Building Bridges at the IDS with Natalie Woods

Like so many years before, the halls of the koelnmesse fairgrounds were heaving this March. Once every two years the International Dental Show rolls around and dentists across the world jet to Cologne, Germany to attend.

This was the 37th IDS and it took place between the 21st and 25th of March. It played host to 150,000 trade visitors, so it goes without saying that this is the biggest event in dentistry. Visitors were able to get a first-hand look at what is being introduced into the dental market. They were also able to enjoy lectures and seminars given by experts in their fields.

As you may know, IDS is organised by German Dental Association the VDDI. Their main objective is to arrange, organise and make sure each IDS goes off without a hitch. Although now it returns to the koelnmesse fairgrounds in Cologne every two years, that wasn’t always the case.

The first dental shows organised by the VDDI took place in Berlin from 1923-1935. They then moved outside the capital to Düsseldorf in 1937. Following WWII IDS found it hard to settle in one place, going all around Germany to places like Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart. In the late 80s the decision was made to situate IDS in one place, that place being Cologne, which has been the site of IDS since 1992. When asked why Cologne was chosen, VDDI spokesperson Burkhard Sticklies told us it was all to do with transport:

“The main reasons were the geographic situation in the heart of Europe and the centre of Germany. A fairground close to the city-center has accessibility from all over the world through trains and by plane via the Cologne/Bonn-Airport.”

In the same way that Olympians prepare themselves intensively in order to be at their peak performance level, the dental manufacturers prepare themselves for IDS. Exhibitors spend the two years between the shows honing their new innovations and getting ready to showcase them at IDS.

It’s the ideal place to launch brand new products to big, interested crowds of potential buyers. It’s exciting to see what companies have invented in the name of advancing the dental profession.

Much like these companies, the powers that be in the VDDI and IDS need to spend those two years planning how to top the previous show. We spoke to Judith Mader, Communications Manager at IDS. She said:

“160,000 square meters of exhibition space, 2,300 exhibitors and an estimated number of 150,000 visitors in 5 days. IDS poses a major logistic challenge to our team, even months before the show starts. Planning halls, coordinating traffic, guiding visitors and exhibitors, arranging various services, scheduling dozens of press events on-site – those are just a few of the complex tasks we deal with to guarantee a smooth and successful show for everyone. And the less those attending are aware of those challenges, the better we have done our job.”

As you can see, it’s a pretty big task. No wonder it takes two years to put it together! This year marks the 37th IDS. That’s a long time for a trade show to be running. As you can imagine, a lot has happened since the first ever IDS.

Technology and the industry itself have advanced wildly since 1928. However, when I asked Burkhard his IDS highlight, I was expecting him to answer with an innovative breakthrough or a particular stand one year.

Instead he chose to highlight a strong human touch factor he has observed over his 17 years of working for VDDI. He said:

“When I started working for the German dental manufacturers and for IDS I became familiar with an expression that amazed me a lot, it was “dental family”. Only later I understood what it means. When you see how people, exhibitors, dental dealers, dentists, dental technicians and journalists meet and greet each other with hellos, and hugs and joyful expressions of all kinds you understand perfectly well what it means to be a member of the worldwide dental family.

It is a special kind of partnership, friendship that brings a special feeling of togetherness, which I consider the stand out moments on each IDS. It’s what makes IDS the home of the dental world for a week.”

He believes this factor of human touch is something that drives the dental industry. Finding better ways of helping and treating patients, more efficient ways and safer ways is what pushes the dental professionals forward.

Developments in medicine are exciting and he believes IDS will continue to be the unique dental market place and the world’s leading dental-show. Due to how it strives to represent all the important developments in the dental business worldwide.

He goes on to say:

“Due to the demographic development of ageing societies in many countries people will live longer and therefore will need dental treatment for longer. Another factor is the rise of middle-class families in different developing countries, during the last few years an estimated population of 300 million people came out of poverty and will surely be able to afford dental treatment. In the past few decades we have seen a considerable growth in healthcare and dental markets. Where there is a growing demand for treatment will be a growing interest for products. The acceleration of innovation is another driving force from which IDS will benefit in the future.”

It’s clear that IDS is here to stay, going from strength to strength without any signs of slowing down. We bet they’re already planning IDS 2019.

Photos: Anoop Maini and Andy Tawse

Travelling along to attend IDS is one thing but exhibiting at it is another thing entirely. Being an exhibitor at IDS takes months of thoughts, planning and execution. Not to mention, for a lot of companies attending IDS means exporting a lot of items and staff for a stand in another country.

