From the July 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Next to RSNA and HIMSS, FIME is one of the largest health care industry trade shows in the U.S. Now that it’s under new management, HealthCare Business News wanted to find out what the new owners had in mind for this Miami Beach-based event. As global life sciences trade show operators Informa plc go “full steam ahead” with their expansion into the U.S. with the acquisition of FIME Exhibition & Congress in Miami Beach, this could be a game changer for the popular medical trade exhibition, which attracts more than 20,000 attendees from across North America and Latin America. Informa’s track record of entering new markets and successfully translating their model of business into existing trade shows bodes well for the upcoming edition of the show, coming this August. Excited by the prospect of a “new” FIME, exhibitors and attendees alike are gearing up for a special edition of the show under new management.
FIME will be run by Dubai-based Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, which manages the health care portfolio of Informa’s Global Exhibitions Division, including 26 exhibitions and more than 100 conferences yearly, covering African, Middle Eastern, European and Asian markets. The largest of these is the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which attracts more than 130,000 attendees and 4,000 exhibiting companies from across the Middle East, making it the second-largest health care trade show in the world.
According to Simon Page, managing director, Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, “Informa has a long-term strategic vision to continue to expand the Life Sciences’ exhibition business into the U.S. The recent acquisition of FIME fits in firmly with our goal of expanding our international trade show operations in the region and with our existing portfolio of life sciences events across the globe. FIME will generate substantial value for our customers and partners by driving further product innovation and deeper engagement in these specific markets, and it will send a positive message on the strength of commercial value opportunities within the medical device industry as a whole.”
While FIME’s primary focus will remain across four specific industry sectors — medical technology, medical products and supplies, medical services, and medical equipment — the new format and structure of the trade show means that attendees will be offered enhanced opportunities to expand their network of contacts in the industry and an improved platform to sign business deals. With 38 participating countries, the international scope of the event is apparent, with visitors able to source products and medical services from across all continents. The Dealers & Distributors Wall, an area dedicated to facilitating business relationships between visitors and exhibitors, will be a welcomed addition to the show with some visitors familiar with the concept having previously experienced it at Arab Health in Dubai.
