Medtrade Returns to the City Where It Began
After 2 years away, Medtrade is returning to Atlanta—the city where the show began more than 20 years ago—and this time it may be for good. VNU Expositions, Medtrade’s organizer, has also planned for the 2003 Medtrade to take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Many exhibitors favor the city because it offers fewer distractions than the other two Medtrade host cities, Orlando and New Orleans. Without Disney World or Bourbon Street drawing attendees away from the show floor, more business gets done, say fans of Atlanta.

The one drawback may be that in the Georgia World Congress Center, Medtrade’s more than 1,100 exhibiting companies must be split between two show halls. Having to leave one show hall to go to the next can discourage attendees from circulating through the entire exposition, which can be a problem for smaller exhibiting companies that rely more heavily on people walking by and noticing them than large companies. A connector concourse between the halls and clear signage will help avoid this problem, as will the variety of special events scheduled to take place on different parts of the show floor.

New this year will be the Rehab/Assistive Technology Training Center and the Respiratory/ Sleep Training Center on the show floor. Sponsored by manufacturers, the training centers will offer two free 1-hour sessions each day to attendees. Returning favorites include the Harmar Grand Prix, a wheelchair and scooter racing tournament, and the new products pavilion. Around 125 to 150 products will be part of the pavilion this year, says Cory Smith, group show director.

VNU Expositions anticipates that 21,000 to 25,000 people will attend the show, which runs from Tuesday, October 29, through Thursday, October 31.

Remember to bring your Medtrade 2002 bookmark to the show for a chance to win a Waterford crystal clock. Or pick up a bookmark at the Home Health Care Dealer/ Provider booth, # 4961.

Grassley to Address Attendees

Medtrade attendees concerned about upcoming Medicare legislation will not want to miss hearing Senator Charles “Chuck” Grassley (R-Iowa) speak on Tuesday, October 29, at 9:30 am. Grassley, a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Finance, will focus on how new legislation will affect the HME industry. Grassley is sponsored by Pride Mobility Products, Exeter, Pa, and the American Association for Homecare. Attendance is free.

Senator Max Cleland

Keynote Mixes It Up
Instead of breaking the keynote address out into its own session, as was the case last year, Medtrade 2002 will include the keynote with the popular American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) Washington Update, which itself will be part of the popular opening reception, says Cory Smith, group show director for VNU Expositions, the Medtrade organizer.

On Tuesday, October 29, between 5:15 pm and 7 pm, VNU and AAHomecare will treat attendees to a jam-packed event that also includes the awarding of the HME Excellence Awards and the Best New Product Awards. VNU has waived the $35 fee it charged for the opening reception last year to make the event more inclusive, Smith says.

At press time, AAHomecare, which is in charge of booking the speaker, was still waiting for its first choice, Senator Max Cleland (D-Ga), to confirm whether he would be able to speak, says Kim Kianka-Roberti, CMP, director of education and meetings for AAHomecare.

Cleland, a Vietnam veteran, knows first-hand the value of the HME industry because he is also a power chair and mobility aids consumer. At the AAHomecare Legislative Conference in June, he told attendees to “Count him as a friend.”

Bright Idea Sharpen those No. 2 pencils and grab your notebooks, Medtrade is expanding its educational offerings this year with a little help from the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare). On October 28, the day before the exhibit hall opens, Medtrade will offer attendees its new Continuum of Care Conference. Running from 8 am to 5 pm, the conference offers three educational tracks: Rehab and Assistive Technology, Home Health Nursing, and Respiratory/Sleep Disorders. Continuing education units (CEUs) will be available for certain sessions. The conference gives an added incentive for companies to bring more employees to the show and is a key part of plans to make Medtrade the industry’s “one source” for solutions to problems, says Cory Smith, group show director for VNU Expositions, the Medtrade organizer. The continuum also represents an even greater partnership between Medtrade, the home health care industry’s leading trade show, and AAHomecare, the industry’s leading lobbying association. “We have made a concerted effort to work more closely together,” Smith says. “It is very important for Medtrade to share a vision with AAHomecare.” The Continuum of Care can be purchased only in conjunction with Medtrade’s traditional educational conference. Early registration prices were $150 for the educational conference alone and $300 for the educational conference and the Continuum of Care package. For more information, visit the Medtrade Web site at www.medtrade.com or call (800) 933-8735.

10 Tips to Get The Most Out of Medtrade

By Steve Lutzker

I know I am getting old because it is getting difficult to remember when I did not to go to Medtrade. I think that this will be the 13th year in a row I have been there.

One thing I do remember from my first Medtrade is that one of the speakers said, “It’s November, it’s Medtrade, and you are supposed to be tired.” He was correct. There is so much to see and so much to do at the show that if you try to do everything you could end up ill.

