DentaltownUK April 2017 - 19

Building Bridges

International Dental Show 2017

Visitors were able to get
a first-hand look at what
is being introduced
into the dental market.
It's the ideal place to launch brand new
products to big, interested crowds of
potential buyers. It's exciting to see what
companies have invented in the name of
advancing the dental profession.
Much like these companies, the powers
that be in the VDDI and IDS need to spend
those two years planning how to top the
previous show. We spoke to Judith Mader,
Communications Manager at IDS. She said:
"160,000 square meters of exhibition
space, 2,300 exhibitors and an estimated
number of 150,000 visitors in 5 days. IDS
poses a major logistic challenge to our team,
even months before the show starts.
Planning halls, coordinating traffic, guiding
visitors and exhibitors, arranging various
services, scheduling dozens of press events
on-site - those are just a few of the complex
tasks we deal with to guarantee a smooth
and successful show for everyone. And the
less those attending are aware of those
challenges, the better we have done our job."
As you can see, it's a pretty big task. No
wonder it takes two years to put it together!
This year marks the 37th IDS. That's a long
time for a trade show to be running. As you
can imagine, a lot has happened since the
first ever IDS.
Technology and the industry itself have
advanced wildly since 1928. However, when
I asked Burkhard his IDS highlight, I was
expecting him to answer with an innovative
breakthrough or a particular stand one year.
Instead he chose to highlight a strong
human touch factor he has observed over his
17 years of working for VDDI. He said:
"When I started working for the German
dental manufacturers and for IDS I became
familiar with an expression that amazed me
a lot, it was "dental family". Only later I
understood what it means. When you see
how people, exhibitors, dental dealers,

Photos: Anoop Maini and Andy Tawse

dentists, dental technicians and journalists
meet and greet each other with hellos, and
hugs and joyful expressions of all kinds you
understand perfectly well what it means to
be a member of the worldwide dental family.
It is a special kind of partnership,
friendship that brings a special feeling of
togetherness, which I consider the stand out
moments on each IDS. It's what makes IDS
the home of the dental world for a week."
He believes this factor of human touch is
something that drives the dental industry.
Finding better ways of helping and treating
patients, more efficient ways and safer ways
is what pushes the dental professionals
forward.
Developments in medicine are exciting
and he believes IDS will continue to be the
unique dental market place and the world's
leading dental-show. Due to how it strives to
represent all the important developments in
the dental business worldwide.
He goes on to say:
"Due to the demographic development of
ageing societies in many countries people
will live longer and therefore will need
dental treatment for longer. Another factor is
the rise of middle-class families in different
developing countries, during the last few
years an estimated population of 300
million people came out of poverty and will
surely be able to afford dental treatment. In
the past few decades we have seen a
considerable growth in healthcare and
dental markets. Where there is a growing
demand for treatment will be a growing
interest for products. The acceleration of
innovation is another driving force from
which IDS will benefit in the future."
It's clear that IDS is here to stay, going
from strength to strength without any signs
of slowing down. We bet they're already
planning IDS 2019.
dentaltownuk.com \\ APRIL 2017

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http://www.dentaltownuk.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DentaltownUK April 2017
