The rehabilitation and care market has enormous potential +++ 48,000 specialists, experts and interested visitors attended REHACARE 2009 in Düsseldorf

 

The rehabilitation and care market is a market with big opportunities. That was the message from the four-day REHACARE 2009 international trade fair that ended on Saturday, 17 October, 2009. “The industry’s potential is enormous. But demand is currently restrained by cuts in the provision of health care aids. Nonetheless, we are convinced that the need for aids will continue to grow, given the forecast demographic development, and REHACARE will profit from this as the leading platform of the industry,” said Wilhelm Niedergöker, director of the Düsseldorf trade fair, assessing the development of the trade fair.

48,000 international trade delegates, experts and interested visitors came to REHACARE 2009 to learn about innovative rehab technology and gather new information from the 706 exhibitors from 29 countries. “As scheduled, REHACARE’s range of presentations was comparable to that of 2007 and attracted 47,000 visitors,” said director Wilhelm Niedergöker. In 2008, there were 52,000 visitors.

Even according to the assessment of the industry association SPECTARIS, the health aid industry can only marginally profit from the demographic development of society. This is because of state-prescribed budgetary constraints. The association pointed out that in 2008 only 3.2 percent of total expenditure on statutory health insurance was allocated to health aids. In the first half of 2009, this portion had reportedly already fallen to three percent. Nonetheless, the German manufacturers of health aids increased their sales by 10 percent last year to 2.2 billion euros.

The exhibitors at REHACARE 2009 were very satisfied with how the trade fair turned out. Friedel Rinn, chair of the Federal Working Group for Self-assistance of People with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses and their Families, was happy to see the lively attendance at the booths of the self-assistance groups and praised the wide range of offerings. “REHACARE is a market full of possibilities in the best sense of the term. The range extends from individual solutions that are already suitable for daily use to intelligent support systems which in the future will make life easier for people with disabilities, care requirements and chronic illnesses. Anyone who wants to get an overview of the latest technology should not miss Düsseldorf.”

The main focus of visitor interest was walking and mobility supports, transport devices and wheelchairs. Ninety-nine percent wanted information about this. Nearly one out of every two persons was interested in supports for daily use.

Norbert Aumann, general manager of Otto Bock HealthCare Deutschland GmbH, a leading manufacturer of wheelchairs and transport devices, summed up REHACARE as an important international marketplace and a fixed part of the company’s marketing plan. “Acceptance of REHACARE is still good. Likewise the mood among exhibitors and visitors. This year, we presented our sport product range for the first time and thus successfully reached new target groups. We were also able to increase the attractiveness of our brand in the areas of prosthetics, orthotics and neuro-stimulation.”

Heiko Keuchel, manager of Thomashilfen, is convinced that REHACARE is on the right path for successfully addressing the topics of care and dementia internationally. “The enormous interest the visitors had in our offerings in the area of dementia has positively surprised us. Also, as specialists in children’s rehab, we were once again very satisfied with REHACARE’s role as the industry’s big marketplace. In no other place are customers, trade, insurers and manufacturers represented with such variety and intensity. In Düsseldorf, the personal exchange with parents and therapists is a unique feature.”

All in all, the quality, the high degree of competence in purchasing decisions and the international range of visitors were praised by the exhibitors.

Charlotte Fraser, International Manager of Medilink Yorkshire & Humber and organiser of the shared British trade fair stand with 24 participants, was enthusiastic about the international specialists who visited the booths of the British companies. “We were absolutely, positively surprised. Our companies were able to make valuable contacts all over Europe and far beyond.”

Along with the exhibitors’ presentations, the extensive range of meetings, conventions and continuing education offered was also very well received by the visitors. The Demenz-Service [Dementia Service] NRW regional initiative in the Kuratorium Deutsche Altershilfe [German Committee on Old Age Assistance] struck a chord with its dementia symposium. 150 specialists and concerned family members gathered extensive information about the symptoms of the disease, therapies and preventive measures.

In the last few years, REHACARE has particularly focused on older people and explored barrier-free building and living. Meanwhile, every fifth visitor is interested in this range of offerings in Trade Fair Hall 3. The REHACARE Wohn(t)raum [Dream Living Space] Congress attracted over 500 participants on the 14th and 15th of October. The BAG SELBSTHILFE [Federal Working Group for Self-assistance] successfully promoted the “STIFTUNG selbstbestimmt leben” [“Foundation for Self-determined Living”] in the Café Forum.

The REHACARE Sport Center was also popular with its disabled sport offerings, and so was “Pharmacy Day 2009,” in which the pharmacists of North Rhine-Westphalia offered preventive checks.

The next REHACARE will take place in Düsseldorf from the 6th through to the 9th of October, 2010.

Düsseldorf, October 19, 2009

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