by Tim Heston
Sunday, February 1, 2004

This is no Medtrade. That's something Reece Franklin hears over and over from the home medical equipment businesses that exhibit at his Southern California Senior Expo.

The first clue might be the large dance floor, last year placed in the back corner of the Ontario, Calif., Convention Center. Others might be the cruise ship exhibitors and the Lion's Club booth. At this show, instead of manufacturers marketing to providers, providers market to consumers.

At its inaugural event last October, roughly 6,000 people walked through the turnstiles onto the show floor. The expo sold 249 out of 250 booths and had 187 vendors. Among them, 11 were DME dealers, each marketing directly to potential customers, social workers and other referral sources.

“There's been an explosion of DME dealers in Southern California [in recent years],” Franklin explains, “and many of them are trying to go after the same people.”

This show and similar events across the country present a unique marketing opportunity for providers, Franklin says. “Here, they open up a dialog and a relationship [with attendees].”

That relationship might be with someone too young to retire, let alone qualify for Medicare. Many show attendees are baby boomers, a key demographic spurring the start-up of such events. Focusing on a younger crowd — people preparing for the future as they reach retirement age — the shows feature travel agents and ballroom dancing studios alongside senior living, home health agencies, mobility exhibits and hospitals. Often, health screenings and seminars from agencies and organizations like Social Security, Medicare and AARP are offered.

“It was extremely different from a typical expo,” says Ken Woghiren, regional director of Advanced Care Medical Equipment's Upland, Calif., branch, a DME dealer who exhibited at Franklin's show last year and has signed up for space again. “We didn't do it so we could get more clientele. We did it to enhance our relationship with area seniors.

“The ambiance of the whole arena, the layout and the staging [were] impressive,” Woghiren continues. “We found attendees getting up, dancing and having a good time. That was really encouraging.”

For attendees, “the message behind our show is, ‘You need to understand all of the things that could come up before you need help,’” says Gregory Hughes, who manages a Portland, Ore.-based show called The Prime of Life Expo. The show manager changed the name from “Senior Expo” several years ago to pursue a broader demographic and to focus on the boomers' buying power. Besides, many seniors, he found, don't want to be called “seniors.”

The show, he says, provides opportunities for HME companies to develop relationships with those who may not need the equipment — yet. That relationship may also carry through multiple generations, Hughes explains, noting that many fifty-something attendees visit with their parents to eye products and services their parents may need in a few months — and what they themselves could need in a few years.

Both Franklin and Hughes agree that this is a long-term approach to DME marketing. At these events, says Franklin, it's not about writing business on the show floor. “It's about getting to know the people and, ultimately, getting their trust.”

Senior Expos

Here are a few of the regional senior expos now dotting the country. For shows in your area, check with your local convention or visitors bureau.