Medtrade attendance exceeds projections

November 1, 2004 ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando proved to be a drawing card for Medtrade 2004 last week, and show sponsor VNU Expositions reported that attendance appeared to surpass last years' 21,000 total. "The HME industry (showed) up in full force to attend Medtrade 2004," said Zuzette Estevez, group show director for VNU Expositions. "The attendance at the educational sessions and special events and the activity on the exhibit hall floor (proves) that providers from around the country continue to look to Medtrade to provide them with the solutions they need to be successful." Before Tuesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened the doors to the 950 exhibitors on the 300,000-square-foot show floor, providers eagerly shared their shopping strategies. Representatives from Orthotics Geriatrics studied diabetic shoe catalogs to prepare for their show floor excursion. Although the Chanhassen, Minn.-based company has been around for 10 years, diabetic shoes are a new item for them. "We're looking for shoes that best protect the diabetic's feet at the best price," Ahlgren said. Patricia Crandell, CRTS for Patient Products of Holland, Ohio, said she didn't have a plan to find any specific products, but added that "the beauty of Medtrade is that you can find some nice surprises." This was Justin Rogers' first Medtrade after starting a DME store 14 months ago. "We don't get many vendors in West Texas, so this is a perfect way for us to see them all in one place," said Rogers, general manager for Primary Medical Supply in Midland, Texas. While the DME business isn't as tough as he expected it to be, he said, the market "requires a lot of leg work and beating the bushes. You can't be shy."