After being a part of Medtrade for so long, I think I have learned how to do a little business, learn something new, see some old friends, meet a few new people, and have a short vacation from the day-to-day grind of business. Follow these tips, and you can do the same.

1. Don’t skip the show. The future of our industry is on display and in the seminars at Medtrade. You will find your ticket to a better business and a more stable cash flow in Atlanta. I have always found that just one good seminar, one new product, one new vendor, or one new idea makes the time, effort, and cost of attending well worthwhile.

2. Take your staff. There are many educational tracks that will help them grow as managers and gain new knowledge. If possible allow the sales manager or senior salesperson to go as well. Remember that it is likely your competitor’s salesperson is there and if yours is not, you may lose some business opportunities. The same holds true for operational staff. Managers can gain money and time saving ideas that will pay for the cost of the trip many times over. Besides, the trip is a nice way to reward an employee for a year of hard, productive work.

3. Stay close to the convention center. If you do not have hotel and travel reservations yet, make them as soon as possible. The closer you are to the convention center, the better off you will be. While it is true that some of the nicer hotels are out of the downtown area, the convenience of being close is worth the trouble.

4. Arrive the day before Medtrade. That way you can rest up and be ready for the early morning seminars and meetings.

5. Make a plan. Look at all the seminars and pick the ones that are covering topics that are important to you and your business. If more than one person from your company is attending, go to different seminars and make each person attending a seminar responsible for keeping accurate and detailed notes. Within a week of getting back from Atlanta, everyone should write up highlights from each of the seminars he or she attended, attach copies of the handouts or slides from the speaker, and make a short presentation on each seminar at a group meeting. This ensures the information is passed around to all.

The same thing holds true for the trade show. While it is possible for one person to walk past every booth, it is not possible for one person to really see everything. Divide the show floor up among all those attending from your company. Then get together every afternoon and pass along to your coworkers the location of vendors you think the others might want to see. That way every booth can be covered by at least one person and the important vendors can be visited by all.

6. Dress comfortably with loose clothing and sneakers. The show floor is huge, and sneakers are the only way to go.

7. Do not pick up every piece of information offered. Instead ask the vendor to send the information to you at your office and pick up business cards and make notes on the back. That way you can get the information you need and still close your suitcase when you leave.

8. Leave the pencils, pens, and coffee cups there. You can’t really use them all, and they get very heavy very quickly.

9. When buying, stick with what you know. Do not buy every show special unless it is for a product you already carry and really need. The better vendors will give you all the information you need, hold the pricing for a few days, and help you by phone at a later date. Watch out for vendors that try hard to close a sale on the show floor.

10. Plan time for fun. Many vendors host parties and hospitality rooms. I like to visit two or three each day. There I meet other providers and get a chance to visit with my peers in a relaxed atmosphere.

Steve Lutzker is principal consultant with The Lutzker Group Inc, of Escondido, Calif. Contact him at (760) 480-9060 or at consultlutzker@sprynet.com  

Try Your Luck
Raffles and giveaways to attract booth visitors are a Medtrade tradition. Our list of this year’s highlights includes the following. Where not otherwise stated, please visit the sponsoring company’s booth for information on entering raffles.

• Brightree, Duluth, Ga, will give away one Compaq iPAQ 3800 per day. Booth #1005.

• Campania, Vienna, Va, will hold a drawing for a Walkman. Booth # 1349.

• CHAD Therapeutics, Chatsworth, Calif, will hold a drawing each day at noon for a grand prize of a Cypress OXYPneumatic conserving device and two unspecified runner-up prizes. Booth # 2613.

• Fastrack Healthcare Systems Inc, Plainview, NY, will provide a copy of COGNOS PowerPlay software to providers purchasing the Fastrack HME, Infusion/Pharmacy, or Enterprise system. Booth # 4824.

• Medical Data Institute, Trevor, Pa, will give away Palm Pilots to all who pay for a trial of the EPIC Plus CD-ROM Medical Product Database at their booth. In addition, those who see a demonstration of EPIC Plus will receive a key. If that key opens the Medical Data Institute treasure chest, the owner of the key will receive $10,000. Booth # 1649.

• Mentor Corporation, Santa Barbara, Calif, will give away a Male External Continence Center. Booth # 2124.

• MP TotalCare, Tampa, Fla, invites attendees to spin its “Wheel of Fortune” for a chance to win a TotalCare bear. Booth # 1113.

• RemitDATA, Memphis, Tenn, offers HME company owners and managers a chance to win $500 in its daily prize drawing. Booth # 4933.

• Ultimate Resource, Newtown Square, Pa, will give away two tickets to Superbowl XXXVII. Stop by its booth to fill out a contest entry form. Booth # 5336.