Though more than 13,000 attendees made their way to Orlando this year to
participate in Medtrade, some manufacturers were disappointed with the
turn-out.
“I remember previous Medtrade shows when it was difficult to navigate the
aisles due to the number of suppliers attending,” says Georgie Blackburn, VP
of government relations and legislative affairs at Blackburn’s, Tarentum,
Pa. “The show’s format may need revamping or other key players will likely
pull out. The cost to participate is astronomical, and if manufacturers do
not have a good return on the dollar, then change is understandable. The
time is ripe to go back to the drawing board.”
While some expressed frustration, Maryellen Bizzack, marketing and
communications manager of Murrysville, Pa-based Respironics said, “We always
appreciate the value that Medtrade brings to Respironics and to our industry
as a whole.”