One of these exhibitors was Core3Dcentres. As they are seasoned IDS goers, we thought we’d speak to them about their time at 2017’s International Dental Show.

Core3Dcentres originated as a family business and has grown vastly over time, now operating in many countries including the USA, UK and Japan. They are a global company who are committed to leading the dental industry into the digital era.

They operate as an ‘open platform’ and offer solutions for those looking to operate with a digital workflow. As they originated as a family run business they have been attending IDS for the past 30 years and have exhibited at the last six shows.

We spoke to Core3dcentres director, Graham Littlejohn about what keeps them coming back each year. He said:

“As far as I am concerned, it is a must. No other show in the world enables you to have access to the dental industry from every corner of the world. You have the usual big name dental companies, but you also have the up and coming or small innovative companies which maybe the future of our industry. Having a stand at the show or even attending is more about the networking opportunities to bring innovation to your business that you could never do without circumnavigating the globe.”

The sheer magnitude of IDS is sure to have an impact on Cologne. Every second year thousands of people will zero in on the city for food, drink, entertainment and accommodation. As it is a city of tourism, and a beautiful city at that, we bet somewhere to stay and regular places to eat and drink will be in high demand and you’ll pay for that demand too. It can take months of planning and potentially years of building the right relationships. Graham confirms this and highlights the importance of being in the right place at the right time:

“It’s difficult to prepare properly for any show and the IDS is a week long show in another country so preparation is key. It is not so easy to nip back for a few extra brochures. We are lucky in that we have colleagues in our sister company in Germany who do most of the build, but we have been planning the stand layout and sales promotion for the last 9 months.”

“The other thing to consider is that this show is about position of your stand, it is such a massive show that if you are in the wrong hall or the wrong position, most people will miss you due to shear volume. The exhibition space is hard fought over and only when you have been exhibiting for many years will you get into a better position unless you pay mega bucks or someone else drops out (which is rare).”

Cost and difficulty aside, when it comes to showing off what your company has to offer, IDS is the place to be. With over 2,000 exhibitors at each IDS, you don’t want to get lost in the crowd, but equally you want to be a part of it too. The International Dental Show is at the forefront of industry minds when it comes to launching products. To miss your chance would be disastrous. Graham tells us that eight years ago he seen one or two huge milling machines in the dental show. The general feeling among the attendees what that it was a bit of a gimmick, but that just two years later there were about 50 machines from anyone who was anyone. This year he felt that around 50% of the show was made up of digital dentistry, a mere eight years on from those initial milling machines, and believes that the cycle will continue as the industry develops, perhaps with oral scanners as the future milling machine.

“I am always surprised when I discuss with colleagues from the UK who have never attended IDS. I personally think our business would not be the same without attending this meeting. Over the years we have at least 10 new innovations that have come from either direct or indirect meetings started at this show. It also gives you one of the only complete snap shots of the industry as it is today, and will be in the next few years. The value of this information to clarify the vision of your business is priceless.”

As much as IDS allows dentists to mingle and network, it allows exhibitors to do the same. Graham says the networking aspect of IDS is “hugely important”:

“There is no better learning tool than talking with other similar businesses and other similar minded people. This and this alone justifies attendance at the IDS however the innovation, selection and shear quantity of exhibitors and attendees make this totally unmissable in my eyes.”

IDS is the perfect platform, not only for Core3Dcentres, but for dental companies around the globe. We’re sure we’ll be seeing them, and the thousands of other exhibitors who travel to Cologne, at IDS 2019. He went on to conclude:

“If we are to be seen to be a significant business within the dental business it is essential to be here.”

Click to see a short video recorded at the Core3D stand at IDS2017

The International Dental Show brings hundreds of thousands of trade visitors, from 157 countries, to Cologne every two years. Dental professionals have been attending IDS religiously for years and when we say religiously, we mean it.

Calendars are blocked out and flights are booked, all in preparation for the biggest dental event in the world.

However, we managed to locate two

‘IDS virgins’, to give us their account of what it was like to experience it all for the very first time.

Anoop Maini is a dentist and owner of Aqua Dental Care in London. Anoop has studied the areas of implant and advanced cosmetic dentistry in both the UK and in America. His original qualification was gained at Kings College London in 1992 and since 1993 he has been applying his long list of skills in private practices. Andrew Tawse is a dental technician and owner of 4D Dental. 4D Dental is a digital crown and bridge laboratory and milling centre based in Glasgow.

