Why Are Offline Medical Exhibitions So Hot in 2023? Booths Sold Out, Exhibitor Numbers Surge by 208%

“Overseas exhibition participation is booming, with multiple shows already sold out. Over 90% of the booth space for the year’s exhibitions has been sold, and remaining spots are limited!” On February 3, a professional providing services for global medical trade show participation made this announcement on their WeChat Moments, accompanied by an investment promotion progress chart. The chart indicated that booths for major medical exhibitions held in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, South Korea, India, and other countries from then until April 2023 were either sold out or had closed registration.

On the same day, more than nine months before the sixth China International Import Expo (hereinafter referred to as the CIIE) was scheduled to take place, the Organizing Committee announced the first batch of 206 exhibitors that had signed up early and secured substantial exhibition space, including 43 companies from the Medical Devices and Health Products section. At that time, over 500 companies had already signed up to exhibit, with strong interest from enterprises, and more high-quality exhibitors would be announced in due course. Compared with previous editions of the CIIE, this year’s first batch of exhibitors was announced earlier than ever and included the largest number of companies.

Offline Exhibitions Are Making a High-Profile Comeback. In 2023, participating in offline exhibitions, engaging in face-to-face interactions, and conducting on-site visits and experiences will become important options for companies to stay in sync with the market.

The recovery of offline healthcare exhibitions was evident as early as the beginning of the year. From January 9 to 12, the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM) returned to an in-person format after a two-year hiatus. More than 5,000 publicly listed and innovative healthcare companies, along with over 50,000 entrepreneurs and investors from the healthcare sector worldwide, traveled to California, USA, to engage at this premier global conference for healthcare investment and industry collaboration, which features the most extensive information exchange in the field.

Chinese companies naturally did not miss the opportunity, with MGI, Junshi Biosciences, Antengene, Innovent Bio, and Illumina delivering presentations during the conference to showcase their respective innovative advancements.

Subsequently, from January 30 to February 2, the 2023 Arab Health exhibition was held in Dubai, marking what may be the first large-scale trade show attended by many medical device companies at the start of the year.

This year’s Arab Health attracted more than 3,000 exhibitors from over 70 countries and regions worldwide. Among them, Chinese companies achieved an unprecedented scale of participation: 380 Chinese enterprises exhibited, occupying nearly 5,800 square meters of booth space. In contrast, only 123 Chinese companies participated in person in 2022. This represents a 208% increase in the number of Chinese exhibitors within just one year.

From February 6 to 9, Dubai also hosted the 2023 Medlab Middle East, the largest laboratory equipment exhibition in the Middle East. This year’s Medlab Middle East brought together more than 700 exhibitors from over 40 countries and regions, showcasing innovative technologies and products across eight major categories in the medical laboratory sector.

On the opening day, the number of professional visitors increased by 25% compared to 2020. The enthusiasm of Chinese enterprises for exhibition was also significantly reflected, with the number of exhibitors rising from 80 last year to 216 this year.

In China, major events were scarce in January and February due to the Spring Festival holiday, with most activities being exhibitions postponed from 2022. For example, after a one-year delay, the 16th China (Changyuan) International Medical Device Expo was held in Changyuan, Henan Province, known as the “Capital of Medical Consumables in China,” on February 2–3. More than 600 companies across the country showcased new technologies and products at the event.

Typically, large-scale exhibitions encompass a variety of activities, including product launches, forums, exhibitions, and competitions, featuring diverse forms of interaction. In recent years, impacted by the pandemic, industry exhibitions have extended to online platforms, with some even transitioning to fully virtual formats. This shift has facilitated smoother industry exchanges during the pandemic, enhanced communication efficiency, reduced costs associated with booth setup and business travel, enabled real-time statistical analysis of participant data, and efficiently matched exhibitors with buyers to facilitate transactions. Furthermore, it has even allowed for extended exhibition durations, creating “never-ending” expos.

