Medtrade Charts New Course

Kevin Gaffney is under no illusions. The new group show director for Nielsen Business Media's Medtrade and Medtrade Spring takes the reins just as the home medical equipment industry is undergoing a sea change. Legislative and regulatory mandates are increasing, the industry is grappling with a serious image problem and providers are scrambling to pull away from Medicare.

The winds of change in the HME industry are fierce, no doubt about it. But that doesn't discourage Gaffney.

“We can't affect the wind, but we can adjust the sails so that it benefits the industry as a whole,” he says.

In the following Q&A with HomeCare Senior Editor Susanne Hopkins, Gaffney shares his goals for the venerable trade show.

How is Medtrade adapting to what is becoming a whole new HME industry?

Gaffney: If I can understand how the industry works and what people are looking for, then we can develop the show so that it meets their needs. Everybody has a different need. We are trying to make it appeal to the largest audience and make it an event they want to come to.

We are partnering with different organizations so that some of the actual educational breakout sessions offered through Medtrade would [allow] folks to get continuing education units. That could start at the spring show … People also want networking opportunities. You can get all the information off books or on the Internet, but they want that face-to-face time.

We are also trying to extend the conference beyond its three-day scope and give people the benefits … We are going to look at taking some of the best sessions and putting them online so folks could get CEUs [after Medtrade is over]. Some of those sessions are really, really good, but currently, when the conference is over, it's over.

We are constantly looking at opportunities to get other segments involved in the show. NielsenHealth gathers data on trends, so we have access to that kind of information. As the industry changes and as retail comes more on line, we are definitely looking at all those things.

How do you perceive Medtrade's role in the HME industry?

Gaffney: Our main focus going forward is to live up to the mission of Medtrade: “Provide high quality and effective sales, marketing and educational and networking opportunities to companies and professionals in the HME industry.”