Medtrade Spring offers 'a dose of inspiration'

LAS VEGAS - Medtrade Spring may not be the magic bullet that makes all the HME industry's troubles go away, but it does provide some much-needed relief from the stress and anxiety of today's frantic business climate, says Show Director Kevin Gaffney.

“I wish I could say that the difficult times are over, but what I can say is that my team and I will continue to do all we can to make Medtrade and Medtrade Spring the absolute best they can be,” he said. “In tough times, it can be said that Medtrade events are more important than ever. Providers need education and a dose of inspiration and we can offer that.”

The show is slated for March 10-12 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.

During Gaffney's tenure, the Medtrade brand has expanded its image beyond a product fair into a global industry event that promotes ideas, education and networking as solutions to the challenges HME providers face. Going forward, Gaffney is marshalling the resources of new show sponsor Emerald Expositions to inject a fresh perspective into this spring's expo.

“As group show director, it's my job to put on a show that is indeed fresh, instructive and compelling,” Gaffney said. “We have an amazing staff that is quite adept at putting together the nuts and bolts of a great show. We read every survey card and we take those suggestions to heart.”

For 2014, Gaffney says he challenged the Educational Advisory Board to make the Medtrade conferences even more focused and relevant to the issues of the day, and contends that attendees will see that first hand when they attend the shows. For instance, retail continues to be a growing component to provider portfolios, and show organizers have added relevant education to present more retail-focused ideas.

“The popularity of the Innovative Retail Awards launched at Medtrade 2013 bears this out and we will be offering this opportunity at both shows in 2014, beginning with Medtrade Spring,” Gaffney said.

Attracting clinicians

Clinicians such as physicians, therapists and nurse practitioners could be a valuable addition to the Medtrade audience and Gaffney announced that a new partnership may attract more members of that desirable demographic. The co-location with Dillehay Management Group Continuing Medical Education should bring in more clinical professionals to Medtrade, Gaffney said, providing a new opportunity for HME providers and exhibitors to network with their key referral sources.

“For exhibitors, the exposure to additional medical professionals could add up to more sales,” he said. “Physicians, PTs and OTs are not always up to date on the latest advancements in equipment, and it's no stretch to imagine that they are going to want these products for their patients. Providers who carry these pieces of equipment may get more referrals and requests from DMGCME attendees.”