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I meetings _ IDS 2009

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_The world’s largest dental showhas defied theeconomic gloom. According to a preliminary reportreleased by the organiser Koelnmesse at the end of March, the number of visitors this year increased by6.9 per cent to over 100,000. The number of ex-

hibitors also rose by 4.5 per cent to 1,820. Interna-tional companies held a 65 per cent share, an in-crease of 10 per cent compared with the previousshow in 2007.

The results confirm a slight decline in the Germandomestic market, which is significant for the localdental industry. Sales have dropped by 2.6 per centto €1.58 billion compared with 2007; this is attrib-uted mainly to financial constraints in the dentaland dental technology sectors in the last quarter of 2008. Although dental physicians are the group of 

medical specialists who are the most willing to in-vest in the establishment of clinics, according to thelatest results of the Institute of German DentalPhysicians (IDZ), the overall investment trendhas fallen significantly.

However, a survey conducted by theAssociation of German Dental Manu-facturers (VDDI) found that exportbusiness expectations for 2009 arepositive overall in spite of varyingbusiness development in individ-ual regions. VDDI Chairman, DrMartin Rickert said that 83 percent of the member companiessurveyed expect a rise in, or at

least consistent, overseas sales for 2009. The exportquota of the companies traditionally operating as‘global players’ is 57 per cent.

“It is good news that in spite of the turbulence in

the financial market, the dental industry and thehealth economy can, overall, sustain as solid mar-kets,” Dr Rickert said during a press conference inCologne. “IDS has confirmed its status as the inter-national leading trade show in dentistry. We arecertain that the show’s outcome will give positivesignals for the global dental market andinternational health marketsas well,” he added._

meetings _ IDS 2009   I

IDS flourishes

despite economic

trouble Author_ Daniel Zimmermann, Germany

Photographs_ Koelnmesse

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