RECORD VISITOR PARTICIPATION AT MEDITECH 2022

   With a record 11,600 visitors, the seventh edition of Meditech recently closed in Bogota to very positive results. Jointly organized by Corferias, the Association of Clinics and Hospitals of Colombia and Messe Düsseldorf North America, the event confirmed it status as one of the most important trade fairs of the health sector in Latin America. A total of 249 exhibitors (including 82 international companies) showcased the latest innovations, applications and developments in the industry. Meditech is a part of Messe Düsseldorf’s MEDICAlliance portfolio of worldwide medical trade fairs and took place again as an in-person event after a four-year break due to the pandemic.

   “Meditech 2022 exceeded our expectations, not only because of the number of visitors, which is the highest we have registered since the fair’s start in 2008, but also because we managed to make it the stage for the second Symposium on Successful Solutions amongst Allied Entities of the Hospital Sector. We also held the 15th International Congress of Hospitals and Clinics - an event with more than twenty conferences and which was inaugurated by the Minister of Health, Fernando Ruíz. The four days of the trade fair presented a large academic program which is in line with the transformation of a better health care system”, stated Juan Carlos Giraldo, Executive Director of the Colombian Association of Hospitals and Clinics (ACHC).

   Dr. Carolina Corcho, Minister of Health appointed by the incoming government, was one of the speakers at the International Congress of Hospitals and Clinics: “We are not only going to address improving the treatment of diseases, but also preventing them. We will achieve this by optimizing the resources given to people by providing them with drinking water and educating them about nutrition and early childhood care.”

   For the second time, Meditech featured the “Experience Center in Advanced Hospital Technology - CEATH 2.0” special exhibit,  where some areas of the “hospital of the future” were recreated on a real scale, with modern facilities and innovative devices that allow processes in the hospital sector to be even more efficient. “Visitors learned about the hybrid operating room, an inpatient service, a 3D-printing laboratory, an oncology service, and smart hospitals that allowed visitors to identify the latest innovation and technology trends in biomedical equipment”, explained Carolina Trujillo, coordinator of the CEATH 2.0, Meditech.

   During Meditech, a business roundtable was held with 62 buyers from Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela and 128 exhibitors met during 404 appointments. Another special event was the award ceremony for the 6th National Safe Hospital Award. The Imbanaco Clinic in Cali, the San Pedro Hospital Foundation in Pasto and the Somer Clinic in Medellín were the winners of this award.

   This was the first Meditech event jointly organized by Corferias and Messe Düsseldorf North America and an opportunity for Messe Düsseldorf (Germany), as one of the leading trade fair organizers worldwide, to enter the Colombian market. “We are very happy to be in Colombia working alongside our colleagues at Corferias and ACHC, each contributing our strengths and expertise to this strategic partnership. We could not have been more pleased with the turnout of medical professionals from across Colombia, the Americas, and from around the world.  Alongside the high-caliber ACHC congress for hospitals and clinics, MEDITECH proved itself once again to be a powerful global business platform,” commented Ryan Klemm, Senior Business Development Manager at Messe Düsseldorf North America.   

   “This edition of Meditech has been a unique experience: seeing everyone in the sector meet again and the excellent acceptance of the exhibition by both exhibitors and visitors, as well as the contributions of the MEDITalk academic area and the Healthtech Startup Park, a space in which entrepreneurs talked about the latest innovations and their products and services”, added Ana Garibello, Head of the Meditech project, Corferias.

   “We are pleased that the trade fair industry is strengthening and contributing to the reactivation of related sectors, such as hospitality, food, and transportation. It is satisfying to be the stage where different layers from the health sector can come together and reconnect. This was, undoubtedly, the opportunity to look into the eyes of people who have faced one of humanity’s most challenging times and thank them. We look forward to seeing everyone in 2024 at a new edition of Meditech, commented Andrés López Valderrama, President and CEO of Corferias.

   The next staging of Meditech will take place from July 9 – 12, 2024 in Bogota. For further information on visiting or exhibiting at Meditech 2024, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; Telephone: (312) 781-5180; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit https://feriameditech.com/en/ and www.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/mdnachicago