MEDICA bridges the gap between technical solutions and their application by combining the trade fair with integrated "theme parks” such as MEDICA MEDIA (Telemedicine/Medical IT, Hall 15), MEDICA VISION (Innovation Forum of the Research Institutes, Hall 3) and the Physiotherapy Forum (Hall 4) as well as with the MEDICA Congress (Congress Center South) and the 32nd German Hospital Conference. For the first time, the MEDICA Congress will include an international lecture series, with several presentations held in English. The Congress will cover a wide range of topics - from medical imaging and heart surgery to palliative medicine.
Exhibit categories at MEDICA 2009 will include the latest products for in-patient and out-patient care: electro medicine/medical device technology, laboratory equipment/diagnostics, physiotherapy/orthopedic technology, medical products (commodities and consumer goods), information and communication technology as well as textiles, medical furnishings, interior design and building management technology.
A hallmark of MEDICA is the high international attendance. Of the 137,000 visitors at MEDICA 2008, approximately 55,000 came from outside of Germany (from over 100 different countries). On the exhibitor side, 70% of the companies were from countries other than Germany.
MEDICA's first staging took place in 1969 as medical congress with a small accompanying exhibition under the name "Diagnostikwoche” (Diagnostic Week) in Karlsruhe, Germany. After its move to Düsseldorf in 1970, the event had 140 exhibitors and 8,000 visitors and developed further when the new Düsseldorf exhibition center with a modern Congress Center was opened in 1972. In 1974, the event was renamed MEDICA and experienced rapid development. Today, it is the world's largest medical trade fair and the accompanying MEDICA Congress is also Germany's most important continuous medical education event. Significant milestones in MEDICA's 40 year history were the years 1992, 1999 and 2000: since 1992, COMPAMED, International Trade Fair – High tech solutions for medical technology, has been held parallel with MEDICA, in 1999 the INTERHOSPITAL trade fair was integrated into MEDICA and in 2000 the Interfab trade show.
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