Nevertheless, the importance of offline exhibitions remains irreplaceable, as they create an environment for on-site visits, face-to-face negotiations, and hands-on product experiences, thereby facilitating transactions through more intuitive and authentic scenarios or fostering deeper exchanges of perspectives.

Therefore, to this day, even as digitalization has replaced certain offline scenarios, in-person exhibitions remain a vital platform for industries to exchange ideas, facilitate product transactions, enhance brand influence, and streamline channels across the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the industrial chain. Clearly, since 2023, the successful holding and vibrant atmosphere of numerous in-person exhibitions have set a strong start for industry-wide exchanges throughout the year.

A review of domestic exhibitions reveals that a large number of major trade shows were already scheduled for the first half of 2023, with the peak season set to begin in March following the Spring Festival and its post-holiday buffer period.

Throughout the year, the major regularly held large-scale exhibitions have primarily focused on innovative drugs, medical devices and diagnostics, and digital health. In addition to facilitating exchange platforms, the content of these exhibitions also serves as a significant reflection of market demand, industry trends, and directions for innovation.

Selected Major Medical Exhibitions with Confirmed Dates in 2023, Source: Public Reports

The intensive approval and market launch of innovative drugs, frequent license-out transactions, and the emergence of new technologies and novel drug modalities have shifted the focus in the innovative drug sector toward commercialization pathways and differentiated innovation strategies—a trend that will be reflected in major industry exhibitions over the coming year.

The 7th Guangzhou International Biotechnology Conference & Exhibition (BET), scheduled for March, will focus on the latest technological advancements in frontier fields such as biopharmaceuticals, antibodies, cellular immunotherapy, in vitro diagnostics, gene therapy, and COVID-19 testing and screening. In conjunction with the multiple favorable new policies promoting biomedical innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the event will explore current hot topics in the biotechnology industry and assess future trends. Key conference themes include antibody drugs and new drug R&D, targeted and cellular immunotherapy, innovative development of biosimilars, and vaccine research and innovation.

In the face of a complex and ever-changing regulatory and market landscape, how can companies meet regulatory requirements, strategically plan ahead for outsourcing partnerships, build production capacity, achieve large-scale commercial manufacturing, pursue domestic substitution to reduce costs, and reshape their business models? These are the key topics of focus at BioCon China Expo 2023, the 10th International Biopharmaceutical Conference and Exhibition. Scheduled for June, the conference will conduct in-depth discussions across multiple dimensions—including R&D, process development, quality control, manufacturing, and regulatory submissions—covering dozens of specialized categories such as immune cell and stem cell therapies, gene therapies, and nucleic acid drugs, thereby accelerating the industrialization of innovative biopharmaceuticals.

In contrast to the aforementioned exhibition-plus-conference format, the SAPA-China US-China Connect Global Conference on Innovative Drug Development and Clinical Development focuses on conference discussions. It will invite experts from both China and the United States to share insights on digital innovations in clinical trials, virtual clinical trials, and other topics, addressing development strategies for innovative drugs under the new landscape.

In terms of quantity, exhibitions for diagnostic medical devices constitute the mainstay of large-scale offline trade shows. Companies primarily participate to learn about new products, technologies, or services; seek upstream suppliers; conduct product procurement; find solutions to specific problems; engage in sales or distribution; or gather information to inform purchasing decisions. In 2023, major exhibitions such as CMEF and MFC returned to normal operations, and exhibitions focused on rehabilitation devices were held for the first time. Among these, intelligence-enabled technologies, in vitro diagnostics (IVD), and rehabilitation equipment emerged as popular keywords at the events.

Looking back at 2022, the 86th China Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF), held in November, showcased innovative features such as informatization, digitalization, and intelligence, reflecting the overall trend in the medical device industry. For the first time, the exhibition featured a dedicated zone for medical robots. Several innovative medical robots were unveiled, including the first and only four-arm laparoscopic surgical robot developed and approved for market launch by a Chinese enterprise, with comprehensive coverage of thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic procedures; a fully autonomous orthopedic surgical assistance robot with independent intellectual property rights; and an orthopedic joint surgical robot independently developed to break the long-standing import monopoly, capable of addressing both hip and knee joints.

