– 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 Exhibition (IDS 9), held from September 22nd to 25th, ended with great success. The exhibition is an industrial exhibition held every two years, and in this year's case, it was held as a hybrid exhibition using the online platform IDS Connect due to the COVID-2021 pandemic.
Exhibition Overview
About 59% of 830 participating companies from 72 countries participated in this year's dental equipment exhibition from outside Germany, and more than 2 visitors to the exhibition hall over the four days revealed the aspect of a global exhibition. It is inevitable that there will be a difference in the number of participants compared to the scale of 3000 before the outbreak of COVID-19 (2019 companies from 64 countries participated at the time, total number of visitors was 2327). evaluated as significant. The next dental equipment exhibition will be held from March 16 to 19, 2023.
Introduced an alternative model for the pandemic era exhibition in a hybrid method
This exhibition was also the site of a new type of exhibition model in the era of COVID-19. The exhibition, which was originally scheduled to be held in March, suffered twists and turns, being postponed to September due to the COVID-3 pandemic, and the organizers took advantage of their own online platform, IDS Connect, to avoid the crisis by holding the event in the form of a hybrid exhibition that simultaneously holds both online and offline exhibitions. broke through In the case of admission tickets, only non-face-to-face sales were conducted through online reservations, and all exhibition information was provided to participating companies and individuals through a mobile app when visiting the exhibition hall. Through the digital transformation of the exhibition amid the COVID-19 crisis, the organizers have maintained their status as an international event.
Safety management in the venue was also thoroughly carried out, and individual safety inspections were strict from the entrance in accordance with Germany's G3 (Geimpft, Getestet, Genesen: inoculation completed, corona test completed or corona cured) standards. However, after passing the safety test and entering the exhibition hall, they were able to view all the exhibitions without any restrictions on movement and exhibitions. As the number of people on the day was limited, the inside of the exhibition hall was not crowded, and there were sufficient hand sanitizer sprays in various places in the exhibition hall. In addition, masks were allowed to be removed within the dining area, allowing them to rest and eat comfortably and freely.
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's dental equipment exhibition in Cologne, Germany was successfully concluded through digital innovation by the organizer, thorough safety response by domestic companies, and collaboration in difficult circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, it is regrettable that the number of visitors decreased significantly compared to 2017 and 2019, 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