ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 20, 2013)—More than 80 exhibitors at this year’s Medtrade in Orlando, Fla., will be exhibiting for the first time or, in some cases, returning after a long absence. These first-timers know the challenges, but they believe the right providers can capitalize on opportunities.
“The industry is craving low-cost, clinically effective support surface products,” says Brian Goldstein, vice president, sales and marketing, Proactive Medical Products. “I have attended Medtrade for 13 years [as an attendee], and there is no better place to introduce our company, a new product or a solution to the DME market.”
For Easy to Use Products, a manufacturer of small items that sell in a retail setting, the chance for exposure at Medtrade is viewed as the ideal opportunity, particularly in light of projected demand. “We are getting into a market that is growing quickly because our products are aimed at the aging population,” says Kevin Taylor, sales manager, Easy to Use Products, Ogden, Utah. “The Medtrade show is the best way to show our product and give demonstrations to potential buyers rather than just letters and e-mail.”
Scott Dyer, owner of Pembrook Apparel, Dayton, Ohio, currently sells to what he calls a tangential market, essentially distributors who focus on apparel for skilled nursing home facilities. “We don't sell to the typical DME/HME suppliers,” says Dyer, “but it seems like a logical product extension for them.”
By offering cash sale items (apparel) that require no reimbursement, Dyer hopes to attract attendees looking to establish long-term business relationships. “We are a completely new retail product for the attendees,” he says. “Our products are specifically designed for this market and are extremely high quality and well-priced…There is a huge underserved market that the attendees don't even know exists. They could add my products to their existing distribution channels, or create an entirely new business focused on this large underserved market.”
Alan Dupuis, vice president of San Francisco-based Affiliate Sales, chose to exhibit at Medtrade when he realized that the number of DME companies could “no longer service their database of patients with products not won on a competitive bid. This is an opportunity to re-monetize that database.”
At Medtrade, Patient Home Monitoring (PHM) will introduce its new Affiliate Physician Marketing Program. The program is designed to provide affiliates with an ongoing association where PHM provides a five-year payment stream in exchange for physician marketing services.
Providers who wish to register for Medtrade, or see additional Medtrade offerings, should visit medtrade.com. Medtrade takes place Oct. 7-9, 2013, in Orlando, Fla.
