BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA — Meditech International Health Fair (Meditech), organized by Messe Düsseldorf North America, the South American trade show management company Corferias and the Association of Clinics and Hospitals of Colombia (ACHC), saw an increased number of international exhibitors this year.
For the first time, international exhibitors made up nearly 25% of the biennial show’s exhibit space and Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and the U.S. were represented.
This is the second edition of the event after Corferias and Messe Düsseldorf Group officially partnered in 2018, and the show joined the group’s MEDICAlliance portfolio of medical trade fairs.
“We have the largest medical trade fair in the world [MEDICA], held every year in Düsseldorf, so we have all the international contacts … to get exhibitors from overseas to come to Bogotá,” Anne Meerboth-Maltz, Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Public Relations at Messe Düsseldorf North America, said.
According to Messe Düsseldorf North America, Colombia’s favorable political and economic conditions make it an optimal gateway to South American markets for foreign companies. The organizer plans to continue increasing Meditech’s international presence using its vast sales and marketing network.
“We’re starting to see the dividends as a result of that marketing strategy,” Ryan Klemm, Director, International Events at Messe Düsseldorf North America, added. “The whole idea of this partnership is also to continue growing this, cultivating the show, so that it’s not just Colombia’s main medical show … [and] we’re trying to expand the footprint of this project to attract attendees from throughout the Caribbean, Central America and other Spanish-speaking markets.”
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Meditech 2024
Meditech’s Business Roundtable — which was supported by ProColombia, featured 109 exhibitors and was visited by 53 buyers from various countries — generated nearly $2.8 million.
The event held 50 education sessions this year, along with the third symposium on Successful Solutions of Entities Allied to the Hospital Sector. Its HealthTech Startup Park 2.0 included product demonstrations, simulations and workshops.
The show also presented awards for innovation and provided guided tours of the exhibition floor to introduce attendees to award-winners.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro opened the 15th International Congress of Hospitals and Clinics, held with the show and organized by ACHC, which included 20 conferences and was visited by more than 750 attendees.
Additionally, Messe Düsseldorf is beginning to introduce parts of REHACARE, a leading trade show for rehabilitative care, to Meditech, which will return to Bogotá in 2026.
“I certainly believe that we’re going to see an increased number of international exhibitors at the show … and we’re expecting to see more attendees coming from different countries, and that kind of dovetails with our goal of having a more Pan-American event for the Spanish-speaking markets,” Klemm explained.
Learn more about Messe Düsseldorf North America here.
