Professional Courtesy: Have Trade Shows Caught COVID-19? by Dr. Thomas Giacobbi

by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, editorial director, Dentaltown magazine

Dental manufacturers and service providers have long supported and participated in dental meetings of all sizes. These gatherings allow companies to interact with customers, offer continuing education for dental teams and provide an opportunity for dentists to connect with their fellow professionals. Given the current climate and recommended social distancing measures, it’s no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought this critical element of the dental industry to a grinding halt, with cancellations coming in left and right. Some major cancellations include Hinman, CDA South, CDA North and the ADA meeting; the Greater New York Dental Meeting is still scheduled for Nov. 27, but there are many questions to answer.

The fate of the IDS Meeting, held every other March, still hangs in the balance. The next meeting is still scheduled for spring 2021, but after Dentsply Sirona announced it would not be participating, people are starting to worry. Their absence from the show will be significant, and raises the question of whether other major companies will join them. The prospect of hosting the largest international dental show is daunting, but I’m confident that IDS can make it happen.

In the meantime, some companies will be relieved to save the expense associated with attending trade shows at a time when economic conditions are poor. Others that have products or services best promoted in face-to-face interactions will continue to struggle until trade shows come back. What about the attendees? One lesson we’ve learned in COVID times is that the longer we go without some things, the more we realize we can live without them. As we adapt to getting our CE via virtual events and our knowledge of new products from online conversations and magazines, trade shows will struggle to resume. There has long been a common opinion in the industry that there are simply too many dental meetings. It’s too bad we needed a pandemic to figure out which will be gone forever.

I believe that meetings are a necessary part of our profession because everything we do is rooted in personal relationships and face-to-face interaction. Patients are quick to point out that I’m lucky or unlucky (depending on their point of view) that I can’t work from home. For these reasons, many will welcome the return of meetings and the opportunity for hands-on learning and in-person conversations. Over time, major meetings will come back with creative solutions to interact and be safe.

Through good times and bad, Dentaltown will continue to connect professionals during the days, weeks, months and years between meetings. We are proud to provide a 24/7 venue to discuss the clinical, management and personal issues that affect dental professionals every day. This instant feedback has been particularly valuable to our members navigating the many issues and roadblocks associated with this pandemic. Thank you for your ongoing participation and contributions to the community as we are all better when we work together. Let’s hope we can meet again in person soon!

What do you think the future of trade shows holds and what would you like to see at your next meeting? Are you OK with a virtual format or are you ready for more in-person shows? Please share your thoughts below.