Five medtech companies leading the way to personalized healthcare

Source: Thinkstock

Medical conferences have always been a great place for networking, but as the healthcare industry get more competitive, they’ve turned into innovation goldmines. Physicians, insurers, pharma representatives, health startups and brands all come together to exchange ideas that often lead to medical breakthroughs.

The most grandiose events are, without a doubt, the conference focused on digital medtech. It’s here where attendees can witness the true power of technology in healthcare and learn how to use it instead of fearing it.

There’s no need to travel overseas, either. Conferences and summits are happening in major cities across the country, such as Las Vegas, Chicago and San Francisco.

We rounded up five of medtech conferences that are on every industry experts’ radar:

1. Consumer Electronics Show

While not solely a medtech event, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), is by far the most important show of the year for the healthcare community.

The event takes place from Jan. 6 through Jan. 11th in Las Vegas, Nevada, and gathers innovators from all over the world. What’s makes CES stand out from other tech conferences is its magnitude.

At CES 2019, for instance, there were 180,000 attendees and more than 4,500 exhibitors sprawled over 2.9 million net square feet of space. Many of those exhibitors came from the health tech space.

Their revolutionary healthcare solutions included sophisticated medical wearables, able to bring relief to those suffering from chronic pain, AI-powered virtual assistants for seniors, and robotic nurses.

For healthcare leaders, these products were served as cues to where their industry is heading. A future where medtech relies more and more on artificial intelligence and virtual reality. CES is only reserved for members of the tech industry, with passes ranging from $300 to $1700.

2. Digital Medicine and Medtech Showcase

Taking place January 8–9, the Digital Medicine and Medtech Showcase is another major event for the healthcare industry. During the two day show, participants not only get to connect with investors and potential partners, but they can also attend presentations and specialized sessions from more than 75 companies. It’s here where medtech companies decide to form partnerships, take the pulse of the market and discover new business opportunities.

For digital health software developers and providers, the event provides an opportunity to discuss hot topics, ranging from regulatory initiatives to software revolutions.

At the most recent Digital Health & Medtech showcase in San Francisco, for instance, one of the main topics of conversation was FDA’s Precertification (Pre-Cert) Program, which aims to regulate software as a medical device (SaMD). “It was suggested that employees undergoAdvaMed rigorous training and education to ensure smooth implementation of the regulations,” explained Orthogonal, a medical software company.

3. The MedTech Conference 

The MedTech Conference runs annually from September 23 to September 25 and brings together more than 3,000 attendees, including some of the world’s top medtech executives. The conference is a must-see event for both health startups and leaders in the medical device field. For three days, attendees can connect with peers and learn from leading experts.

In the past, keynote speakers included FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Joshua Newman, chief medical officer at Salesforce, as well as actress and cancer survivor Shannen Doherty. Most importantly, participants can explore the latest trends in medtech by engaging with the more than 1,000 companies who come to the MedTech Conference to displaying their latest products and services.

This year, the conference will take place in Boston, MA. Health care professionals and investors receive discounted registration, but those who aren’t members of the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) will have to pay $2,295 to attend the event.

4. American Medical Device Summit

Featuring attendees like Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Abbott, The American Medical Device Summit is a coveted event among health professionals. And for good reason.

The summit aims to set the standard on how the industry should connect and exchange ideas. Participants come to learn about opportunities in medical device development, but also gain valuable business insights. Past sessions revolved around how to develop a medical device plan that will get FDA’s approval and how to accelerate a product’s journey from concept to commercialization.

Workshops are often the highlight of the summit. Last year, for instance, Nolan Wanner, principal system engineer at Hill-Rom, one of the top suppliers of hospital beds around the country, hosted a workshop where he explained how to cut the costs of a project by capturing errors in the early testing stages. Nicholas Mourlas’ presentation also gathered a lot of attention.

The senior director of new ventures for Johnson & Johnson, Mourlas talked about his company’s JLABS incubators. JLABS is an initiative designed to drive innovation by providing health startups with the latest lab equipment and connecting them with potential investors. This year, the summit will be hosted in Chicago, IL, October 28 through 29.

5. BIOMEDevice

BIOMEDevice, known as Silicon Valley’s leading event for medtech, attracts the crème de la crème of the healthcare industry.  There’s never a dull moment for attendees. With leading suppliers demoing their new technologies to educational presentations and panels on subjects such as artificial intelligence (AI), implantable devices, and robotic surgery, the event offers unique learning opportunities. Plus, participants can opt to get matched with exhibitors, as a way to foster business partnerships.

Notable presentations at BIOMEDevice San Jose 2018 included “How artificial intelligence is moving the needle in medtech,” “Nano technologies for implantable devices and drug delivery systems” and “Challenges and trends of wireless technologies for wearable medical devices.”

For as much as it has to offer, the event, taking place this year December 5 to 6, in San Jose, CA, is extremely affordable. The $179 expo pass includes access to the expo hall, networking events and exhibitor showcases.

 

There’s no better way to keep up with fast-changing trends, secure partnerships or learn how industry experts are using emerging technologies to grow their companies than booking a ticket to a digital medtech conference. 

For many healthcare players and industry thought leaders, the conversation doesn’t end with the event. Instead, they follow up on social media  to strengthen connections and foster collaborations. Attending at least one of these medical conferences will pay big dividends for any healthcare professional.