MEDICAL FAIR ASIA, the region’s leading medical and healthcare exhibition concluded last week after 10 days of online sourcing opportunities, insightful conference sessions and presentations. Some 8,500 trade visitors from 92 countries and regions across the healthcare spectrum from medical professionals, general practitioners, healthcare establishments to medical technology companies, participated in the first digital edition of the exhibition. International online visitors to the event made up 80 percent of participants, with top countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Japan and Australia.
In the event’s first digital iteration, participants were able to benefit from live streams, real-time chats, networking and AI-supported matchmaking. Trade visitors had access to a global showcase where 345 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions displayed over 3,000 products in the Exhibition Hall – from pandemic management solutions, mobility devices using robotic technology, wearable healthcare solutions to the latest in telehealth. There were also 12 international group pavilions from Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, and three themed zones; Community Care, Pandemic Management Solutions, and the Start-up Park. An EU group pavilion consisting 56 European healthcare companies also took part under the auspices of the EU Business Avenues programme.
With business networking and matchmaking at the core of the exhibition, exhibitors were feeling positive and optimistic with the meeting outcomes. According to exhibitor Ms Ruka Hattori, Excel Engineering Co Ltd (Japan): “The quality of the meetings has been very good; we had a fruitful time as those who approached us were very clear in their interest and purpose in meeting us.” Similarly for first-time visitor Mr Sai Kyaw Linn, Director of Sales and Business Unit, ANZER IT Healthcare, Myanmar: “The meetings went well and we hope we can cooperate (with the exhibiting company) in a partnership soon. Even though this is my first time at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA, it has been a convenient event with many useful features.”
More than 40,000 online interactions encompassing meetings, chat sessions and other engagements, took place on the platform alongside 46,000 session views from 9 to 18 December. The information and knowledge-sharing sessions which ran parallel to the trade fair also saw healthy take-up at the Conference Hall which featured 90 online sessions across various multi-disciplinary topics presented by 120 distinguished speakers, where some conference sessions saw over 700 attendees (both live and on-demand) taking to the platform.
“Despite the exhibition taking on a different format this year, we remain dedicated to provide our participants with an effective platform for their business, to create meaningful networks and continued access to the markets of Southeast Asia and connecting global sellers and quality buyers. We are pleased with the results of the first digital edition and being able to deliver a successful and content-rich platform amid these challenging times. As we look ahead to 2021 with hope and optimism, we are looking forward to seeing everyone in person next year at MEDICAL FAIR THAILAND, from 8-10 September 2021,” said Mr Gernot Ringling, Managing Director, Messe Düsseldorf Asia.
MEDICAL FAIR ASIA also expanded its content this edition to include Medical Festival Asia, a joint collaboration with medical concierge service and platform – GlobalHealth Asia-Pacific, with its signature event; Healthcare and Medical Tourism Summit. Also spread across 10 days, the Summit showcased a content-rich line-up with topics such as healthcare delivery in a post-pandemic era, innovations in digital healthcare, and going from reacting to COVID-19 to planning for vaccines, presented by a stellar line-up of speakers that included world-renowned virologist Professor Peter Piot, award-winning cancer surgeon, Royal London Hospital – Professor Shafi Ahmed, and Stefan Nachuk, Deputy Director, Health System Design Fund, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Making its return at the exhibition for the third consecutive year at the MEDICAL FAIR ASIA series (which alternates between Singapore and Bangkok), was the Start-up Podium – a discussion platform for next-gen start-ups, entrepreneurs and major players in the forefront of commercialisation with speakers from A*STAR, KPMG, K&B Group Kohler Co, Mehta Hospitals, AstraZeneca, and Mahidol University amongst others.
The opening session – How the Pandemic has changed Healthcare – attracted 420 unique attendees. According to first-time panelist and speaker at the Start-Up Podium at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA, Dr Sean Reynolds, the Associate Director, Marketing & BD – Medtech, K&B Group: “It was important for me to participate in this session because the medical devices and medtech industry globally needed to understand the implications of the pandemic and its effects on our industry. I hope what was shared will resonate with others and provide ideas as we continue to work our way through this pandemic.”
The digital platform remains open to registered visitors till 25 December 2020, with selected content such as speeches and some presentation sessions made available at the MEDICAL FAIR ASIA website thereafter. A detailed post event report will be released in the coming weeks.
The 10th edition of MEDICAL FAIR THAILAND will be held from 8-10 September 2021, at BITEC, Bangkok.
For more information, go to www.medicalfair-asia.com.
