Virtual becomes reality: Compamed-Medica 2020 preview

Like everything else this year, trade shows have faced disruption thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Compamed and Medica is no different, and has decided to go virtual in 2020, but it could potentially bring about lasting change to trade shows and how the life science industry, and others, do business going forward. Though the organisers will hope its international audience will return in numbers to the Messe Düsseldorf in November next year, it was announced a hybrid event would take place in 2021 – combining online platforms with visitors to the trade centre.

After the announcement for ‘virtual.MEDICA and ‘virtual.COMPAMED’ was made, Horst Giesen, global portfolio director for health & medical technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, said: “Over the past few years, we have constantly expanded our digital offers and therefore have established internet-based industry platforms in the form of our Medica and Compamed web portals. We can now implement these in order to offer our customers the appropriate tools for networking and facilitating the valuable transfer of knowledge, even in these challenging times.

“On the dates of Medica 2020 and Compamed 2020, we will seek out the best elements for streaming from the 600 previously planned sessions for the specialist forums and conferences, working together with our cooperating associations and partners. Participants can expect to see highlights with high relevance to Coronavirus in particular in these virtual formats. In addition, there will be diverse web presentations from exhibitors on their innovations and an online matchmaking area for making valuable business contacts, including a video web meeting function.” 

In recent years, over 80% of Compamed and Medica’s exhibitors have come from abroad, from around 70 different nations, with visitors from 170 nations, putting the proportion of international visitors at 70%.

Online visitors to this year’s show will be able to access the Medica forums including: the Medica Connected Healthcare Forum, the Medica Health IT Forum, the Medica Labmed Forum, the Medica Tech Forum, the Medica Econ Forum and the Compamed High-Tech Forum and the Compamed Suppliers Forum. The virtual experience will also include a Conference Area, an Exhibition Space for exhibitors and product innovations, and a Networking Plaza.

Wolfram Diener, chairman and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, said: “Our hygiene and infection protection plan was positively received by the exhibitors and the successive relaxations of the international travel rules in early summer meant that we had realistic hopes that both trade fairs would be able to be held successfully and safely. The development of the global pandemic must now, however, be re-evaluated. Against the backdrop of a multitude of travel limitations and considering the very international demographic of Medica and Compamed in terms of both exhibitors and visitors, we must now focus solely on the virtual format this year.

“The essence of the Medica and Compamed brand is global broadcasting for exhibitors and visitors. This central core is still present this year, just not in the form of an event that demands physical presence, due to the pandemic. With the annual rotation of Medica and Compamed, we are now staying in touch with our customers by creating a comprehensive virtual and globally accessible marketplace for the community with a high-profile programme. This is a good starting point for the joint launch in the trade show year 2021, when we will again offer the successful combination of live platforms for trade visitors at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre and digital offerings.”