Dental development
With close-contact appointments banned, the dental industry was perhaps one of the hardest-hit during the Covid era. But following the resumption of normal service, the sector is flourishing – and it seems that teeth are big business.
For dental professionals, trade exhibitions in particular have become a key focus for business growth. Following the success of the British Orthodontic Conference last month, Smart Display has already been approached by brands looking to exhibit at the British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) Dental Showcase at the London ExCeL in March, and the Dentistry Show at the NEC in May.
“The dental sector faced unique challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it continued to innovate and adapt to ensure the safety of patients and dental professionals while delivering care,” says Alex Harden, portfolio director for the Dentistry Show. “Face-to-face exhibitions play a vital role in the dental sector by facilitating networking, education, product exploration and professional growth, and we are seeing a remarkable increase in the number of delegates. Our last edition of the Dentistry Show saw 4015 delegates, up 815 on the previous year’s total of 3200.”
For Alex, providing a platform for dental professionals to gather is more essential than ever. The 2023 edition of the Dentistry Show hosted a range of live demonstrations and innovations – focusing on areas such as tooth shade determination and digital prosthetics – and the forthcoming 2024 show will aim to engage visitors further with a range of features and new product innovations.
“We are trying to play our part in the continual progression of the dental sector,” she says. “Our exhibition helps dental professionals to stay connected with latest developments in the field, offering a platform to discover and evaluate new dental equipment, materials and technologies, and keeping up to date with industry developments to maintain a competitive edge.”
Fellow exhibition organiser David Hussey reports a similar upturn in enthusiasm for trade exhibitions within the dental sector.
“There are already over 200 leading dental companies confirmed to exhibit at the 2024 show,” says the event director of the BDIA Dental Showcase. “A dedicated trade committee is providing first-hand insight to help us make the 2024 event as productive, efficient and high quality as possible for all of our exhibitors – the Dental Showcase is an excellent chance to get your latest products, services and equipment out into the market.”
For Smart Display’s clients, having an eye-catching stand is an essential element in the exhibition process. Dental and laboratory equipment supplier Henry Schein entrusted Smart Display to create its stand at this year’s edition of the BDIA Dental Showcase, and is looking to exhibit again next year.
“We have always had a stand built for us, because we find it maximises the potential of our space,” says Cat O’Neill, events & equipment marketing executive at Henry Schein Dental. “The bigger and more obviously professional the stand, the better our exhibition presence. There are challenges facing the dental sector at the moment, and attending trade shows really allows us to support our key accounts, plus meet new customers.”
Fellow exhibitor Dominika Zaton agrees that having a stand-out stand is paramount when it comes to getting the most out of the exhibition circuit. The event & marketing co-ordinator for Ormco exhibited at the British Orthodontic Conference at London’s QEII last month, and feels that appointing Smart Display to create a bespoke stand was the right decision.
“Myself and the team were very pleased with how our stand turned out,” she says. “The quality of the print on the large fabrics was great, and it was lovely collaborating with Smart Display again. We would all like to say a big thank you to the Smart Display team for our BOC stand.”
If you are a dental supplier looking at exhibiting at the BDIA Dental Showcase, the Dentistry Show or any other exhibition, get in touch and see what we can do for you.
