Supercharging Medtech & Pharma trade shows post-Covid
The Covid pandemic has piled unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems throughout the world. And as pandemic restrictions end, this year’s Medtech and Pharma trade shows will be buzzing with healthcare providers seeking solutions to their most pressing problems.
Providers have already been forced to find and adopt new approaches and new diagnostic and treatment regimes, and to do so far more rapidly than they would ever have contemplated pre-Covid. Online GP appointments is one very visible - and controversial - example. But the revolution is not over. The pandemic has left huge treatment backlogs and providers are crying out for new ideas and solutions to support their overstretched clinicians.
This is sure to be a major focus at the forthcoming main trade shows: UKIO, Medica, Lab Innovations, The Pharmacy Show, and IBMS. The pressure of Covid means that providers need Medtech more than ever, but they also demand solutions to some familiar tech issues.
To reduce the burden on hard-pressed staff they need to tackle the issue of alarm, alert, and notification overload. That’s closely bound up with the issue of staff training - simple to use intuitive systems will always have an edge, albeit not at the expense of accuracy and dependability. This issue has become even more acute as chronic disease patients themselves are given responsibility for using tech in their own homes, an increasing trend further boosted by the Covid lockdowns. Patients cannot be expected to operate complex systems.
As clinicians have become more reliant on electronic data systems, the issue of interoperability is becoming even more critical - it’s vital that different systems can operate together. And related to that is data security - medical tech generates increasing volumes of highly sensitive patient data and it must be kept secure both from accidental dissemination and cyber attack.
Then there’s the ever present issue of cost. Medtech offers the potential to reduce diagnosis and treatment costs over the longer term, but initial investment costs can be high, both for suppliers in terms of development, testing, and quality control, and for purchasers in terms of acquisition, maintenance, and training costs. Similar issues apply to the development and deployment of new drugs. The money is there - healthcare is the world’s biggest and fastest growing industry - but providers and funders alike increasingly demand compelling evidence of value.
The good news is that the pandemic has triggered a surge of development activity across the medical supply industries. And this year’s trade shows are an outstanding opportunity for forward looking suppliers to grab a share of the fast developing post-Covid market.
More than anything, this year’s shows mean the return of face-to-face time with customers. Yes, it’s true that online interaction with customers has progressed in leaps and bounds - including the development of hybrid trade shows - but nothing beats a personal meeting. Remote product demonstrations may be technically flawless, but they can never match the power and immediacy of face-to-face interaction.
Forthcoming shows are the chance to make up for lost time. And we believe that to supercharge their chances exhibitors need to make it personal. Exhibition spaces need to be carefully thought through and designed to maximise the scope for that personal contact we’ve missed through the pandemic. For sure stands need to reflect and incorporate the product, but personal interaction is so often what clinches the sale.
Of course we mustn’t overlook the lessons we’ve learned from our two years of remoteness. In particular we’ve seen how targeted use of social media can engage customers well beyond traditional forums. Which is why we believe success at future trade shows will combine a great physical space with a linked social media programme both before and after the show itself.
If you’re exhibiting at these shows, we hope you’ll grasp the opportunities. We’d love to work with you to supercharge your presence and deliver a trade show to remember.
