With major changes made to the fair’s layout, ExpoMedical is preparing itself to receive over 16 thousand visitors who will see around 230 exhibiting companies during the 26th, 27th and 28th of September on the Costa Salguero.
Maximiliano Labora, one of the directors of this classic Medical sector event in Argentina, informs us of what we can expect from the tenth edition and offers a number of valuable pieces of advice on marketing at fairs.
As entry is free, Labora recommends advance registration on the website at www.expomedical.com.ar to avoid long queues at the entrance.
Ehealth Reporter Latin America: What will be new this year?
Maximiliano Labora. We’ve extended the surface area and redistributed the entrances and exits. We think that this will help achieve a much more balanced flow of people across the layout this year. More conferences and seminars have also been added. There will be over 60, all of which are announced on our website, and about 90% of them are free, with prior registration, organized by each of the entities featured.
EHRLA: What issues will be addressed at the conferences?
ML: The issues range as widely as the fair does. They are all related to the healthcare industry and address different areas: from radiology, intensive therapy, emergencies, image diagnostics, supplies, and services, to e-medicine. With regard to HIT there will presentations of different hospital management software.
EHRLA: What role does ExpoMedical play in the healthcare sector?
ML: This fair was born of the market’s need to present itself, to have a venue where suppliers and service providers can meet and interact. Companies that exhibit at the fair don’t have to go and visit their customers or seek out suppliers, rather the reverse. The supplier rents a stand, exhibits at the fair and their customers, distributors or product users come to see them, and this occurs in the neutral setting of a fair, where discussions are more relaxed. The customer knows that they’re going to a fair to see not just one but several suppliers, and they know that there will be also be talks at the fair, thus providing added value. They go to get up to date on medical technology, they go to compare products, prices, qualities and to learn from the talks that take place at the fair; it’s not a commercial transaction that can be done by mail or over the internet but a commercial contact that offers a collective synergy through the several things going on at a neutral venue. The interesting thing is that at these kind of venues neither of the parties has an advantage over the other because neither of them are on home ground. Both have the same advantage.
EHRLA: As an expert on fairs, what would you recommend an exhibitor do to optimize their presence at the fair?
ML: One of the services we habitually offer our exhibitors is precisely training in Fair Marketing. Many factors should be taken into account, but to sum up there are three key moments that should be focused upon: before, during and after. Before means knowing why a business has a stand, what it will present, if the product is suitable for display at that fair, which staff will be in charge of running the stand, and if they are trained. The promotional material to be handed over should also be taken into account as well as the stand’s decoration. During, it is very important to take care to receive visitors properly. How will you be waiting for them? In what posture? How will you record visitors? You can use a light pen or gather cards. An important recommendation: on the back of the cards, note down a reference or impression for each contact made for subsequent follow-ups, so you can make the call after the fair. The period after the fair should be dedicated to assessing what was achieved. At the fair, one makes a lot of new contacts and reaffirms existing ones. You have to take the trouble to contact those potential customers afterwards because if not the work done at the fair will be meaningless; if you do nothing once the fair is over a great part of the investment made will be wasted.
EHRLA: What do Exhibitors Worry About?
ML: They are frequently worried about assembling the stand. Sometimes they pass on the exorbitant prices quoted to them by suppliers and we advise them to think again. It should be the exhibitor themself who decides on the budget for the assembly and they should then use this as a basis for planning their stand. Furthermore it is important to evaluate the relationship between how much the fair costs overall and the cost of stand assembly, handouts, and merchandizing; to analyze the total investment and then evaluate results.
EHRLA: What advice would you give to visitors?
ML: I recommend that they pre-register on the website. That they study the catalogue, the plan and the list of exhibitors, all of which are available online, and mark the things they find interesting on this plan. The ideal thing would be to tour the fair according to a previously planned route and when they find something interesting, exchange cards or take the handouts they need. They can also pre-arrange meetings. It is always recommendable to look around the whole fair, perhaps because one might dismiss something from the catalogue that could actually surprise them later or find a meeting that proves to be of interest.
EHRLA: What kind of an impact have the restrictions on imports had on participation?
ML: We pre-sold this fair in advance; between January and February we had confirmed occupancy of 85% of the fair’s surface area. The rest was sold between May and June and afterwards very little was left; the space taken up by smaller companies who tend to decide at the last minute. Foreigners confirmed in advance when the restrictions on imports weren’t yet an issue. In my experience of promoting ExpoMedical at four fairs across the world, many companies came and asked Why should I go? My answer was that they should come, exhibit and make contact with a distributor because at some point the restrictions will be lifted. It may be that a lot will decide not to come next year but that doesn’t depend on us. In any case, those who want to see foreign companies will find them at this fair.
