IDS 2011: the greatest show on earth

From March 22-26, 2011, the IDS, International Dental Show, will be held once again in Cologne, Germany. The world's largest trade fair for the dental industry is expected to attract around 1,800 suppliers from 56 countries, who will be presenting a broad range of product innovations and services. In addition to halls 3, 4, 10 and 11, for the first time hall 2 will also be occupied and, as a result, gross exhibition space of 143,000 square metres will be on show. This means that all the occupied exhibition halls smoothly adjoin one another and are accessible over the shortest distance via the South, East and West entrances open for IDS 2011 ensuring that the influx of visitors is distributed as evenly as possible.

"Due to the excellent response on the exhibitors' side, we expect that we will also be able to build on the success of IDS 2009 in terms of visitors, when more than 100,000 came to Cologne," the Association of German Dental Manufacturers (VDDI) and organisers Koelnmesse said in a joint statement. "As a result, IDS will impressively confirm its position as the world's leading fair for the dental industry not only in terms of exhibitor figures, occupied space and internationality, but also with regard to visitor numbers."

After Germany the largest participating contingents are provided among others by Italy, the USA, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland. In addition, in 2011 there are a growing number of group participations from abroad, which are being staged in cooperation with state or private-enterprise export promotion organizations or associations. 14 group participations are currently registered from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Japan, Israel, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Spain, Taiwan and the USA.

But it is not only the exhibitors' stands where exciting highlights can be expected. The specialist support programme also offers the IDS visitors valuable information. Due to the great interest of previous years, the Speaker's Corner has now become a firmly established fixture in the programme. IDS exhibitors will be presenting new product information, services and process technology on each day of the fair, while speakers report on the latest results from science and research.

In addition, the German Dental Association and the Association of German Dental Technicians' Guilds are rounding off IDS with further highlights. The 6th dentechnica Forum is once again making an important contribution for companies in the dental laboratory segment. Here the focus is on dentistry-related themes. On top of this, on 24 March, the much sought-after gold, silver and bronze medals along with the certificates from the 13th Gysi Prize competition will be presented to the winners in an official ceremony. The renowned up-and-coming talent competition organized by the VDZI honours the best dentistry works submitted by trainee dental technicians.

In order to make the most effective use of your time at IDS 2011, it is recommended to already plan your visit in advance. Numerous services enable you to do all this very easily and efficiently. In this regard, IDS is for the first time offering its own app for iPhone, Backberry and other operating systems. This contains a catalogue and innovative navigation system for mobile devices and, as a result, guides the visitor purposefully through the halls and to the corresponding exhibition stands. In addition, the app provides information on the catering services and support programme at the event. The app is available to users free of charge. Visitors can access important information relating to the IDS at all times while they are on the move or in the exhibition halls.

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