A Recap of Medtrade 2023

Published in Member Communities on May 05, 2023

By Shelby Graveman, Director of Sales & Member Success, VGM & Associates

Starting in 2023, Medtrade combined both tradeshows (Medtrade West and Medtrade East) into one single show. This new and improved event took place from March 28-30, 2023, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. Read below from VGM & Associates’ Shelby Graveman on her perspective of the new show and how it brought the DMEPOS industry together. 

After attending the last “hoorah” in Atlanta for the final Medtrade Fall show, I was anxiously anticipating the single show transition to Dallas. However, I was extremely impressed with the turnout, the conversation, and intentional meetings that took place in Dallas. Something I appreciate more than ever is that we are all trying to make the most of everyone’s time. The cost of travel, food, and beverage is higher than ever, and staffing issues make it that much harder for folks to take time away to attend industry events. Therefore, it is crucial now more than ever that we be intentional with meetings, people’s time, and their money. I think Medtrade did a great job in their transition to the single show, and I heard great feedback regarding the types of conversations that were happening on the show floor, the content in the presentations, and more. 

VGM had a large presence at Medtrade. From a full lineup of speakers presenting on their areas of expertise in the industry, to catching attendees up on the latest from VGM in our booth #317, it truly felt like our team was able to “see everyone” that we intended to at the show, along with some new connections as well. VGM also hosted a member/vendor partner appreciation party, and that was a major success. There was plenty of room to spread out in the venue and celebrate our time together in Dallas. From an overall VGM perspective, we left the show with just over a dozen new VGM members who signed up, whether it was signing up in the booth and ringing the bell, or the few who sent their paperwork back to us while we were waiting in the airport to come home from Texas. 

I feel like being part of something bigger has never meant more than it has in the last 18 months. There are many woes we experience in the industry, and a lot of that pain is not new. Being part of a group like VGM allows members and our vendor partners to stay connected, be in alignment, and remember that the reason everyone is here is for patient care. The people who continue to show up and keep their finger on the pulse of the industry are the ones who are going to continue to succeed.  

Looking ahead, having the single Medtrade show is going to allow folks to not feel spread thin, and be able to attend other industry events instead of having to choose. We are definitely looking forward to continuing the buzz and conversations from Medtrade, as we welcome a lot of those folks to Waterloo for our Heartland Conference in June. If you have not already registered for Heartland, click here to get started. 

TAGS

1. dmepos
2. tradeshow
3. vgm