IDEM Singapore 2014: Gateway to the Asia Pacific Region
Back for its eighth biennial edition, the International Dental Exhibition and Meeting (IDEM) Singapore 2014 is a must-attend for dental practitioners and professionals in the Asia-Pacific looking for the latest cutting edge technology and innovations in dental solutions and services. IDEM Singapore runs from April 4 to 6 with a pre-congress day on April 3rdat the newly renovated SUNTEC Convention and Exhibition Centre. The conference theme this year is “Dentistry—The Future Is Now,” with its program focusing on the future of dentistry, addressing the different challenges in the various fields of dentistry.
View this article in the March 2014 digital issue of Proofs
IDEM Singapore attracts exhibitors from around the world who are eager to engage potential clients from the Asia Pacific region looking for the latest advancements in dental technology.
Among the many technological advancements on display this year, digital dentistry is one of the areas that has captured a fair amount of attention among the dental and dental trade professionals. Many of the visitors at this year‘s IDEM Singapore will be attending to see the latest digital technology from fields such as CAD/CAM, intraoral and extraoral radiography and computer-aided implant dentistry, so they can gather all the information they need to make informed decisions about which technologies will best prepare their practices for the future.
Tim Mitchell, Delcam’s Vice President of Healthcare Division Asia says, “Asian dental labs were at first relatively slow to embrace digital technology compared to their counterparts in the West. However, in the past three years there has been a dramatic uptake of this technology in some parts of Asia, such as China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea; now Delcam is focusing more of its attention on developing markets in Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, India and Indonesia. Exhibiting at IDEM Singapore is a key part of that strategy.”
South Korea is an example of Asia’s rapid adoption of new digital dentistry technologies in both dental practices and labs, one that has turned the country from a net importer of dental implants to a net exporter in less than five years. Mr. Mitchell predicts more Asian countries will follow suit. “Last year more than 50 percent of Delcam’s dental product sales were to Asian countries. With the predicted growth in the dental markets in South East Asian countries, we expect that percentage to increase over the next few years.”
IDEM Singapore has already established itself as the most important dental conference and exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region. IDEM Singapore 2014 looks set to be bigger and better than ever as the eyes of the world turn towards Asia—especially the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region—to drive business growth. It’s not just the West that is looking to Asia for new business opportunities. Now IDEM Singapore, which has always been the dental exhibition where East meets West, is also increasingly seen as the platform where different parts of the East gather to meet each other.
The two new country pavilions from China and Japan are indications of the growing interest in the developing ASEAN markets from both Eastern and Western manufacturers. The new Japanese pavilion will include returning exhibitors such as Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc., Trimunt Corp., Yamamoto Precious Metal Co., Ltd. and new exhibitors such as YDM Corporation, all under one roof, as well as other independent Japanese exhibitors such as J. Morita Mfg. Corp. and Takara Belmont Corporation.
Other Asian countries including Singapore and Taiwan, will also have national pavilions, as will the big players from the West such as France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. With the hundreds of independent exhibitors added to the mix, it brings international exhibitor numbers for IDEM Singapore 2014 to around 450.
First time IDEM Singapore exhibitor Sun Medical Company is typical of IDEM’s Asian exhibitors when it says that it is keen to increase its trade in the Asia-Pacific region. Company spokesperson Sukefumi Tanakubo, the assistant director of the International Department in the Global Business Strategy Division says, “We are looking to break into the Malaysian, Indonesian, and Chinese markets because there is much more room for expansion in the ASEAN region, compared to the European and American markets, which have stabilized and become saturated.”
It’s not just exhibitor numbers that are growing; IDEM Singapore 2014 also looks like it will see more than a 10 percent increase in visitors and delegate attendance to over 8,000—clear evidence of the importance of the rapidly growing dental industry in the region.
To accommodate the influx of new exhibitors and attendees, the exhibition space has been increased by 30 percent to nearly 53,000 square feet, occupying two whole floors of the recently upgraded SUNTEC City Convention and Exhibition Centre in the heart of Singapore’s booming tourist and shopping district.
Delegates will also get to partake of a variety of lectures, courses, and roundtable discussions conducted by leading voices of authority in dentistry. Ray Williams will be lecturing on the “Oral Health – General Health Connection: A 2014 Perspective” and moderating a roundtable discussion entitled “Dental Implants the Forefront—2014 and Beyond.” Ken Hargreaves will be giving three SDA Masterclass Presentations entitled “Regenerative Endodontics,” “Successful Management of Acute Dental Pain,” and “Issues in Managing the Persistent Endodontic Infection.” Gordon Christensen will be conducting a Pre-Congress Day lecture on “Making Real World Practice Productive and Enjoyable.”
Aside from the main scientific programs, there will also be several new tracks that will appeal to the rest of the dental team members. These new tracks include the Dental Hygienist and Therapist Forum, the New Dentist Forum for final year dental students and young dentists within their first few years of embarking on their careers, and the Dental Technician Forum.
Singapore’s popularity as both a MICE and tourist destination has soared in recent years with the opening of a myriad of leisure and tourist facilities. Delegates will definitely want to extend their visits to take in some of the sights and entertainment that the city has to offer, including casinos, concert halls, theaters, world-class zoos, the breathtaking Gardens by the Bay, museums of art and history, and of course Singapore’s world famous shopping and food centers.
IDEM Singapore is jointly organized by Koelnmesse and the Singapore Dental Association.