Anoop and Andrew are two dental professionals who, until this year, had never attended IDS. So they packed their bags and jetted off to Cologne and the koelnmesse centre for the first time. Andrew told us his reason for never having attended IDS:

“It’s only within the last 2 years my lab has gone fully digital and, as a precursor only in the last 2 years my eyes have been opened, and when I say opened I mean like a blind man being given sight. The digital dental revolution is not just here ladies and gentlemen it has practically conquered, rolled up the battle plans and sat down for port and cigars! I kid you not. It is unstoppable.

And why would you want to stop it, in every aspect for myself now, as a lab owner it makes my life easier and more manageable, so for me and my whole reason for attending was to investigate what new digital wonders and workflows were in the pipeline.”

Some of you may have been to IDS before. If you haven’t, IDS is not a standard trade show. It’s not a hall or two of stands where people know they have time to see it all, so shuffle around and occasionally stop here and there. It’s a whopping 11 halls jam-packed full of the latest and greatest in dentistry. It’s an amazing networking opportunity for dentists, with a full social calendar in the evenings, evening events arranged by dental companies, and the opportunity to connect with other dentists around the world. Anoop claimed that the social aspect of IDS was ‘incredible’ and a ‘great opportunity to connect to likeminded dentists’. Andrew seconds Anoop’s thoughts by saying it was ‘a fantastic way to become part of the wider dental community.’

It’s also a valuable learning experience. With top industry names and companies all vying for the attention of the attendees, how do you get round it all? Anoop and Andrew say you need a plan. Anoop said:

“With an exhibition this large you need a plan otherwise you will get lost and miss out on areas that may interest you. I looked at the exhibitor list and floor plan beforehand and then created an agenda on when and where to go.”

Andrew said:

“Do your homework, find out the halls for the exhibitions you want to see prior to leaving. As you’d expect from German efficiency they do organise it well with regards maps but this is not enough, trust me! My game plan consisted of a few must sees for me.”

The scale of IDS obviously means all the big players are in on the action and they’ll all be pulling out the big guns in a bid to impress the sea of dentists milling through the halls. Different dental professionals will gravitate towards different stands, so with one with a background in implants and cosmetic dentistry and the other being a dental technician, we thought we’d ask Anoop and Andrew what their IDS 2017 highlights were. Anoop thought the vastness itself was a highlight saying:

“IDS as the largest international show of its kind, much like the Geneva car show is to cars, it is used as a platform by companies to release their latest products and innovations. My clinic is heavily investing in digital dentistry so to see the continual innovations from 3Shape, CEREC and Formalabs printers was important.”

He also expressed his interest in manufacturer courses, specifically the digital dentistry courses by Trios, which he said he focused heavily on. Andrew aimed for companies associated with his line of work, a logical move. He said:

“The big hitters in digital software were a must: 3Shape, Exocad and Wings. I use all of these when importing stl’s for milling and I had to see them all and none disappointed. The Straumann group were also on my list, as Medentika are a system I have been using for some time, with great results, and Neodent are now a system which I am both restoring and milling with equally as good results.”

“All this said though my main highlight of the event, and understandably so, was the unveiling of the Ivoclar Vivadent new milling units. They had teased us and tormented us with hints and tweets etc but IDS was where it was going to be unveiled and in true Ivoclar style it didn’t disappoint! With my personal interest honed right in on the hugely impressive PM7. The technology it is offering now to the prosthetic side through millable dentures is a game changer! We are entering a dental technology world now where nothing is going to be impossible soon. The millable and also the 3d printing technology, which was also mind blowing, are evolving at a lightning pace.”

As you can see, they are ‘IDS virgins’ no longer! Our closing question to Anoop and Andrew about their time in Cologne was if they would encourage those who hadn’t been to go. It was a resounding yes from both. Anoop said:

“IDS is held every 2 years and it is a landmark in terms of where dentistry sits with technology and their benefits. Amongst all that you can benefit with product demonstrations and education, which can provide an enlightening look into the future of our profession. 

If you want to benefit from education, looking at product developments particularly if their are products that you want to introduce into your clinic, as well as enjoying a fun social experience as well then IDS is a must attend event.”

Andrew gave a rousing shout-out to all the technicians (and a little advice):

“I’d ask any technician, why wouldn’t you want to go to IDS? The days of working in basements with no windows and breathing fumes are behind us my friends, come into the light fellow techs. Please don’t be left behind. And finally, and possibly the most important advice I can leave you with… wear comfy shoes people, your feet will thank you at the end of the week!”

So there you have it, another IDS is over and it will be back in 2019… will you be there?

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Click to see more of Anoop and Andy's IDS photos