Why 2008 successful achievements and participation
become a paradigm for 2009
MEDICA and COMPAMED defy financial crisis

Putting the success of the two events in a nutshell, Wilhelm Niedergöker, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf, said: “Despite the worldwide financial crisis MEDICA and COMPAMED have confirmed their leading rank as the World Forum for Medicine. The year with the highest number of events ever in the history of Messe Düsseldorf has drawn to a satisfactory close. With 137,000 registered visitors the four days of the trade fair (and three days of COMPAMED) including the accompanying MEDICA Congress and the Deutscher Krankenhaustag (German Hospital Congress) closed on par with the previous year’s event. Just under 40% of visitors came from abroad. The 4,313 exhibitors participating at MEDICA presented the complete spectrum of new products, services and processes for use in doctors’ surgeries and hospitals. In addition to those areas traditionally generating strong interest like medical device technology and electrical medicine, physiotherapeutic processes and medical IT, in particular, also triggered increasing demand. MEDICA, the 40th World Forum for Medicine, also lived up to its reputation of being the sector’s foremost event for decision-makers. Almost 90% of trade visitors are involved in relevant investment decisions, at least in a consultative capacity, while 70% are decision-makers or at least have co-decision-making rights. In line with these findings in many interviews exhibitors reported that the audience displayed a high propensity to invest overall.

“During a credit crunch investments are questioned with an especially critical eye. The trade audience at MEDICA and COMPAMED therefore took a particular interest in efficient processes for streamlining treatment processes. With many of the innovations presented considerable savings can be made,” said Wilhelm Niedergöker, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf, underlining the quality of the ranges on display. A point in case are the telemedical applications for radiology or pathology. They allow image data for diagnosis to be transmitted fast and conveniently to experts at distant locations in clinical networks.

In addition to the improved networking of health care stakeholders brought about by relevant hardware and software applications, there is an increasing trend towards compact medical devices that are also suitable for mobile deployment. Showcased at MEDICA 2008 was the world’s smallest heart-lung machine, for example. The device even fits doctor-manned ambulances or helicopters.


Medica
41st World Forum for Medicine
http://www.medica.de
Dusseldorf, Germany
Date: 18 November 2009 - 21 November 2009