ELYRIA, Ohio--Invacare will be absent from both Medtrade shows next year, instead switching its focus to specialized trade shows and "more customer-oriented training activities," the company said last week.
The announcement put to rest the rumors swirling around the Medtrade halls in October that the nation's largest home medical equipment manufacturer was pulling out of the largest HME trade show in the U.S. Medtrade Spring is scheduled to be held May 7-8 in Long Beach, Calif., while Medtrade Fall is set for Oct. 28-30 in Atlanta.
"Over the past several years, the HME industry has changed and so have the needs of our customers," said Carl Will, Invacare group vice president, HME division. "We have had to evolve our product selections and services to better meet those needs, and now our trade show plans for 2008 reflect the new business model as well."
The Elyria, Ohio-based company, which has stepped up its presence in Washington, plans to beef up its support of state and regional HME associations in hopes of getting more providers involved in the legislative and regulatory processes.
"All politics is local and more providers need to get out there and start talking with their own representatives and senators," said Mal Mixon, Invacare chairman and CEO. "This is a critical time in our industry, and we need the participation of everyone involved."
The company's HME division will also participate in specialized shows, such as rehab- and respiratory-focused trade shows. In addition, the division is working to improve education for customers in the areas of training and development on new products and services, competitive bidding and improving operational costs.
Invacare is the latest manufacturer to pull out of Medtrade, joining Drive Medical, absent from this year's fall show, and Permobil. The day before the October Medtrade opened, Permobil announced its intent to forego Medtrade Spring and Fall 2008 and instead host a rehab summit in the spring for its provider network.
"This isn't a battle between Medtrade and Invacare," said Kevin Bird, group show director, health care, for Medtrade producer Nielsen Business Media. "Invacare is a pioneer in the industry, and they have never tied their support of the industry to their presence at Medtrade. However, this is a business decision they made that is up to them."
Bird said all other large manufacturers remain committed to the show, including the majority of Invacare's subsidiaries. "At this point I've talked to them all, and at this time they will all be represented," he said.
Bird also said he plans to form an attendee panel to suggest improvements for the 28-year-old trade show, with panel members announced after Medtrade Spring.
"Medtrade continues to be the best place to learn how to survive
in today's climate," said Bird. "Medtrade is still the meeting
place for the HME community. It is a gathering of people trying to
learn how to move their businesses forward."