The road to Mandalay

Medtrade Spring is headed to a gleaming new venue in 2013—the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on the Las Vegas strip.

Show Director Kevin Gaffney said the decision to find a new site came about from attendee feedback suggesting Medtrade organizers relocate from the Sands Expo and Convention Center, which hosted the show for the past three years.

Mandalay Bay offers 1.7 million square feet of meeting space and Gaffney says it has built an excellent reputation as one of the best convention facilities in the U.S. More than 300 exhibitors are expected to occupy the 50,000-square foot show floor.

Given its convenient location in the heart of the strip, ample room accommodations and close proximity to the Luxor and Excalibur hotels, Gaffney hopes the new site will be an attractive draw for attendees this year.

“It will allow for virtually all attendees to stay at the hotel, with no need to commute to the convention site,” he said.

Gaffney hopes to build on the strong attendance at the 2012 show, which drew 4,250 people—a 2% increase over the previous year.

“At this point, early registration numbers are strong,” he said. “However, we recognize that providers are watching expenses more closely than ever. We don't know how the final attendance numbers will shake out, but we know that providers who make the effort to attend will not be disappointed. Medtrade, with the support of our educational advisory board, has one goal—to create a show with practical, inspirational and usable content.”

Although mindful that Round 2 of competitive bidding could have HME providers heavily scrutinizing travel budgets, Gaffney says Medtrade Spring yields valuable knowledge dividends.

“We believe that now is precisely the wrong time for providers to hunker down and avoid the kind of education and ideas that can help them survive and ultimately thrive,” he said.