Strategy
over-the-counter in the United States
may require a doctor’s prescription in
India. While this creates challenges,
we ultimately tailor the events to each
domestic market while still drawing
an international audience and global
community. We are responsible for
leading a global network of clients,
academics, investors, and associations
to new opportunities within the
context of how local pharma
regulatory structures may impact the
entire pharma supply chain.
With 15 market-leading exhibitions
and 110 conferences, Informa
Exhibitions’ Healthcare portfolio
brings together 10,000 exhibitors and
hundreds of thousands of healthcare
professionals annually with a focus
on medical equipment.
Depending on local demand, we
see a variance in the type of products
being showcased. Our largest events,
Arab Health and Hospitalar, showcase
the latest advances in medical devices
by the world’s leading manufacturers,
while events serving less developed
markets – for example, in Africa
– generally feature products for
more cost-conscious buyers, as well
as point-of-care solutions required
in areas where nearby healthcare
facilities may not be available.
Governments in less developed
healthcare markets are catching
up on compliance and regulatory
standards applied to medical
equipment used in local public and
private healthcare facilities. In most
markets, only locally registered
businesses are permitted to sell
medical equipment to the local
healthcare sector, supporting quality
control and compliance. As a result,
many medical device manufacturers
work with one or multiple local
dealers and distributors to effectively
market their products, particularly in
less established and sizable markets.
Our exhibitions play a major role in
connecting manufacturers with these
dealers and distributors, who make
up an important part of our events’
visitor base.
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
“Products that are
available over-the-counter
in the United States
may require a doctor’s
prescription in India”
To be
successful
as an
organiser,
we are
aware
of the
crossover
between
events, but
ultimately
listen
to our
customers
and
drive our
strategy
from local
market
feedback
and needs.
While the ultimate goal of our
healthcare exhibitions is to facilitate
business between buyers and sellers,
no region is exactly the same and
depending on local demand, we often
see a variance in the type of products
being showcased
Informa Exhibitions’ Healthcare
portfolio mostly operates in emerging
markets where a relative lack of
market transparency ensures that
our customers benefit significantly
from the connections that we
facilitate. Aside from the usual
logistical, commercial and legal
considerations when running events
in a certain market, there are markets
where local or regional regulatory
frameworks involve additional
compliance requirements on us and
our customers, for example when
it comes to sponsoring educational
content for healthcare professionals.
By providing educational
programmes to healthcare
professionals alongside our
exhibitions, we facilitate continuous
education for local healthcare
providers, better patient care for the
host community, and the opportunity
for healthcare professionals to
witness the latest innovations in
healthcare equipment from around
the world. For example, Africa
Health, which launched nine years
ago in Johannesburg as a spin-off
of our Arab Health exhibition in
Dubai, now has partnerships with
local and regional societies across a
great range of medical specialties,
including public health, obstetrics,
and emergency medicine, among
others. As a result, Africa Health
now features the largest multitrack
scientific conference programme in
Africa, providing education to over
4,000 healthcare professionals.
By donating all revenues generated
through these programmes to a local
charity in the healthcare field, we are
fostering a healthier population in the
markets we operate in.
Issue 2 2019
47