Growing interest in SEA healthcare and medtech

A record-breaking number of attendees flocked to Medical Fair Asia 2016.

The 2016 edition of Medical Fair Asia, the region’s leading exhibition for the medical and healthcare sector, was a major success, packing its new and larger venue, the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore, with the highest ever number of exhibitors and visitors.This year’s exhibition was 30% larger than in 2014, and was entirely filled to host 830 international companies from 40 countries.

Recent editions of Medical Fair Asia have seen growing exhibitor interest from North America and the Middle East, due to the attractive burgeoning growth in Southeast Asia. The co-location of Medical Fair Asia with Medical Manufacturing Asia, the region’s leading event for the manufacturing processes for the medtech sector, was another big draw as, between them, the two exhibitions provided the ideal platform for all those involved in the medical and healthcare sector. Attendees were delighted in the deluge of information that the event presented.

It was a point highlighted in the opening speech by Mr S. Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry. He stressed Singapore’s strong position as a gateway for medtech companies, both local and foreign, to access growing markets in the region.

Record-breaking attendance

Visitor numbers increased this year to a record-breaking attendance of 12,000, with 40% of visitors, hailing from countries such as India, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Australia.

The organiser also facilitated, during the exhibition’s three days, a personal best of 1,100 pre-scheduled meetings via the synergistic business matching service with many formal business dealings coming to fruition during the exhibition.

The exhibition featured international brand names such as Perry Baromedical, Swann-Morton, and Hitachi, and national pavilions and country groups. Local companies like RAS Pharma and Yeap Medical Supplies were also strongly represented. “The event has been extremely interesting and we have had some incredible meetings. The business matching service has been able to match us up with various organisations to have some discovery meetings about ways we can work together. At the same time, it has exposed us to a lot of the technology in Southeast Asia that we would not have been aware of otherwise,” noted Darryl Culley, president of Emergency Management Inc.

Additional players

Honed as an international marketplace in the healthcare and medical sector, Medical Fair Asia 2016 was attended by returning national pavilions and country groups from North America, Europe, and Asia, whilst also welcoming two new first-time national pavilion participants, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

“Southeast Asia is an emerging market and one that everyone should target, which is why we have decided to participate at Medical Fair Asia. We have come here with high expectations and our experience has been entirely positive. This exhibition has been a gateway for our companies to enter these markets,” said Nasser M. Alrashed of Saudi Export Development Authority.

Manager of RS Awal Bros, Batam Hospital, Dr Retno Kusumo has attended every edition since 2010 to see the latest products and to keep up with new technologies and innovation. 

She said, “The show has grown significantly over the last couple of years. This year we were especially looking forward to the new Saudi Arabia and Turkey pavilions. We typically attend Medical Fair Asia to procure medical consumables and devices and gain new perspectives and information, which we acquired.”
Making their debut alongside the exhibition were a series of well-attended expert conferences and seminars, technical presentations and product demonstrations that represented a significant milestone for Medical Fair Asia 2016, which has a well-established history of over two decades.