– Participation of 102 domestic companies, a venue for expanding opportunities to enter global export markets –
– High interest in overseas buyers, CE certification, IP (intellectual property), compatibility with existing products –
The Cologne Dental Equipment Show (IDS 9), held from September 22 to 25, has come to a successful conclusion. The show is an industrial exhibition held every two years, and this year, due to the COVID-2021 pandemic, it was held as a hybrid exhibition using the online platform IDS Connect.
Exhibition Overview
This year's dental equipment exhibition had 59 participating companies from 830 countries, of which about 72% were from outside Germany, and the number of visitors to the exhibition hall over the four days exceeded 2, showing the appearance of a global exhibition. It is inevitable that there will be a difference in the number of participants compared to the scale in 3000 (when 1919 companies from 2019 countries participated and the total number of visitors was 64) before the COVID-2327 outbreak, but it is evaluated that there is still considerable interest in the exhibition around the world even in the COVID-16 pandemic. The next dental equipment exhibition is scheduled to be held from March 1919 to 2023, 3.
Introduced an alternative model for the pandemic era exhibition in a hybrid method
This exhibition also served as a site to demonstrate a new form of exhibition model in the COVID-1919 era. The exhibition, originally scheduled to be held in March, was postponed to September due to the COVID-3 pandemic, and the organizers overcame the crisis by holding the event in a hybrid exhibition format that simultaneously held online and offline exhibitions using their own online platform IDS Connect. In the case of admission tickets, they were only sold non-face-to-face through online reservations, and all exhibition information was provided to participating companies and individuals via a mobile app when visiting the exhibition hall. Through the digital transformation of the exhibition amid the COVID-1919 crisis, the organizers were able to maintain the status of an international event.
Safety management within the venue was also thoroughly implemented, with individual safety checks strictly conducted at the entrance based on Germany’s G3 (Geimpft, Getestet, Genesen: fully vaccinated, fully COVID-19 tested, or fully recovered from COVID-19) standards. However, after passing the safety test and entering the exhibition hall, all exhibits could be viewed without any restrictions on movement or exhibits. Since the number of people allowed on the day was limited, the inside of the exhibition hall was not crowded, and sufficient hand sanitizer sprays were well placed throughout the exhibition hall. In addition, masks were allowed to be removed in the restaurant area, allowing visitors to rest comfortably and freely while eating.
Entrance view of the exhibition hall
Participation by Korean companies
A total of 102 Korean companies participated in this year's dental equipment exhibition in Cologne, Germany, of which 40 companies participated in the Korean Pavilion. The Korean Pavilion is located near the entrance of the exhibition hall and is installed on a 642m² scale. Korean companies participating in the exhibition were busy with buyer consultation and product introduction throughout the exhibition period, and we could see them struggling to secure new buyers.
In this exhibition, the Korean Pavilion companies recorded more than 1000 consultations, and the consultation amounted to about 8440 million dollars. Buyer consultation continues through video consultation after the exhibition event, continuing the enthusiasm of the event.
Korean Pavilion
Osstem, a Korean company that participated in this exhibition, drew attention from many participating companies and buyers with various products installed in large-scale booths. In particular, among the exhibited products, equipment such as 3D printer 'OneJet', portable X-rays, and dental chairs were popular with visitors. Osstem also provided a lot of prizes to entertain visitors. According to the team leader of our exhibition department, the number of visitors reached more than 6500.
Osstem exhibition booth
Dentis, which is the No. 3 company in the domestic dental 1D printer market share and also produces implants and LED surgeries, introduced the product production process in detail through digital images at this exhibition and continued active marketing focusing on production automation and technological excellence. Through this, the company showed the superiority of its own technology before price negotiations, creating a positive effect even in negotiations with buyers. In addition, the company's own newsletter with well-introduced product information attracted attention, and the Korean participating companies were able to feel the pride in their excellent marketing technology and technology abroad.
Dentis exhibition booth view
Aeon, which participated in the German dental equipment exhibition for the first time, introduced a bio-ceramic 3D printer and slurry, which are eco-friendly and biocompatible products. Bio-ceramic 3D printer is a liquid lamination method that does not generate dust, so it improves the working environment, prevents environmental pollution, and is harmless to the human body. Our company received great attention from European buyers by introducing excellent products that fit well with the eco-friendly policy promoted by the European Union. According to the manager of the overseas sales division of our company, the first contract was signed with UNISHAPE in Greece at this exhibition.
Aeon Co., Ltd. exhibition booth view and product photos
Participating in the exhibition Product photos of our company
Overseas Buyer's Response
In this exhibition, buyers from various nationalities such as the UK, Turkey, USA, Iraq, India, Romania, Switzerland and Venezuela as well as European countries visited the Korean Pavilion. They identified CE certification, IP (intellectual property), and compatibility with existing products as the most important things in common. Overseas buyers' satisfaction with Korean products was generally high, and they showed great interest in the cost-effectiveness and customer-oriented sales activities of our products.
implication
This year, the Cologne Dental Equipment Fair in Germany successfully concluded its run despite the difficult conditions caused by the COVID-1919 pandemic, thanks to the organizers’ digital innovation, domestic companies’ thorough safety response, and collaboration. Of course, the number of visitors was significantly lower than in 2017 and 2019, which is disappointing, but it is evaluated as a model of a successful exhibition that showed the digital development of the dental industry.
The biggest achievement at this exhibition, where various medical devices and new products were introduced to reduce the pain of dental treatment, shorten the procedure time, and speed up recovery, was that Korean companies were able to expand their opportunities to enter the global dental market with excellent products.
Lee Young-ho, CEO of Biotem Co., Ltd., who participated in this exhibition, said, “Our implant products are particularly well exported to Germany and Dubai. He expressed confidence in the company's products and international competitiveness. However, he said, “There are factors that can give us an edge in market competition such as product cost-effectiveness, but as time goes by, difficulties in the process of CE certification in the European market still exist,” he said. It also emphasized the need for
The dental industry is the most important field in the health and welfare field in the aging society, and it is an industry that continues to grow. In the case of Korea, it has global competitiveness based on technology in dental equipment, but in order to expand exports, it also has tasks to acquire CE certification, IP (intellectual property), and compatibility with existing products, which are important to overseas buyers. . Support for detailed export procedures to develop more domestic dental equipment into overseas markets can be received through KOTRA's overseas expansion support projects such as the IP-Desk project. If the competitiveness of exporting companies is also strengthened through this, effective overseas market development in the relevant field can be expected.
Source: German Dental Industry Association (VDDI), interviews with domestic companies, interviews with visiting buyers, and KOTRA Frankfurt Trade Center’s own data