platform for the digitally-driven start-up scene, as well as the large joint stand for the wearables technology show.

Manufacturers of surgical instruments will no longer be located in Hall 13 and move thematically closer to providers of imaging technology (e.g. endoscopy) and complete solutions for modern hybrid operating rooms in Halls 10 and 11. “With regard to performance and cost aspects, the operating room segment is possibly the most relevant interface of every treatment workflow and therefore particularly important for a clinic’s success. At MEDICA, we show top decision makers’ state-of-the-art technology and OR organization with short distances in concentrated spaces,” said Wolfram Diener.

Digital change as an opportunity – MEDICA as the right platform

KUKA and HUR are among the companies that view digital change in a competitive environment as a particular opportunity and see MEDICA as the right platform for international business. Computer-assisted training devices, for example, are at the core of HUR’s activities. For the Finnish company, taking part in MEDICA is a tradition. “Here, we present our innovations, meet customers from around the world, train distributors and regularly make new contacts,” commented Lena Karjaluoto, Executive Vice President of HUR. KUKA is also active around the world. The company specializes in automation and robotics and at MEDICA 2018 showcased the LBR Med, a sensitive lightweight robot with various fields of application in medical technology.

At MEDICA 2019, the company will present the “KUKA Innovation Award 2019”. With the motto “Healthy Living”’, this year's award is endowed with Euro 20,000. The prize addresses developers, graduates and research teams from companies or universities and aims to accelerate the overall pace of innovation in the field of robot-based automation and to strengthen the transfer of technology from research to industry. The five finalists have already been selected. They will present their concepts live at MEDICA 2019. Their topics range from robot-assisted colorectal cancer diagnostics to robot-assisted neurosurgery and robot-assisted treatment of microfractures in the spine.

Expanding presences and returning exhibitors

Mindray and Zimmer MedizinSystems are among the exhibitors expanding their presence at MEDICA. In order to optimally address target groups from different specialist disciplines, Mindray, a medical technology company, will be represented in the new Hall 1 in addition to its familiar stand in Hall 9. The focus here will be on applications for laboratory medicine.

Good experiences with MEDICA are the reason why Zimmer Medizinsysteme has also booked space for a second stand. As a full-range provider for diagnostics, therapy and aesthetic medicine, Zimmer will not only have a booth in Hall 9 (electromedicine and medical technology segments) but also in the physiotherapy segment in Hall 4. For the company, which achieved record sales in the seven-digit range in 2018, the success at the trade fair is no accident: last year, 20,000 doctors and therapists received admission ticket vouchers in advance. "Our stand was correspondingly well attended. MEDICA has accompanied us for years and here we are achieving all our goals,” said Armin Zimmer, CEO International of the Zimmer Group.

Abbott and Euroimmun are among the most renowned returning exhibitors. Together with the other exhibitors in MEDICA’s laboratory technology and diagnostics segment, they will benefit from the upcoming completion of the new South entrance and the new Hall 1, where they will present their innovative solutions.

Main topics at MEDICA 2019 will be: Laboratory technology / diagnostics (Halls 1 and 3), physiotherapy / orthopedic technology (Halls 3 to 5), commodities and consumables (Halls 5 to 7 and 7a) as wel as electromedicine / medical technology, information and communication technology, medical furniture and specialist furnishings for hospitals and doctors’ offices (Halls 9 to 17).

Conference schedule has been set

The exhibits at MEDICA 2019 will be supported by the extensive conference program. The program will include the DiMiMED conference for disaster and military medicine (November 18 and 19 / Congress Center South) and the MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE (November 20 and 21) focusing on aspects of prevention and sports medicine treatment concepts.

The 42nd German Hospital Conference, a leading communication platform for decision makers from hospitals, will primarily address the German-speaking specialist audience (November 18 – 21 / Congress Center East) as does the MEDICA PHYSIO CONFERENCE (November 20 and 21 / Congress Center South).

COMPAMED will again take place concurrently with MEDICA 2019 in Halls 8a and 8b. With around 800 exhibitors, COMPAMED is the leading international event for the supplier market in medical technology manufacturing.

Last year's MEDICA and COMPAMED attracted 120,116 trade visitors from 155 countries.

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at MEDICA or COMPAMED 2019, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; Telephone: (312) 781-5180; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit www.medica-tradefair.com, www.compamed-tradefair.com, www.medicalliance.global and www.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/Medical_MDNA

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