Medtrade Gets a Makeover

A 'Rich Discussion'

The plans are garnering strong support. Speaking to media representatives earlier this month at Invacare's headquarters, Carl Will, senior vice president, homecare, North America, said the manufacturer "is going to great lengths" to work with Nielsen on changing Medtrade's direction. He said he is looking for four components at the newly designed show. "We want it to be an advocacy show," he said, noting that Medtrade should be the place where all industry stakeholders meet yearly. "The next part is, we want a market of providers but also clinicians and beneficiaries … If you want to show someone what you do, it's not how you do Medicare billing, it's not your income statements — in this industry, it's the interface with clinicians and beneficiaries." "The third part for us," he continued, "is it's [got] to be a good product show. What providers and managers look at in terms of this show … is the amount and quality of conversations they had." From a manufacturer's standpoint, he said, that can be "a very rich discussion because people can give you direct feedback on your product. And you can reach out to the community." The fourth piece of the puzzle, Will said, is training and education. "Times are tough, money is tight, but people will travel [for that]," he said. If Medtrade delivers those four things, Will said, "the show should do well … [we want to] see a professional organization, run professionally, that delivers a valuable service.That's what we are going for." For its part, Pride is pleased show organizers are moving Medtrade away from principally being a selling show to one that not only showcases new products and technology but also tackles the industry's big challenges. "We are extremely pleased with the direction Medtrade has taken," said Kirsten DeLay, Pride's senior vice president, sales management and operational planning. "In the last year-and-a-half, we feel that Nielsen has been extremely open to all of the exhibitor input." DeLay said the show has been refocused and strengthened "for these times." Medtrade faltered, she said, when massive changes struck the HME sector over the last two years and stakeholders "were not really convinced that Medtrade understood our industry." But the changes Medtrade has undertaken should dispel those concerns. The beefed-up educational courses should draw more therapists, DeLay said, and Pride is fully supporting the complex rehab pavilion. In addition to its regular exhibit space, Pride will have three booths in the pavilion showcasing its TRU-Balance, Q-Logic Drive Control Systems and Synergy cushions and back lines. "And, for the first time, we are going to have the Quantum Seminar Tour [at the show]," DeLay said. "Our vehicle and all the presenters will be there." Pride will offer three CEU courses from the seminar tour, she said. "We're not the only ones doing that, so hopefully, that will help change the focus of the education piece," she noted. A change in the educational component would be welcomed, said provider Jim Greatorex, president of Black Bear Medical in Portland, Maine. In years past, he said, Medtrade was about the only venue where a provider could gain useful information on such topics as how to track claims or handle the vagaries of Medicare billing. Now, he said, "You can get that anywhere. You can sit at your own desk and have a webinar on it." Greatorex believes improvements in the education track will prove a boon to the show. "Hopefully, it will [help generate] a more positive image than it has had," he said. Darren Tarleton, president and CEO of Mobility Warehouse in Stockbridge, Ga., said he likes the idea of pavilions. "It makes it easier if companies that have similar products are grouped together," he said. That will allow him to compare products he is interested in and identify any new manufacturers more easily. He also plans to take advantage of the educational classes, he said, so he can "stay current on what's out there and what's proposed [legislatively]." "I am interested to see what has changed since AAHomecare and … manufacturers have gotten more involved in what Medtrade is and what improvements Medtrade will be able to make," said Angelene Adler, vice president of operations for Care Medical Equipment in Portland, Ore. She's aware of one of those changes — the funneling of funds to AAHomecare's legislative efforts by Nielsen, a move she fully supports. That could mean some positive results for the industry at large, she said. That's what the new Medtrade is all about, according to Pride's DeLay. "The thing that ties all of this together is the renewal of the AAHomecare contract," she said. "We really needed Nielsen to make a strong commitment to our industry and help fund AAHomecare. "All of these positive changes make it better for all of us," she continued. "You'd be able to travel to one event rather than three and it would meet your business and industry needs going forward." It could also bolster unity among the industry, and that's already begun with the companies that have returned to the show, she said. "Unity is what's most important with the challenges we face," DeLay said. "Those exhibitors who choose to come back have helped to show the industry is united, and Medtrade has helped to make it a more comprehensive show.