Medtrade’s Gaffney: Criticism Helped Shape ‘New’ Show

The Medtrade events have faced some tough criticism from
both attendees and exhibitors in past years. As a result, Medtrade
Group Show Director Kevin Gaffney has beefed up educational
sessions and clinical training, increased the show’s support for
industry lobbying efforts and, this year, moved the venue for
Medtrade Spring to the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las
Vegas. With more than 70 conference sessions and 300 exhibitors (on
a show floor that will be 8 to 10 percent larger than in 2009),
Gaffney is optimistic about attendance at the event. “Last year
attendance was 12 percent over 2008, and right now we are tracking
ahead of what we did in 2009,” he said. “We seem to be moving in
the right direction.”

In the following Q&A, Gaffney discusses the show’s
changes and how he views Medtrade’s role in the industry.

HomeCare: The HME industry is facing some big
challenges, to say the least. Has the imminent threat of
competitive bidding spurred attendance at Medtrade
Spring?

Kevin Gaffney: To say the least! Seriously,
this is an incredibly challenging time for the industry, and I
sincerely hope the efforts that are being made have an impact in
the halls of Congress. I am not sure if this is the reason, but
attendance is up from last year. I would hope that providers would
see that this is an important year to attend Medtrade Spring.
Through the educational conference and the resources available from
Expo exhibitors, the ideas and solutions they can receive can help
them create or enhance the business model that will keep them
alive.

HomeCare: You’ve increased Medtrade’s backing for
industry lobbying efforts. How do you view the show’s role in this
area?

Gaffney: Our primary role is to support the
industry’s overall efforts, especially those efforts by the
American Association for Homecare. I look at Medtrade as a great
venue to bring all aspects of the HME industry together in one
place. To be successful, the industry must band together and work
toward common goals to strengthen the industry. We try to do little
things that help bring the industry together such as the
development of the “Homecare Works!” logo, which both providers and
manufacturers have seemed to embrace.

We also feel it’s important to do what we can to support the
efforts of the state associations. We will continue to offer the
State Association Pavilions at Medtrade and Medtrade Spring and
offer additional support where we can. Our goal is for the Medtrade
events to be forums where providers and manufacturers can become
knowledgeable about the actions they can take to be a part of the
overall lobbying effort. Medtrade embraces its role of bringing
folks together and will always welcome suggestions on how we can do
more.

HomeCare: You have lobbied in Washington yourself on the
industry’s behalf. Has that experience contributed to your thinking
about the show?

Gaffney: I enjoyed doing it, and it is good for
me because it gives me a better idea of what the industry is facing
as a whole and what Medtrade can do to support the efforts the
industry is engaged in.

H.R. 3790 is a big initiative, for example. We’re going to have
a congressional map blown up on the show floor at Medtrade Spring
that will show every district and indicate the representatives who
have signed on to the bill. If your representative hasn’t signed
on, you can stop by the AAHomecare or VGM booths and they can
assist you in getting a message to your congressman. That whole
idea came to me from being at the AAHomecare Legislative Conference
and seeing the effort at getting people on board with the bill. We
have a critical mass of people at the show, so we’ll provide them
with an easy way to reach out to their representatives.

If Congress gets a couple of thousand messages over the course
of the show, they might pay attention.

HomeCare: You’ve also beefed up education on current
issues and training in clinical and other areas. What kinds of
education are HME providers asking for?

Gaffney: Providers have told us that they want
sessions that address clinical issues and that provide continuing
education credits in both the areas of rehab and respiratory care.
Likewise, the HME industry continues to fight competitive bidding
and regulatory actions that could directly affect the survival of
many providers. At Medtrade Spring, the educational conference will
offer sessions that address these topics.

Additionally, the conference’s 70 or so sessions will offer
attendees the opportunity to take an in-depth look at operations,
sales and marketing, and reimbursement among other topics. For
providers who want to dig in deeper, the Medtrade Spring pre-show
conferences will provide extensive information to further enable
providers to increase their knowledge in the areas of rehab,
respiratory care, reimbursement and awareness of the current
legislative and regulatory situation.

HomeCare: Medtrade has faced criticism both from
attendees and exhibitors and, as a result, has made a number of
changes. Do you think those changes have been
successful?

Gaffney: I think our efforts have been
successful. People have been critical of the shows in the past but
I really feel it was done out of frustration and the desire to help
us make the events better and stronger. It’s critical to listen to
our customers, whether the feedback is negative or positive. Since
taking over the Medtrade shows in June of 2008, I have made some
significant changes for what I believe are for the better, and I
can tell you that a majority of those changes were a direct result
of the feedback I have received from all corners of the HME
industry.

The people I have had the pleasure of meeting over the last 18
months share one major thing in common: a desire to provide their
customers with the absolute best products and services. Folks in
this industry really care and it shows, and Medtrade really cares
about them and will continue to do what we can to show it as
well.

HomeCare: Are there additional changes
coming?

Gaffney: A new initiative to help us move
forward is the formation of the Medtrade Blue Ribbon Task Force.
This group will be made up of high level executives from all
aspects of the industry and is designed to provide us and our
partner, AAHomecare, with direct feedback, ideas and suggestions
for continuing to make the Medtrade events even better. We look
forward to officially announcing who will serve on the task force
in the coming month.

HomeCare: What’s in store at the new venue for Medtrade
Spring?

Gaffney: The Sands Expo is a great location for
Medtrade Spring. Its proximity to the Venetian Hotel makes it
convenient for attendees and exhibitors alike. I am hopeful that
this environment will increase after-hours networking opportunities
as well. The idea of the majority of Medtrade Spring participants
being in one location is ideal, as those “spontaneous” meetings can
always lead to valuable contacts and partnerships.

While mentioning networking, we are once again having a
complimentary welcome reception. Sponsored by Infopia USA, the
“Homecare Works!” reception will take place on the show floor on
Wednesday afternoon [May 12] and will allow attendees to get
together, talk business and have some well-deserved fun.

I’ve already mentioned the pre-show conference program, but I
want to add that this year, there are seven different programs that
are available to attendees. I am excited about these because they
should appeal to a wide variety of attendees from business owners
to clinicians. We greatly appreciate our partners —
AAHomecare, Pride Mobility/Quantum Rehab, Invacare, Philips
Respironics, VGM and Sigvaris — for their support in bringing
these sessions to the industry.

HomeCare: What’s coming up in the future for the
show?

Gaffney: What Medtrade looks like in the future
will be greatly influenced by the success of the industry in
stopping competitive bidding as well as positively influencing
Congress on the many other issues facing the industry. The one
thing I feel very confident about is the desire of patients to have
access the latest and best equipment and the high level of service
they have come to expect. We know the demand will continue to
increase for these products and services, and Medtrade looks
forward to being around for another 30-year run to continue to help
spread the message that “Homecare Works!”

For details on Medtrade Spring, May 11-13, see www.medtradespring.com. Check with any exhibitor for
free passes to the Expo hall, and use Code HOME2000 for $50 off the
Medtrade Spring conference fee, good until May 10.