Event Description
The U.S. Department of Commerce's, International Trade Administration's (ITA), Commercial Service (CS) office in Dusseldorf, together with the ITA Health Care Technology Team, is organizing the major annual Corporate Executive Office (CEO) at Medica '05. As the world's largest and most prestigious medical equipment and diagnostics show in the world, with over 4,000 exhibitors and over 136,000 visitors from around the world. Medica attracts thousands of visitors from Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and from Asia. This Medica CEO is the major event in Europe for the strategic medical sector under the Department of Commerce's Showcase Europe program. As an effective alternative to exhibiting at or simply visiting Medica for U.S. exporters, the CEO program targets new-to-market U.S. companies in this sector that have not previously exhibited at Medica. The CEO program affords lower-cost access to Medica, allowing small and medium-sized businesses to participate in the world's largest medical trade show where they would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate due to the high cost. The Medica CEO is intended for people who haven't exhibited at Medica, but are considering doing so. The U.S. Commercial Service envisions that CEO participants will eventually exhibit in the U.S.A. Pavilion or in the industry-specific location on the exhibition floor. Thus, preference will be given to businesses which are not multiple-year participants in past Medica CEOs.
This CEO consists of a package of services including: pre-show counseling; presence and base of operations on show premises with shared office suite, equipment, and services; market research and formal briefing in-country by the CS medical sector specialist; exposure through entry into show catalog, the Medica Internet portal, and the on-site electronic search system; assignment of a multi-lingual personal assistant/escort; on-site scheduling of meetings with potential partners, agents, and buyers; and post-show assistance and follow-up with contacts.
Commercial Setting
The Medica trade show is the single most important commercial and information exchange for U.S. exporters in the medical equipment and diagnostics field. It offers not only the unsurpassed forum for access to the German market but also an excellent means to explore and penetrate virtually all European markets as well as other foreign markets. Global sales of medical equipment currently come to about $220 billion annually. Western Europe accounts for a quarter of the world market, with Germany the largest national market in Europe, ahead of France and Italy, and sales of medical equipment amounting to $15.3 billion a year.
Despite recent efforts to reform the public health care system in Germany and to slow down the rapid increase in public health care expenditures, demographic trends, the aging German population and advances in medical technology are predicted to maintain the German market as the largest and fastest growing market in all of Europe. The German market is very receptive to high quality advanced medical equipment, technology, and diagnostic products from the United States. Similar trends may be observed in other parts of the EU and Western Europe. The newer democratic markets of Central and Eastern Europe as well as the former republics of the Soviet Union offer long term potential for U.S. exporters as those regions strive to achieve comparable standards of health and medical care enjoyed in the West. Medica is the showplace for U.S. medical equipment and technology for these markets. At Medica 2004, 300 U.S. suppliers displayed the latest products and technologies. U.S. medical product suppliers even come to meet other U.S. medical product suppliers at Medica.
Because Medica attracts buyers and experts in the field from all ends of the globe, it serves as a barometer of trends, an indispensable source of market information, and the most efficient available tool for establishing contacts and selling or preparing for sales to all world markets.
Mission Goals
The goal of the Medica CEO is to facilitate a productive presence for companies that would not otherwise be able to participate in Medica '05. The Medica CEO program enables U.S. medical companies to familiarize themselves with this important trade fair, conduct market research and explore export opportunities through pre-arranged meetings with potential partners, investigation of market conditions, and discussions conducted at the show without the high costs of first-time exhibition. Importantly, the CEO allows U.S. companies to have a presence at the show, thereby providing them with an enhanced image and level of engagement, an office infrastructure environment, and knowledgeable support of U.S. Commercial Service staff and personal assistants focused on furthering company-specific objectives. Access to German, European, and other international markets and business partners is made possible through the CEO in a manner that cannot be matched by simply attending the show as a visitor.
Mission Scenario
Participants will be counseled by ITA trade specialists. Company information and literature will be forwarded by the companies to CS Dusseldorf and distributed in advance to assigned assistants, so that they may familiarize themselves with the company. Participants will arrive in Dusseldorf on their own schedule but report to the CEO office in Medica at the start of the show. At this time, participants will be briefed by CS staff on program features, personally introduced to their assigned assistants, and greeted by trade fair officials. Company literature and promotional material will either be shipped to the U.S. Consulate in Dusseldorf or brought by participants. No exhibition or larger demonstration items are permitted or appropriate. CS staff will be available for information and assistance throughout the duration of Medica. CS information booths in the U.S.A. Pavilions will promote and refer interested parties to CEO participants. One evening during show, a reception will be organized for CEO participants. Prior to participants' departure, CS staff will advise and counsel on appropriate follow-up actions to be taken after the show.
Timetable
Participants arrive according to their own schedules but all assemble at the
Dusseldorf Trade Fair in the Medica CEO at the beginning of the show, November
16, 2005. Recruitment will close by September 164, 2005. Applications received
after September 16, 2005, will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints
permit.
Conditions for CEO participation
Any partisan political activities of an applicant, including political contributions, will be entirely irrelevant to the selection process.
Medica CEO participation promotion will be conducted by CS Dusseldorf and by CS regional coordinators in Export Assistance Centers headed by the ITA Healthcare Technical team, and include, but not be limited to, publication in local German, as well as domestic trade publications and associations newsletters, mailings from internal and purchased mailing lists, postings in the Federal Register, and on ITA's home page (www.ita.doc.gov/doctm).
Contact information:
National Team
Lead Medica: Julie Anne Hennessy
: USEAC Director, CA - Los Angeles (West)
11150 West Olympic Boulevard
Suite 975
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone: (310) 235-7104, Fax: (310) 235-7220
http://www.buyusa.gov/westlosangeles/
Email: julieanne.hennessy@mail.doc.gov
Overseas Post Anette Salama
Lead: The Commercial Service
U.S. Consulate General
Willi-Becker-Allee 10
40227 Dusseldorf
Germany
Tel: +49-211-737-767-60
Fax: +49-211-737-767-67