However, the CMEF was suspended on its third day due to the pandemic. In May 2023, the new session of CMEF is expected to continue the theme of intelligentization and attract more innovative enterprises to participate.

China Association of Clinical Laboratory Practice and Transfusion Instrument & Reagent Expo (CACLP) is a major exhibition in the IVD sector. According to data released by the organizer, the 2023 edition covered an exhibition area of 130,000 square meters and was expected to attract over 200,000 professional attendees and exhibitors. As of February 6, 1,130 companies had registered to exhibit.

As a subsidiary exhibition of MEDICA in China, the Medical Device Innovation and Service Exhibition (MFC) is also one of the bellwethers for innovation in the medical device industry. In 2023, MFC will center on the theme “Intelligent Manufacturing for Health,” providing direct and comprehensive services to the entire medical industry chain, from upstream sources to end-users.

In addition to focusing on innovative intelligent manufacturing in the industry and centrally showcasing global medical devices and advanced technologies, MFC 2023 featured numerous highlights: it expanded the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) exhibition area to encompass the full range of products in China’s diagnostic reagent industry, including immunoassay, clinical chemistry, precision medicine, oncology, hematology, microbiology, and molecular diagnostics; and it established a dedicated zone for home-use and wearable devices to embody innovative healthcare concepts and attract end-users.

Notably, Messe Düsseldorf, the organizer of the globally renowned medical trade fair MEDICA, introduced its rehabilitation equipment exhibition to China for the first time in 2023. The inaugural REHACARE SHANGHAI (Shanghai International Rehabilitation Equipment and Solutions Exhibition) is scheduled to take place in August. Exhibits will span a wide range of categories, including mobility and daily living aids, communication and information assistance, sports rehabilitation, and intelligent assistive systems.

It has been revealed that since the launch of exhibitor recruitment for REHACARE SHANGHAI, companies within the industry have actively participated. Well-known enterprises such as Ruisen Medical, Delikang, Ulong Robotics, Xinyue Health, and Zhenluo Technology will make their appearances at REHACARE SHANGHAI, showcasing their latest products and rehabilitation solutions. The event is expected to welcome more than 100 exhibitors, along with over 8,000 professional attendees and end users.

The introduction of renowned exhibitions and active corporate participation reflect the rapid development of China’s rehabilitation equipment market. As the aging process in Chinese society accelerates, market growth is expected to become even more robust.

Regarding the Digital Health Conference, the schedules for two top-tier exhibitions have been confirmed. In light of current hot topics such as hospital performance evaluation, the establishment of National Medical Centers and Regional Medical Centers, and refined hospital management, the conference will focus on discussions about how to provide informational support.

The 2022 China Hospital Information Network Conference (CHINC), originally scheduled for November 2022, was postponed to February 2023 due to the pandemic, making it one of the first major industry exhibitions held after the Spring Festival.

The 2023 China Hospital Information Network Conference (CHIMA Conference) has been scheduled well in advance and will be held in Fuzhou from May 25 to 28. Typically, the CHIMA Conference takes place annually in July or August; however, the 2022 edition was postponed to December and conducted online. The conference and exhibition originally scheduled for 2022 at the Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center have been rescheduled to 2023.

From the perspectives of paper calls and forum arrangements at the two major conferences, the focus continues to be on digitalization empowering the high-quality development of hospitals, including: the construction and application of hospital big data centers; digital-based refined hospital management; innovation in internet medical services and health management models; the application of emerging information technologies in clinical care; informatization construction of National Medical Centers and Regional Medical Centers; informatization of medical quality control and single-disease management; and the application of informatization in medical engineering and medical technology.

Comprehensive exhibitions mainly include the medical and healthcare segments of cross-industry trade shows, as well as dedicated health industry exhibitions, covering a wide range of medical and healthcare enterprises.

The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is one of the major comprehensive exhibitions showcasing innovation trends in healthcare. In November 2023, the 6th CIIE will be held entirely in person, featuring six exhibition zones, including the Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Zone. It is reported that this year’s CIIE will intensify efforts to invite professional attendees, plan year-round professional activities, and enhance the sense of gain for exhibitors and visitors.

