New Orleans

Although some expected the events surrounding Sept. 11 to have a large, negative impact on this year's Medtrade show, figures released by show management and comments from exhibitors tell a different story.

Attendance at this year's show topped the 21,000 mark, according to Roswell, Ga.-based VNU Expositions, the company that manages the show.

“Its not only was a great order show but also a great relationship show,” said Lori Thompson, director of marketing for Carlsbad, Calif,-based Sunrise Medical. “It allowed us to reach out to the customers we serve, and in those terms, the show was a tremendous success.”

And, although there was a dip in attendance from last year's show — which recorded roughly 24,700 attendees — most exhibitors believed the attendees at the show were there to buy product, not just kick tires.

“I think it's more quality versus quantity this year,” said Bob Zandee, president of Sarasota, Fla.-based Harmar Mobility. “We are also really excited about the popularity of the Harmar Grand Prix. We felt Medtrade was an excellent show for us. The buyers were there, and that's the important thing.”

Next year's show will return to Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center and will be held on Oct. 29-31.

For breaking news, go to www.homecaremag.com, the electronic news service of the home medical equipment industry.