Back to Atlanta

Medtrade returns to The Big Peach this October to serve up its blend of education and expo.

• By Joseph Duffy
• Sep 01, 2014

After a brief vacation in Orlando, Medtrade makes its return to Atlanta October 20 to 23, at the Georgia World Congress Center. Labeled the largest tradeshow in the U.S. that is focused exclusively on the home medical equipment market, Medtrade is a venue to test out the latest HME products, network and attend workshops and educational sessions that help build your business. Educational conferences start October 20 and run until October 23, while the Expo — an industry showcase featuring hundreds of exhibitors offering you a chance to try out products and learn about services — runs October 21 – 23.

Networking and special events

If you are new to Medtrade, Kevin Gaffney, group show director, Medtrade, recommends that you attend the First-Time Attendee Orientation. Medtrade veterans will be onsite to help new attendees make the most of their time at the show.

“For those attending Medtrade for the first time, or if it has been a while, I highly recommend attending the First-Time Attendee Orientation on Tuesday, Oct 21, at 7:30 a.m.,” says Gaffney. “Also, the Web site at www.medtrade.com, under the ‘Conference’ tab, details every educational session, and every attendee can review the sessions to determine which to attend. Also under the ‘Show’ tab, attendees can mark down all the Expo Hall hours.”

After this orientation, make your way over to AAHomecare’s Washington Update, held October 21 at 8 a.m. As an organization on the frontlines for HME providers, AAHomecare will give you an insider’s perspective on Washington’s take on the HME industry, the latest happenings on Capitol Hill and where the HME industry is headed. Speakers include Tom Ryan, president; Jay Witter, senior vice president of government affairs; and Kim Brummett, vice president of regulatory affairs.

If you’re hungry for knowledge and a good meal as well, don’t miss Power Lunch, sponsored by VGM October 22 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Grab your boxed lunch and join one of eight hot topics being discussed simultaneously as you refuel, network and discuss one of the following: Retail Marketing, Legal, Software, Home Accessibility, Audits, Web Marketing and Social Media, Regulatory Updates, or Market Intelligence. Space is limited and tickets are required.

Finally, don’t forget to take advantage of the Medtrade Connect planning tool for attendees and exhibitors that can be accessed on the Medtrade.com homepage. Registrants can sign in to get access to view Medtrade exhibitors, preview new products, add exhibitors to visit at the show, navigate floor plans and access booth numbers, contact exhibitors directly pre-show, schedule appointments with exhibitors and attendees, find exhibitor show specials and export the planner or view at the show on Medtrade Mobile.

Educational sessions

This year, likely in response to providers’ needing to reinvent themselves in an era of caps, cuts and competitive bidding, Medtrade is offering a new track called Niche Markets, which represents side businesses that can bring providers additional revenue and possibly blossom into a provider’s main business. There are six sessions; titles include:

• Home Modifications — Essentials for Success
• Integrating Modern Therapeutic Shoes into a Comprehensive Treatment Plan for Diabetes Patients
• Is Your HME Company Providing Quality Ventilation Services?
• They’re not Mystery Ulcers — They’re Pressure Ulcers: How to Sell More Support Surfaces
• Avoid Pitfalls and Develop a Profitable Home Accessibility Business
• There Really IS No Place Like Home: Evaluation, Equipment and Options for Aging In Place

Another session that will most likely be well attended is Face-to-Face in the Real World: How to Comply in its Current Form, presented by consultant Andrea Stark. Stark will clarify face-to-face requirements and show providers how to comply. The session takes place Tuesday, October 21, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Other educational highlights include the Fitter’s Course and Medtrade workshops.

The Fitter’s Course, Understanding Vein Disease and Compression Therapy, takes place Monday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees will learn about the vein system, how it becomes incompetent, and how the disease progresses. A special focus will be on lower extremity wounds, including how to differentiate the four major lower extremity wound types. Attendees will also learn when and how Juzo compression garments are used in treatment, management and prevention of vein disease, as well as gain hands-on experience in fitting and measuring.

Three workshops run simultaneously on Monday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They include:

• An introduction to the Certified Durable Medical Equipment Specialist (CDME) — The Certified DME Specialist (CDME) is a person who demonstrates broad knowledge of the DME/supply industry, including prescription verification, intake process, product selection, dispensing and set up, documentation, billing, compliance, and performance management. This workshop will cover the scope of practice for the CDME and prepare attendees to take the CDME examination.
• Managing and Monitoring “Worklists” — Attendees will learn the key Brightree tools and best practices to help manage processes via existing pre-created worklists, as well as how to create custom worklists to establish a unique workflow. Attendees will also learn how to use Brightree’s reporting and functionality to help manage, monitor and measure work activity areas, such as those within customer service, documentation, dispatch, purchasing, billing and AR management, and cash applications.
• Mike Sperduti’s 10X Sales Strategies — Mike Sperduti and his team of experts will teach you the strategies, tactics and successful models for creating outstanding exponential growth, profits and shareholder value, in the post-competitive bid world and new generation of HME.

Expo highlights

Medtrade veterans suggest that you make a list of all the exhibitors you want to see and print a map of the floor you can carry. This will save you time and ensure that you don’t get sidetracked on the floor and miss something that may be beneficial to your business. And don’t forget to ask for a show special when you stop at a booth. One of the most exciting parts of the Expo is the New Product Showcase, where you’ll find the industry’s most innovative products. You will find a list of products featured at the New Product Showcase on Medtrade.com.

Other floor highlights include:

• Ideas in Retail, Point-of-Purchase & Small Spaces — This area of the floor will showcases POP displays that are either vendor supplied or racks that you can fill with your choice of products to create a custom POP display.
• NRRTS Complex Rehab Pavilion — This grouping of booths showcases equipment and services to meet the complex needs of people with disabilities who have significant mobility and postural deficits.
• HME State Association Pavilion — Stop by to learn more about state associations.
• Emerging Companies Pavilion — Visit new companies entering into the HME market.

It’s not too late to register for this key industry event situated in the Peach State’s biggest city. Providers looking to learn how to not only deal with industry challenges but expand their businesses as well, should register at www.medtrade.com and take full advantage of what the show has to offer.

This article originally appeared in the September 2014 issue of HME Business.