MISSION DESCRIPTION:
CS Dusseldorf is organizing a U.S. Corporate Executive Office (CEO) at the International Dental Show (IDS) ’99. The event will be held April 14-17, 1999 in Cologne, Germany. IDS is the dental equipment, products and services trade show in Europe and is organized by the German Dental Association, Verband der Deutschen Dental Industrie, in cooperation with the Cologne Trade Show Authorities. The organizers of IDS are very interested in the presence of international exhibitors and support CS Dusseldorf’s efforts to organize an additional U.S. presence under the CEO program, which is called "USA Kontaktbörse" in the German language. American manufacturers of dental equipment, products and services will get the opportunity to view the show and meet with potential agents and distributors at this large international trade show. For a participation fee of $2,000, American dental firms participating in the CEO program will receive a full office area on the show floor with meeting space, and a bilingual assistant, all at a fraction of the regular cost of full exhibition. t is important to note that the CEO is not designed to permit participants to exhibit. The CEO program is open to all U.S. dental firms whose products/services are at least 51% U.S. made.
COMMERCIAL SETTING:
In general, the German commercial environment is favorable toward U.S. dental products and services. The German dental market is the largest in the European Union, with over 67,000 practicing dentists. The United States is Germany’s second-largest supplier with an import market share of 14%. The most promising sectors among the dental products for U.S. sales in Germany are: dental implants; filling materials; instruments, drills and burs; chairs and workstations; and complementary dental services (educational, training, etc.). Generally, technologically advanced equipment, if not too expensive, will have good market potential.
MISSION GOALS:
The mission’s goal is to enable American small and medium-sized dental companies to promote their products/services and find potential agents/distributors at an international fair in Europe without having to incur any greater financial burden. This is particularly valuable because finding a German/European business partner is the only way to meet the access requirements of the European market.
MISSION SCENARIO:
CEO participants will spend five days at IDS ’99 in Cologne, Germany. Cologne is one of Germany’s medical industry hubs, with major industry associations and sickness funds located in the region. Its proximity to nations with a strong emphasis on medical and dental products, such as The Netherlands and Belgium, as well as easy access to major western European markets, make it the ideal location for the presentation of American products in Europe.
CEO firms will receive five days of participation rights in a fully-equipped office on the show floor and a bilingual assistant for five exposition days.
MISSION TIMETABLE:
Event participants will arrive in Cologne on or about April 13, 1999. Five days of trade-show participation (including meetings arranged during the trade show) will be held April 14-17, 1999 in Cologne.
CS/Dusseldorf has principal recruitment responsibility. The Showcase Europe health care team members are also assisting with the recruitment campaign. Event promotion will involve a mailing to approximately 1,000 U.S. dental firms taken from industry directories, show guides, and USDOC’s CMS database of US exporters. It will also include Showcase Europe posts; relevant trade associations; and individual dental firms counseled in the past. Promotional materials for the CEO at IDS ‘99 will also be listed on the International Trade Administration’s Internet home page.
Recruitment will commence immediately and will close on March 1, 1999, six weeks prior to the start of the event. Late applications will be accepted on a space available basis.
CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION:
- Relevance of the company's business line to mission goals.
- Potential for business in the selected markets.
- Timeliness of the company's completed application and payment of applicable participation fees.
- Provision of adequate information on the company's products and/or services and communication of the company's primary objectives to facilitate appropriate meetings with potential business partners.
- Certification that the company's products and/or services are manufactured or produced in the United States or if manufactured/produced outside of the United States, the product/service must be marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have U.S. content representing at least 51% of the value of the finished good or service.
Any partisan political activities of an applicant, including political contributions, will be entirely irrelevant to the selection process.
CONTACT INFORMATION: