Mr. Thomas Schlitt
Managing Director,  Messe Duesseldorf, India

“Our vision 2030 is a natural step for further growth aimed at supporting our ambitions to scale up the existing exhibitions, bring new topics, raise our standards and bring credibility to an important international market like India”

 

Mr. Schlitt, Congratulations for Successful events during your tenure. How has been your journey in India so far and what is the future road map?

My journey in India has so far been a truly wonderful learning experience. There is much that I have learnt during my time and which has allowed me the opportunity to create a meaningful impact on the exhibition portfolio for Messe Duesseldorf India.

In a world of profound changes, with the acceleration of innovation and a growing competitive landscape in the exhibition market, it is necessary for the Messe Duesseldorf Group in India to assert its identity through the creation of powerful brands catering to the wide array of markets.

This for us is the right time, when we are riding the momentum of our recent successes in exhibition portfolios,strengthening our existing exhibitions by adding new target segments and creating new entities by mergers and acquisitions.

We cater to some important industry sectors in India and would like to take advantage of this increased level of visibility to further grow our profile.

Our vision 2030 is a natural step for further growth aimed at supporting our ambitions to scale up the existing exhibitions, bring new topics, raise our standards and bring credibility to an important international market like India.

Medical fair the oldest exhibition brand in India, has been doing a great service to Indian medical fraternity for more than a decade, do you have any plans to maximize more shows every year?

I believe that organizing a trade fair is a strategic venture; therefore, the starting point is the exhibitor. The purpose is, and it generally is, to promote the medical industry and attract investments as a means for sector development. Therefore, we are evaluating all options to further develop the market and be a catalyst.

Yes, additionally, we are assessing the feasibility for organizing more shows, focusing on its objective, theme and market scope. Besides market conditions, we as an international trade show organizer, must also keep in view other critical aspects for the sustainability of the trade fair.

An analysis with respect to the above-mentioned factors and the identification of ways to ensure that the essential requirements are met, should be the initial assessment for the feasibility of any addition to our existing shows.

Don’t you think within exhibition segment, there is plenty of scope for many
sub-segments like AI, Medical Equipment, Hospital Architecture, HMS etc.?

With more than 4 decades of experience as the leading healthcare business platform in Germany, MEDICA is a hub of knowledge. In India, Medical Fair India with 25 years of existence has gained key insights into the country’s healthcare market.

MEDICAL FAIR INDIA is well known for its ability to detect trends and respond to new Innovations. Therefore, each edition is unique as it explores new sub-segments and opportunities for diversification. The successful segments which have been added to MEDICAL FAIR INDIA are CLINLAB India – Conference &Exhibition on IVD and Clinical Laboratory and FTR4H (Future for Health lounge and pavilion)which explore show Mobile, Internet of Things, Data & Artificial Intelligence and Roboticstrans form the Healthcare Industry. The 2019 edition will see the launch of Reha India, powered by REHACARE to be featured for the first time in India,alongside Medical Fair India. This segment will focus on the rehabilitation sector in India bringing together all categories of stakeholders in this segment.

In addition, medgate today, our esteem partner will drive the conference on vital issues,development and innovation in healthcare industry. Together with industry stakeholders and partners, MFI is constantly exploring new topics which should the right fitment for business and technical education at the show.

Could you Please get us a glimpse into comparative medical products buying behavior in India, Europe and Africa markets?

Global medical device production value will witness strong growth. However, gaining a market share in the traditional markets (Western Europe, and the US) will remain difficult due to growing regulatory scrutiny and pricing pressures.

The US will remain the largest producer and consumer of medical devices, accounting for majority of the global market. Operating in and exporting to emerging markets of Latin America and Eastern Europe will be challenging due to decelerating growth of these regions’ healthcare industries. Although it has been hard to penetrate the Asia Pacific medical device market, this region may present unique opportunities for medical device producers to grow and gain new markets.

The region was the fastest growing medical device market, rising at a CAGR of 10%. For instance, China’s and India’s healthcare service revenues are expected to advance, resulting in a large number of new hospital construction projects and thus soaring demand for medical and surgical equipment.

As online buying is future of procurement; how do you align your exhibitions with this emerging buying platform?

The big bang of Information-communication technologies and media facilities in the last decade have bridged distances and made an astonishing mass of information available, facilitating its transfer both in qualitative and quantitative terms. Without any doubt, habits and behavior have drastically changed the way of doing business, through Internet-based services. Online marketplaces and business databases, companies’ websites and industry portals are facilitating B2B andB2C linkages, and actual business transactions are possible though e-commerce.

Following the Indian government’s push for digital transactions, the purchase of medical equipment and machinery online will bring more transparency and efficiency into the procurement process. Exhibitions like Medical Fair India provide a platform to populate this information to the larger audience and amplify the platforms available.

Medical Fair’s success has inspired local competition having local advantage, how have you been successfully staying ahead of your competition?

Medical Fair India is segmented into multiple areas of specialization, with a global presence and expertise. Our exhibitors achieve their objective both ways – by catering to the domestic market (MFI) and international market with MEDIC Alliance, which is the partner for medical trade fairs worldwide from our global network of Messe Düsseldorf in Bangkok, Bogotá, Moscow, São Paulo, Suzhou and Singapore!

India is a very sensitive market when it comes to Medical exhibition and conference. However, we have been consistent in our pricing, delivery and standards. This has really helped us to stay ahead of other available options in this industry. Medical Fair India acts as a platform where connections are made and business relationships are nurtured. With global engagements and participation from over 20 countries, MEDICAL FAIR INDIA is now synonymous to the Medical industry in India and working furtherto increase the level of visibility and act as a catalyst for defining the healthcare industry in India.

What does India as a market mean to you, Please share your vision for Indian healthcare industry, Medical tourism etc?

Healthcare has become one of India’s largest sectors – both in terms of revenue and employment. Healthcare comprises hospitals, medical devices, clinical trials, outsourcing, telemedicine, medical tourism, health insurance and medical equipment. The Indian healthcare sector is growing at a brisk pace due to its strengthening coverage, services and increasing expenditure by public as well private players.

I believe that India’s competitive advantage lies in its large pool of well-trained medical professionals. India is also cost competitive compared to its peers in Asia and Western countries in terms of manufacturing of medical devices. The cost of surgery in India is about one-tenth of that in the US or Western Europe.

The country has also become one of the leading destinations for high-end diagnostic services with tremendous capital investment for advanced diagnostic facilities, thus catering to a greater proportion of population. Besides, Indian medical service consumers have become more conscious towards their healthcare upkeep ❏