From Anaheim to Costa Rica, In-Person Events Are Key

Last month, I attended the Informa Markets Engineering West event in Anaheim, California. (For anyone who’s been in this industry for more than a few years, it’s the MD&M West show.) I was at the show in 2020 about a month before the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That was the last time this event seemed “normal” or had attendance reflecting that impression. The August event in 2021, while an admirable effort to begin the process of returning to in-person events, had significantly less traffic and the timing was quite odd near the end of summer instead of the middle of winter. The 2022 gathering was notably better in terms of attendance of both visitors and exhibitors, but it was still easy to see things were not where we would typically have them. Fortunately, 2023 met the expectations we had become accustomed to for this event.

With a full “dance card,” I enjoyed my time hearing from companies with differing messages—technologies to address digital health trends in the industry, contract manufacturers speaking to the interest in dual sourcing and supply chain resiliency, and the ease in supply chain shortages (specifically raw materials and computer chips). There’s still work to be done, but the community has been gaining ground on addressing challenges and finally returning to a more normal environment.

Anecdotally, I had heard the attendance and number of exhibitors was still about 80% of where it should be. I don’t know if that’s accurate or not; it looked pretty crowded to me, and I heard nothing but praise for the traffic. Always great to catch-up with old industry friends, make new contacts, hear about interesting technologies, and, of course, introduce MPO (and sister brand ODT) to new people…which is my segue to speak about a different event.

If you attended the MD&M West show, perhaps you already heard. The word of mouth was surprising, to say the least. All of us from MPO were thrilled with the attention an event planned for May was getting. We had a number of West attendees approach our booth to discuss what they heard. I’m referring specifically to the 2023 MedDevice Forum, which is taking place on May 24 and 25 in Costa Rica. (A quick look at a calendar will reveal that’s just before Memorial Day weekend, so perhaps a long weekend is in order following your attendance at the event?)

While more details about the event are available now at the website (www.meddeviceforum.com) and more will be forthcoming as they are finalized, I’m able to give you a true sneak peek at the agenda we are planning. (Of course, the key word there is “planning”; nothing is finalized until we’ve added it to the event website, and even then, additional tweaks are always possible.)

Kicking things off will be an expanded version of the “Welcome to…” we always have at any event we do. As this one takes place in a region many may not be nearly as familiar with compared to one of our U.S.-based events, we feel we need to offer a greater degree of insight into the benefits of operating within Costa Rica.

We’re planning a session that addresses many questions and challenges involved with global logistics. While Costa Rica will be one focal point, the idea is to speak to moving product to and from multiple areas of the world. On a related note, we’ll also engage a panel of speakers to address nearshoring and what should be expected when transferring tooling, manufacturing, and product lines from one region of the world to another. Hopefully, we’ll even get to hear about a few success stories, from which best practices could be developed.

While often interrelated, quality and regulatory are two unique topics garnering equal attention at the event. The quality session will look at medical device manufacturing and reveal ways in which companies can reduce risk. Meanwhile, the regulatory session will hone in on changes happening in regions around the world. Most likely, a good amount of attention will be provided to the EU’s MDR, but U.S. FDA regulatory changes will also be discussed. Perhaps better viewed as a trifecta, another session will focus on achieving manufacturing efficiency and improving flow on the production floor—something that will be important to those in Costa Rica as well as anyone coming from elsewhere.

Two additional panels will round out the day-and-a-half event. The first will center around a discussion of risk and resiliency in the supply chain. How can suppliers help OEMs in this effort and what should OEMs be doing to further strengthen those links? A panel of professionals will share their experiences and lessons learned. The other panel will allow sourcing mavens to communicate best practices in attempting to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted supply of product.

Hope you can join us for the event. Again, visit the website for more information and to register. 

Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]