Med-Tech Innovation Expo is the UK and Ireland’s leading showcase for medical design and manufacturing technology – the only event serving the whole of the £27 billion UK and Irish medical technology sector. This year, the expo will be held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry from April 25-26. Free-to-attend, the event will bring together the medical engineering and manufacturing community; companies from all areas of the medical device supply chain engaging with 2,500+ visitors across two action-packed days.
Holly Delaney, visitor marketing manager at Rapid News Communications Group, recently told Packaging Scotland what attendees can expect this year.
Q) WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MED-TECH INNOVATION EXPO?
A) Med-Tech Innovation Expo is the place to get up to date with industry advances and new technology, network with peers, broaden your knowledge and be inspired by the world-class conference programme. Visitors will find solutions to design and manufacturing challenges, meet vendors and get all the information they could need to make informed purchasing decisions in the coming year.
As organisers, there’s another reason to bring together so many innovative medtech businesses, thought-leaders and professionals; we want to advance healthcare. It’s not exactly a small aim, but we’re on a mission! By bringing the industry together at our annual event, we believe we can create the ideal environment for change by facilitating conversation and collaboration. Together, we can find new ways to move forward as an industry, ultimately providing better patient outcomes through innovation for businesses.
Q) WHAT’S THE HISTORY OF THE SHOW AND HOW HAS IT GROWN OVER THE YEARS?
A) The event has been around for the better part of a decade, and this year’s outing will be the first with a full 12-month cycle under the new ownership of Rapid Medtech Communications (a division of Rapid News Communications Group). Having acquired the brand in November 2016, this is the first time we’ve had our hands on the whole process from start to finish.
We have invested heavily in all areas of the business; from sales and marketing to event operations and data management. This is reflected in the fresh new look for the show (following a total brand overhaul and new website launched in November last year) and also in the calibre of new show features, exhibitors and visitor registration figures. All round, it’s looking good!
Q) WHO ATTENDS?
A) Med-Tech Innovation Expo attracts professionals involved in the design and production of Class I, II & III medical devices as well as designers, manufacturers, buyers and early adopters. In 2017, we welcomed almost 2,000 attendees including Boots, 3M, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson and the NHS. Visitor registration for 2018 is already significantly up against last year and growing daily.
There will be around 200 exhibitors on the show floor including Connect 2 Cleanrooms, Pentapack, Manchester Metrology, Medilink UK, Oliver Healthcare Packaging, Monmouth Scientific and the Renfrew Group.
Q) WHAT ARE THE KEY THEMES THIS YEAR?
A) There’s a strong focus on education, innovation and partnership which will be felt across the show floor and most strongly at both the Med-Tech Innovation Conference and on the HealthTech Stage. The theme of the 2018 conference and seminar programme is ‘Advancing Healthcare: Inform, Educate and Inspire’.
Attendees will hear from blue-chip users, government officials and industry experts including Innovate UK, MHRA, the Academy for Healthcare Science and NHS Digital discussing a wide range of topics like industry 4.0, hardware, software, materials, the mHealth landscape, wearable devices, innovation in the NHS and regulations.
Q) WHAT CAN ATTENDEES FROM THE PACKAGING SECTOR EXPECT TO GET OUT OF THE SHOW?
A) Those keen to see future technologies, products and services ahead of the mainstream will find dynamic displays, exclusive product launches and hands-on demonstrations of all the latest innovations from the likes of Worrell Design, Annecto, Boddingtons Plastics, Durham-Duplex, Oliver Healthcare Packaging and Precision Converting Solutions.
Talks of particular interest to packaging professionals will include;
• “A Great Idea Can Come from Anywhere” – Mirren Mandalia, J&J Innovation
• “Industry 4.0: Unlocking the Science Inside Advanced Manufacturing Processes in the Medical Device Industry” – Garret O’Donnell, Trinity College Dublin
• “Navigating the Complex World of Plastics in Healthcare Applications” – Dr James Stern, Albis
• “Design the Right Thing! Uncovering and Translating Latent User Needs into Design Inputs Through Case Studies” – Kristin Shardlow & Matthew Gottscalk, Worrell Design
• “Photonics, Wearable and Hybrid Printable Electronics Technologies for Healthcare Applications” – Dr Tom Harvey, Centre for Process Innovation
Q) WHAT CAN VISITORS EXPECT THIS YEAR? ANYTHING NEW?
A) Beyond the packed conference and seminar programme, visitors will experience a range of engaging show features including the brand new GTMA Pavilion where buyers and suppliers will meet to do business, Inspex – a focus on providers of measurement and inspection technologies and services, and the Medilink UK Pavilion where Medilink member businesses will present solutions to industry challenges.
Exhibitors including Carville, the University of Leicester, TLM Laser, Festo, Renfrew Group, Zwick Roell, and Indysoft will be showcasing their latest innovations, with demonstrations of new products and services live on the show floor.
Q) WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE MEDILINK UK HEALTHCARE BUSINESS AWARDS?
A) The Medilink UK Healthcare Business Awards, held in association with Med-Tech Innovation, celebrate the outstanding business achievements, international successes and innovative breakthroughs made across the life sciences and healthcare technology sectors in the last 12 months. This year we are introducing two additional categories; the Advancing Healthcare Award sponsored by Med-Tech Innovation News and the Editor’s Award for Business in Healthtech sponsored by Digital Health Age.
The Advancing Healthcare Award will recognise and reward innovations on display at Med-Tech Innovation Expo, while the Editor’s Award for Business in Healthtech will celebrate healthtech that makes headlines – achievements as reported in the news over the past year.
On the evening of the 25th April, Dr Phil Hammond (a practising GP, comedy writer, author and broadcaster) will present the awards, championing the very best of UK life sciences and healthtech. After a busy first day at Med-Tech Innovation Expo, guests will enjoy a three-course meal, drinks and entertainment. As in previous years, this will be a sell-out event so we’re warning everyone to book early and avoid disappointment!
Q) WHY ARE THESE KIND OF SHOWS SO IMPORTANT?
A) You’ll often find that medical device innovations come about as the result of conversations that started at trade shows. Ideas are sparked by conference content, networking or even a brief chat on an exhibitor’s stand. This is a very common occurrence in medtech and its why events remain vital to the forward momentum of the industry.
Aside from that, regulation is such an important and rapidly changing aspect of the industry, that these events are really the best way for stakeholders to stay up-to-date with the latest requirements. We’re lucky enough to have a host of consultancies and legal firms on hand at Med-Tech Innovation Expo to advise visitors on best practise in medical devices.
Q) HOW DO YOU MAKE THE SHOW STAND OUT?
A) It’s really the quality of the content that make us stand out from the crowd. We also have a niche – we’re the UK’s only medical device trade show dedicated to the design and manufacturing aspect of the business.
Because we are both a publisher and events organiser we are able to use our magazine, Med-Tech Innovation News, to help spread the word about our activities. We have a great content team who are constantly engaging with both exhibitors and visitors to make sure we’re telling the best stories for the sector.
www.med-techexpo.com
