PHOENIX – The HME industry is rarely a place of quiet stability, but this year’s Medtrade in sunny Phoenix proved to be a rallying point with cautious optimism permeating the aisles. Exhibitors consistently reported quality conversations with engaged providers. We know, because we asked. Check out a sampling below of exhibitor comments.
“This is our first visit to Medtrade and a lot of people have not seen our products. Feedback has been positive and serious. We are brand new to the United States and attendees have been amazing, accommodating, warm, and welcoming. Fifteen attendees have signed up with written orders already and we have an additional 40 leads. It’s way more demand than we expected.” — Kane Fullalove, CEO, Monarch Mobility, Halifax, U.K. and Austin, Tex.
“Medtrade has been a great show. On Tuesday we were packed and we just barely managed to take care of everybody who came up to the booth. We’ve had lots of good leads with a good mix of new prospects, and those are the hardest to find—so that’s fantastic. We had about 80 scans. If you talk to 80 people in a day, that’s six leads an hour.” — Steve Murphy, OxyGo
“This is our first time back in eight years. Coming here to Phoenix is so nice. I see customers from the west—particularly people from the Mobility City franchise. That was great. They saw our beds and hopefully we will get our beds with them. In fact, they already bought some beds right here on the show floor. We’ve had great conversations and I enjoy Medtrade.” — Johneen Nix, Transfer Master by Graham-Field, Atlanta
“We’ve had a lot of good foot traffic. Customers are here—existing and new. CPAP is growing so that helps. Our location on the floor is good and so is Phoenix.” — Repair Authority
“We’ve been quite busy talking to people who are looking to step into the future with AI. Attendees are looking for a trusted AI partner and they are more serious about it when compared to last year. Last year it was just intake, but now it’s full life cycle. We’re seeing new DME providers beyond existing customers. Our Tech Talk went well and attendees seemed to realize that it was important to evolve with the customers. Tech and AI are moving quickly and better control over operations is one way to combat a growing fear of competitive bidding. AI is one of the biggest levers to make the business more efficient and help providers deal with reduced reimbursements.” — Tim Freidel, DME Flow, Pensacola, Fla.
“We are getting quality over quantity. Attendees seem more engaged. We’ve had people seeking us out and asking how we can partner—a good mix of new and existing customers.” — Bob Recker, PBE, makers of Tranquility, Dunbridge, Ohio
“Medtrade has been great. Conference sessions have been interesting. Attendees are serious and engaged. Phoenix is nice.” — Nicole Mueller, Resmed, San Diego
“A lot of our key customers are here and we did a lot of demos. Our main product is ventilation and we’ve had lots of good conversations. Networking with other exhibitors has also been positive.” — Inga Dolezar and Katherine Royster, Breas Medical, N. Billerica, Mass.
“We always love Medtrade. You get to see everybody in the industry, hear their pain points, and get the whole team out here. We get to share the word about Vive Health.” — Miller Martindale, Vive Health, Naples, Fla.
“We loved the show. It was well attended. We got great reception and great response to our products, and we could not be happier. This was our first Medtrade and we’ll definitely be back next year. We had quite a few leads and scans. I think that the Medtrade lead capture app was very good—impressive and streamlined. The overall percentage of leads was very strong. They were quality leads. Customers were looking to buy and set up accounts. A majority of our leads are high quality. We had more than 100 scans. More than 50% of those will be followed up on and will have serious potential to open accounts and to sell.” — Matt Fitman, president, Rehasense USA
“We’ve had good traffic and a solid mix of new and existing customers. We’ve seen the whole gamut, and there are enough serious people here to keep us coming back. Medtrade staff members have done a fantastic job on the operations side. Overall Medtrade was a little lighter than last year, but still a good turnout. Phoenix Convention Center is a great venue.” — Rob Lee, CAIRE, Ball Ground, Ga.
“Medtrade has been busy with a lot of foot traffic. We’ve seen new and existing customers, as well as more regional attendees from Phoenix and California. We’ve made really valuable connections. I’d say we have about 25 really good prospects lined up.” — Tim Anderson, National Ramp, Valley Cottage, N.Y.
“Medtrade has been a great show with strong foot traffic. It was well scheduled. There are a lot of Rhythm customers here who value the show and seeing everyone in one spot has value. We are looking forward to Fort Worth next year. It’s a fun town and we’ll head to the Stock Yards.” — Savannah Byrne, Rhythm Healthcare, New York & Florida
“We’ve had a lot of positive engagement with many new and existing customers. By the way, we were here in Phoenix for the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) Conference and we’ve had more foot traffic here at Medtrade.” — Jason Don, React Health, San Diego and Dublin, Ohio
“It’s been very busy here at Medtrade and we’ve had a great turnout. We look forward to getting back to Dallas/Fort Worth.” — Leah Protiva, Compass Health, Middleburg Heights, Ohio
“Medtrade is a huge show for us.” — Laura Lois and Carol Barnwell, Motif Medical
“We’ve done some very good networking and gotten some decent leads. The app is awesome, by the way. You can see all the attendees. We’ll be in Fort Worth.” — Jessica Shopp, Oxus America, Orion Township, Mich.
“This Medtrade has been a great show—very busy with a lot of interest in our new products. Our whole team loves Phoenix.” — Chris Carroll, director of Marketing, Golden Technologies