On February 3, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) announced the first batch of 206 exhibitors that had signed up early and secured larger exhibition spaces. Among them, 43 companies were in the Medical Devices and Healthcare Products section, including global giants such as AstraZeneca, Roche, GE HealthCare, and Siemens Healthineers, as well as prominent Chinese enterprises like Fosun Health and Gaoji Medical. At that time, more than 500 companies had already signed up to participate, with enthusiastic registration from businesses. Compared with previous CIIE editions, this year’s first batch of exhibitors was announced earlier and included the largest number of companies.

In 2022, the Medical Devices and Healthcare Products Exhibition Area at the 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE) attracted participation from the world’s top 15 pharmaceutical giants and top 10 medical device companies. In 2023, as the offline expo delivers more authentic experiences, interactions between domestic enterprises and global industry leaders will become even more seamless.

In recent years, multinational corporations’ investments in China have gradually expanded from sales channels to encompass all aspects of the value chain, including production bases, supply chains, and R&D talent, becoming a significant force driving the development of Chinese manufacturing. Offline trade shows will further accelerate this process.

Furthermore, multiple large-scale exhibitions, including the World Health Expo and the China International Health Industry Expo, will promote the development of the health industry through product displays, project promotions, and other initiatives.

The 7th Future Healthcare 100 Conference, hosted by VCBeat, is also scheduled to be held in Shanghai in May. Centered on the release of the “Future Healthcare 100” list, this three-day event will bring together more than 3,000 innovative companies and 500 investors. With over 20 thematic forums covering hotspots such as cell and gene therapy (CGT), nucleic acid drugs, surgical robots, AI-assisted diagnosis, brain science, and digital therapeutics, the conference gathers core industry players led by innovative enterprises, serving as an annual flagship event for innovation and investment in the healthcare sector.

Regarding participation in international trade shows, incomplete statistics indicate that more than 50 major global medical exhibitions will be held in 2023. These events not only enable Chinese companies to stay abreast of cutting-edge technologies and innovation trends in developed countries but also accelerate their global expansion, particularly into emerging markets characterized by significant growth potential and substantial unmet clinical needs.

During the pandemic, online participation and proxy exhibition became important forms for Chinese companies to attend overseas trade shows. As channels for outbound travel have become increasingly accessible, the path for Chinese companies to “go global” has become smoother.

Selected Global Medical Exhibitions in 2023, Source: Public Reports, Graphic by VCBeat

In developed countries, global innovation is concentrated at events such as the Florida International Medical Expo (FIME) in the United States and MEDICA in Düsseldorf, Germany.

In 2022, nearly 600 Chinese enterprises participated in MEDICA, and over 160 Chinese companies attended the in-person FIME exhibition in the United States, reflecting the continuous enhancement of the technological prowess and brand influence of China’s medical enterprises on the international stage. In 2023, both exhibitions are expected to attract even greater participation from Chinese firms.

In emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa, a series of medical exhibitions and medical device trade shows signal the rapid advancement of local markets.

Overall, the offline exhibitions held to date have all demonstrated either an expansion in scale or an increase in the number of Chinese exhibitors, with participant numbers even surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

In 2023, in addition to the large-scale events mentioned above that primarily combined exhibitions with conferences, various offline activities centered on conferences and forums were held by entities such as local governments, industry associations and societies, and industrial service platforms.

Participating in a trade show entails costs ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of yuan, or even higher, depending on factors such as the scale of the event, booth size and location, and the human and material resources invested. However, for trade shows with sufficient influence and a highly targeted audience, such investment is worthwhile for companies during the corresponding market expansion phase.

During the pandemic, restrictions on personnel mobility suppressed the industry’s substantial demand for offline exchanges. In this period, many companies focused on strengthening their internal capabilities. Now is the time to unleash the technological innovations, product innovations, service innovations, and strategic insights accumulated over the past three years.