IDS 2013 to be bigger than ever

All signs indicate that the 35th International Dental Show -- the world's largest trade fair for dentistry and dental technology -- in Cologne, Germany, March 12-16, 2013, will be another success.

The organizers -- GFDI (Society for the Promotion of the Dental Industry) and VDDI (the commercial enterprise of the Association of German Dental Manufacturers) -- expect more than 1,900 exhibitors from more than 50 countries to participate. Due to the tremendous demand for space, the fair will also occupy Cologne International Expocentre's Hall 2.2 in addition to Halls 3, 4, 10, and 11. Altogether, 150,000 square meters of exhibition space will be covered.

"The excellent level of registration confirms that IDS is the world's leading business and communications platform for the entire dental sector," the GFDI and VDDI noted in a press release. "At IDS in 2011, around 118,000 visitors came to Cologne. With regard to the numbers of exhibitors and visitors, the amount of exhibition space occupied, and the level of international involvement, we anticipate that IDS will once again be an unqualified success in 2013."

Some 66% of exhibitors will come from outside Germany, with strong representation from France, Great Britain, Italy, South Korea, Switzerland, China, and the U.S., the organizers noted.

A number of digital services will be available for visitors to help them plan and maximize their time at the trade fair. An update for the fair's own IDS app for iPhone, BlackBerry, and other operating systems will be available at the end of November. The app, which contains the trade fair catalogue and a navigation system for mobile terminals, can be downloaded free of charge from the IDS website.

Another digital service is Business Matchmaking 365, a communications and business platform enables visitors and exhibitors to contact one another directly, even before IDS 2013 begins. Visitors can use the online schedule planner to send appointment inquiries to exhibitors via e-mail. In addition, the online route planner provides visitors with an individual plan for their visit -- including optimal routes through the halls to specific exhibitors.