Digital dentistry, implants and more at the International Dental Show 2015

Preparations for the 36th IDS - International Dental Show - in Cologne, Germany on 10-14 March 2015 are in full swing. More than 1,800 exhibitors from 53 countries have already signed up for the greatest dental show on earth. Moreover, sign up figures are eight percent higher than they were at the same period during the previous event. International demand in particular is higher compared to two years ago. That's why the halls of the Cologne trade fair grounds with a gross exhibition space of over 150,000 square metres are already jam-packed.

From 10-14 March 2015, more than 2,000 companies from around the world will be expected in Cologne, including all international market leaders. The GFDI – Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Dental-Industrie mbH, the commercial enterprise of the Association of German Dental Manufacturers (VDDI) and Koelnmesse have commented in a joint statement: "The excellent interim result already promises that the success story of the International Dental Show will continue. The position of the IDS as the leading international business and communication platform for the entire international dental sector is thus being impressively underlined".

The high level of foreign participation will be demonstrated by numerous companies from the USA, Italy, Switzerland, France, the UK, Korea, The Netherlands, Japan, Israel, Spain and Brazil, among others. First-time exhibitors come from around the world; there is growth particularly in Italy, the USA, Korea, Switzerland, France and the UK.

The Greatest Show on Earth

IDS is, without doubt, the best dental exhibition anywhere in the world, a reputation it has built and maintained over many decades. One of the key reasons for its success is exhibitor commitment: every major dental manufacturer in the world is there and most of the second and third tier companies as well. Apart from showing their latest and greatest products or previewing what's coming up, each manufacturer ensures both sales and technical staff are on hand to ensure any questions you may have are appropriately answered.

Whereas exhibitions in Australia and New Zealand see manufacturers represented by their local dealer, the bulk of exhibition space at IDS is sold direct to manufacturers looking to grow their brand reputation.

IDS is literally the best dental showroom there is and traditionally, suppliers have used it as a platform for launching their latest products. Today many manufacturers launch ahead of IDS to ensure they are presented with demand at the show itself, though many still do save the best until the doors open on day 1.

At IDS 2015, expect to see the latest and greatest in digital dentistry, intraoral scanning, 3D x-ray, 3D printing, implants and more.

In addition to participating in the trade exhibition during the day, many vendors seek to engage and entertain the 125,000+ visitors in town for the event at night, with parties and events staged continually.

A permanent home in Cologne

Once a travelling exhibition, IDS has now been based permanently in Cologne for decades. Cologne (or Köln) is Germany's fourth-largest city (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich). It is located on both sides of the Rhine River. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne while the University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe's oldest and largest universities.

Cologne is a major cultural centre for the Rhineland; it is home to more than thirty museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture.

IDS takes place in Cologne, Germany every two years and is organised by the GFDI Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Dental-Industrie mbH, the commercial enterprise of the Association of German Dental Manufacturers (VDDI) and staged by Koelnmesse GmbH, Cologne.

For more info, see www.ids-cologne.de.