Top decision-making competence of the visitors - Over 23,000 visitors from 144 countries - industry expects positive development in the coming months.
GERMANY: International Dental Show (IDS) 2021, which came to a close on Saturday, 25 September 2021, after four fair trade days, set the impulses the global dental industry had hoped for in the post-Corona era. "The optimism has returned within the international dental family," said a delighted Mark Stephen Pace, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Association of the German Dental Industry e.V. (VDDI). "We held intensive discussions with interested visitors, and most of them ultimately came to make investment decisions. Many of the decision-makers consciously concluded their transactions at the trade fair. We can convey the signal to the outside: The German dental industry is moving forward. We are offering solutions in difficult times. The exhibitors I spoke to were thoroughly happy to be at IDS. And I am convinced: They will benefit from market revolutions in the aftermath of IDS! This is how it works in the world of business: Companies that were present in the exhibition halls certainly undertook an entrepreneurial risk in the run-up to the trade fair, which makes it all the more gratifying that they were ultimately able to reap the deserved success and market shares."
For Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH, IDS 2021 also clearly underlined the spirit of optimism within the industry: "All of the exhibitors and visitors were visibly pleased to groom contacts directly in person, experience products live and engage in personal encounters at the end of the fair trade day in the course of numerous networking events. That is why IDS 2021 plays an outstanding role in the industry's re-start and trade fair industry overall. Furthermore, IDS 2021 is the first IDS that was staged as a hybrid event. This means there were places of physical encounter on the one hand, here in Cologne in the exhibition halls and in addition to that also on the digital platform, IDSconnect, which offered an additional presentation and networking options, which went down very well."
IDS demonstrated once again that it is the leading global international dental industry trade fair: Over 23,000 trade visitors from 114 countries attended IDS 2021 to inform themselves about the offer of 830 exhibiting companies from 59 countries. Especially against the background of the restricted travel possibilities in many world regions, IDS has once again been convinced with its strong international appeal. Seventy-two per cent of the exhibitors came from abroad, and 57 per cent of the visitors - from Europe, mainly from Italy, France and the Netherlands, to Eastern Europe, the Middle East and overseas. The decision-making competence of the visitors is decisive for the success of a trade fair, and here the level at this year's IDS was also extremely high - both on a national and international basis," Dr Markus Heibach, Chief Financial Officer of the VDDI, summed up. The initial evaluation of a visitor survey confirms this impression: In this way, almost 85 per cent of the visitors at this year's IDS are involved in procurement decisions, indeed 33 per cent of them decisively. For over half of the visitors, grooming existing business relationships and establishing new business relationships are the key reasons for visiting IDS. Good two-thirds of the visitors were very satisfied with the offer of exhibits and with the extent to which they had achieved their goals, and 85 per cent would recommend that a good business associate should visit IDS. Around 70 per cent of the respondents are already planning to visit IDS 2023.
Seventy-seven exhibitors from 16 countries were present on IDSconnect with 88 items and 1,310 minutes of broadcasting time. The general event programmes of IDS, such as the award ceremony of the "Impression Prize" of the ProDente Initiative, the Gysi prize-ceremony of the Association of German Dental Technicians' Guilds or the programme of the German Dental Association was streamed via the platform live. All lectures, shows and presentations broadcast digitally are also available afterwards "on-demand".
The German Dental Association and the Association of German Dental Technicians' Guilds were also delighted at the successful re-start of the international dental world. "The hybrid concept that had to be adopted for IDS 2021 because of the Corona pandemic was a total success. Great praise and our sincere thanks go to the organisers, the GFDI Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Dental-Industrie mbH and Koelnmesse GmbH for this. All IDS participants were able to tour the trade fair on-site under observance of the necessary hygiene measures or virtually and thus experience the innovations in dentistry and dental technology. We were also available at the stand of the German Dental Association to provide many visitors with information and engage in practice-oriented discussions with them. We also gladly took advantage of the digital possibilities. We are looking forward to IDS 2023!" said Prof. Dr Christoph Benz, the German Dental Association president.
And VDZI Vice President, Klaus Bartsch, added: "The VDZI is delighted at having held many collegial discussions and being able to engage in exchanges at the trade fair. Particularly the current themes quality management and the VDZI quality management concept, QS-Dental, work protection and business-related questions were topics of high interest. The award ceremony of the renowned VDZI trainee competition "Gysi Prize", which was broadcast live for all those who couldn't be on-site, was a special highlight. The exhibited Gysi Prize entries demonstrated the talent and skills of our aspiring dental technicians. The aim behind the prize is to challenge and promote the trainees - the future of our trade. IDS 2021 has once again demonstrated that the dental world is further developing digitally. This is having an impact on the work processes in the laboratories of the dental technicians. Company owners have to weigh up the opportunities and take investment decisions based on sound judgement. The discussions at the stand of the VDZI about the future role of the commercial dental technology laboratory clearly show: For all of the technologies exhibited, master dental technicians and their teams are indispensable for dental restorations. With their expertise and in the close exchange with dentists, they ensure that patients receive the individual treatment they need."
Statements Exhibitors
Haikki Kyöstilä, President of Planmeca Oy
IDS 2021 – a feeling almost as normal. In my opinion, IDS went surprisingly well – about the same as normal. September as the new date for the fair has turned out to be the best choice. Friends and customers were coming up to say hello or to decide about and buy their new equipment. There were not as many visitors as in 2017 or 2019, and even for the future. I expect IDS to be a bit smaller than in the past. But we will still initiate and maintain a lot of communication here in Cologne – which is the fuel for innovation and success.
Maike Wassmann, General Manager bisico, Bielefelder Dentalsilicone GmbH & Co. KG
IDS went better than I had expected. We were able to establish more contacts than we had imagined, especially with dealers from third countries. Even if we did rather miss the classic German dentist as a visitor and it was overall quieter than usual: I am glad to have been here!
Torsten Fremerey, Executive Director, EMS Electro Medical Systems GmbH
It is a great pleasure to finally be able to present our new Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) products to the audience of IDS again live. It is great fun seeing the huge interest in our GBT protocol innovations and celebrate the live dental trade fair with the trade audience. Participating in IDS 2021 is an excellent success for EMS. The vital feedback from our customers confirms that GBT is the best precaution of all time. EMS's decision to make a strong appearance at IDS 2021 was on the spot.
IDS 2021 in figures:
Eight hundred thirty companies from 59 countries took part in IDS 2021 on exhibition space spanning 115,000 m². The exhibiting firms included 228 exhibitors and five additionally represented firms from Germany and 591 exhibitors, and six additionally represented firms from abroad. Foreign exhibitors accounted for 72 per cent of the total. Including estimates for the final day of the trade fair, more than 23,000 trade visitors from 114 countries attended IDS, of which 57 per cent were from abroad.
About IDS
IDS (International Dental Show) takes place in Cologne every two years and is organised by the GFDI Gesellschaft Zur Förderung der Dental-Industrie mbH, the commercial enterprise of the Association of German Dental Manufacturers (VDDI), and staged by Koelnmesse GmbH, Cologne.
The next edition of IDS will take place from 14 to 18 March 2023.
