Ontario Companies Score at MEDICA 2009

21/12/2009 Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Ontario companies exhibiting in November at MEDICA 2009 in Düsseldorf, Germany came away from the world’s largest annual medical trade fair with a score of strong sales leads, high satisfaction ratings, and a new confidence in their ability to communicate effectively at the global event.

“We monitor the experience and successes of our companies at MEDICA quite closely,” says Gilles Chatelain who looks after Ontario exhibitors for the International Trade Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT). “We helped our companies take some new initiatives this year including paying much more attention to their ‘Company News’ slots on the MEDICA website. The results were very encouraging.”

Among them:

– prospective sales by one Ontario company of over 21,000 respirators to a 140-hospital conglomerate

– possible partnership with an international drug maker for a first-time Ontario exhibitor who brought a new, highly accurate injection system to the fair

– strong interest in adopting another Ontario first-timer’s encrypted software by a computing giant in healthcare

“Of course, the final proof of success comes in the weeks and months after MEDICA when their sales orders are issued or their deals are actually signed,” says Chatelain. “But what was particularly rewarding was that our Ontario exhibitors say the number of qualified leads they experienced this year was much higher than before.”

Not surprising then that the satisfaction with the International Trade Branch support given to the surveyed Ontario pavilion exhibitors at MEDICA rose to a 93% rating overall.

Prior to MEDICA, the Branch works with each Ontario pavilion exhibitor to develop a set of clear well-defined objectives including the distributors, agents, or prospective customers they want to attract. During the show, the Branch shepherds exhibitors to key receptions and other networking events. It also assists with one-to-one matchmaking meetings during the fair with potential partners or customers. Not surprising then that the satisfaction with the International Trade Branch support given by the seven surveyed Ontario exhibitors at MEDICA rose to a 93% rating overall.

Some time after MEDICA, the Branch follows up with its Ontario exhibitors to see exactly what came of their MEDICA dealings and how it might help improve their efforts at the next show. That will likely include encouraging them to make even better use of the medica.de website, which visitors can search in English, German, or Japanese. MEDICA’s organizers in Germany say fair visitors in great and growing numbers use the site to choose which companies they will visit – not surprising considering the fair’s now overwhelming size: more than 4,400 exhibitors from 60 countries who fill all 19 huge buildings of the sprawling Messe Düsseldorf fairgrounds. Over 137,000 people from 100 countries also paid their way in and clicked through the turnstiles this year despite the global recession.

MEDICA may last only four days but the website continues to draw visitors and prospective customers long afterwards. At no extra charge, exhibitors may regularly update their product information and company news on medica.de for nearly a full year.

For more information on Ontario exhibitors at MEDICA 2009 or about exhibiting at MEDICA 2010, contact Gilles Chatelain, MEDT International Trade Branch Area Director: +1 416-326-1075, or e-mail: gilles.chatelain@ontario.ca.

For information other about other export and trade opportunities, visit www.ontarioexports.com

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Exhibitor Data Sheet