Choong-jin Kim President & CEO
KIMES 2007
54,000 visitors, 1,038 exhibitors = increasing success
During four days in March, 54,000 people visited the four huge exhibition halls that housed the 23rd Korean International Medical Equipment Show – KIMES 2007.
‘We’ve grown by 11% compared with last year,’ said Choong-jin Kim, President & CEO of the exhibitions organiser Korea E & Ex Inc. ‘Most visitors are interested in new trends in medical technology and were very happy with what was exhibited.’
Globally, although there are several bigger, more internationally recognised medical shows KIMES has a difference: alongside western medical equipment it exhibits oriental medical products. ‘We’d like our exhibition to bring West and East closer to each other, so that the different cultures and traditions can enrich one other,’ said Choong-jin Kim, ‘KIMES is not only a platform for exhibitors, distributors and buyers; we also offer a comprehensive education programme; the exchange between doctors and industry is important to us. We want to meet the needs of users and keep up with developments in medical technology. We also work closely with the Korean Government to make Korea attractive for the worldwide medical market, to make KIMES more international. More than 30 sessions were held throughout the show period, organised by us with the media and exhibitors of KIMES 2007.
‘The hospital management conference for specialist physicians, for example, was organised by Korea E & Ex Inc and The Korean Doctors’ Weekly. KIMES co-organiser KMDICA (Medical Devices Industrial Coop. Association) and KMDIA (Korean Medical Devices Industry Association) held over seven seminars on medical regulations and policies in Korea. Also, the Korean Small & Medium Hospital Association and exhibitors successfully held a seminar for targeted interests groups and, KOTRA and Korea E & Ex Inc held the NHS Medical Device Procurement Conference for Korean manufactures exporting to Britain.
‘We’d like to build on this even further. Our objective is to offer a similar variety in medical technology, products exhibition and education as that found at MEDICA, held every year in Dusseldorf. Maybe we’ll succeed in becoming the MEDICA of Asia. It would be a great goal – I think we are well on our way.’
This article was published on 05/01/2007
