An exhibitor’s first experience at Trade Days
Give better value – get better margins SEE PAGE 2
SEE PAGE 6
A-Z exhibitor list & floorplan
SEE PAGES 4 & 5
18th & 19th October 2015 / NEC Birmingham
www.tradedays.co.uk •
@tradedaysuk
POST-SHOW ISSUE 2014
OFF TO A FLIER!
The inaugural Trade Days received a rousing thumbs-up from attendees and exhibitors alike, as more than 3,565 attendees* flocked to the industry’s only business-to-business event. The two-day event for the mobility, living aids and assistive technology industry was buzzing with retailers and suppliers who were writing deals throughout both days of the show. The four conference halls on the exhibition floor were busy as retail managers and their sales, service and engineering colleagues took advantage of the 56 free seminars on offer.
Trade Days visit results in big night out for retailer Retailers visiting Trade Days had the opportunity to win themselves a team night out. The competition was open to any retailer who had three or more team members at the show. The winner of the prize was Janshop, based in Shotgate near Wickford in Essex. Managing Director Jan King was delighted to hear that they had won. It means that Jan’s team will enjoy a night out and it could be a very big night out too, or maybe even a weekend trip as the prize was worth £750! Jan came along to the show with her son David and engineer Steve Sutton. They took the decision to come to the show for both days and booked hotel rooms for the Sunday evening.
Chairman of the BHTA, Mike Lord, was thrilled with how well the launch went stating that: “The BHTA and its members were delighted with the success of the inaugural Trade Days event and proud to be associated with its conception and development. We have received very positive feedback from our exhibiting members, who tell us they were busy through the two days and that the focussed and engaged trade-only audience allowed them to do business with retailers in a relaxed and efficient environment. This is the event the trade have waited for, and we expect the show to go from strength to strength in subsequent years.”
Attendee Coral Affleck-Major, a Director at 1st Choice Stairlifts, commented: “We’ve been to seminars at other shows before, but they haven’t been as focussed for businesses like ours as we have found at Trade Days. We are looking forward to seeing what Trade Days 2015 has in store for us!” Another delegate, Adam Spib from Healthcare Matters summed up his experience at the show: “We enjoyed our couple of days at Trade Days. The seminars were interesting and thoughtprovoking and we had good discussions with exhibitors. I’d describe the show best as a mirror which allows you to look at your business from a different perspective. I hope it receives support and grows year on year.” Trade Days was all about business, with nearly half of the audience (48.8%) either placing orders at the show or planning to do so before Christmas, according to the independent delegate survey taken immediately after the show took place at the NEC on October 5th and 6th – testament to 75.59% of the audience having budgetary and buying responsibility.
Left to right: Charlotte Gillan, Classic Canes, Steph Richardson, Chris French, Natalie Coward, all Cinque Ports Mobility & Richard McGleenan of Drive Medical.
Partners:
Continued on page 3
Jan told THIIS Magazine: “For the amount it cost us for the hotel and the evening out, we have more than made that from the deals that we did and the information we gathered from the seminars. We all went to different seminars and they were all good. The ‘Retail Savvy’ seminar was great. We also went to the seminar on how to get over objections when you are selling high ticket products too.” It was a big commitment for the business as Jan explained: “One of our team members was on holiday and so to enable us to be at the show, we brought in someone who works for us occasionally to cover the showroom on the Monday. Having the show on the Sunday meant that we were able to do that, only having one day where we needed the cover. We would have shut the shop to come to the show actually as we felt it was going to be worthwhile and we were glad that we took the two days out as we really needed them in the end. We spent quite a long time on each stand and so it took a long time to see everything.” Like many of the retailers at the show, Jan took the opportunity to stock up. “We took advantage of some of the trade deals over the two days and I know that the suppliers we talked to were selling quite a lot of products. There were some
Left to right: Steve Sutton, Jan King, David King, all from Janshop Mobility.
very happy exhibitors at Trade Days.” And, like the other retailers, the attraction of Trade Days was very simple indeed: “It’s far better than any of the other shows I have ever been to as it gave us the time to talk to the suppliers properly about the new products and also all the special trade offers that you never usually see at other shows. To be honest, I had stopped going to shows because of the problems getting to speak to the suppliers. We all learnt a lot over the two days.” Jan’s engineer, Steve, has been working in the industry for five years, but Trade Days was the first show in the industry that he had ever been to. “I found it really interesting and it gave us a lot of ideas. I thought the show looked great and the seminars that were running were excellent too. We went to the seminars that focussed on customer service.” Jan’s son David was also enthusiastic. “We took a lot away from the seminars and it has shown us that there are a number of things we have to do in the business, such as updating some of our systems. We all found it a very useful two days.” Reproduced from THIIS Magazine
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18th & 19th October 2015 / NEC Birmingham
Give better value - get better margins One of the seminars at Trade Days covered the subject of ‘up-selling’. It’s one of the most powerful sales techniques you can use that will improve the bottom line of a business. It’s not about ‘pressure selling’ or selling a product to a customer that they don’t really need, it’s about making sure the customer gets value and you get the sales that will help the business to grow. This article uses examples around pressure care - a major concern to end users (the general public) and retailers (as solution providers) tackling this concern. Pressure ulcers have been a major concern for individuals, and major costs to the NHS. People come to retailers for solutions, but, as retailers, do we know enough about pressure ulcer prevention and the products we sell, to provide the right solution? Adding a Chargeable Service.
Dr Barend ter Haar, Managing Director, BES Rehab
Here, Dr Barend ter Haar, Managing Director of BES Rehab, talks more about how to approach the subject…. In a retail environment does everyone understand the concepts of cross selling and up-selling? Do we really use these techniques to give customers better value and to make sure they return for repeat sales? Are there opportunities to make better margins by using these age-old techniques? How can retailers provide added value to customers and thereby grow their businesses?
Have you thought of the wonders of using a little technology to prove your point? Customers wanting pressure relieving cushions might not know what to look for, but if you could show them what they need by providing a cushion with the value added service of pressure mapping them on the cushion, this could help you upsell, convert them into happy customers, set up repeat sales, and make better margins at the same time. A simple way of preventing pressure ulcers is by making sure the right products are prescribed. These products should have pressure re-distributing qualities, be able to preserve tissue and skin integrity by reducing friction and shear, and have microclimate control properties. For retailers to prescribe these products it is important that the staff have in-depth knowledge about them and the right tools for prescription - a pressure map lets a person see potential pressure points and how the pressure can be redistributed. The more your staff know, the more they can sell, hence the value of up-selling a product by providing a service. You can try to sell a cushion on its own, or your customer can pay for a cushion along with the value added service of being pressure mapped to make sure they have bought the right cushion.
Double the quality, Quadruple the value Margins are very important to retailers, but the concept of compromising on quality and selling a low priced product is not the best policy, for either the retailer, nor the customer! The low priced product may have a good percentage margin, but a 50% margin on a £10 product is a lot less value for the sales person’s time than a 40% margin on a £50 product, that actually also leads to a happier customer. For example, ‘wool’ products are often sold through retail outlets as pressure ulcer prevention aids. But are these products real wool or artificial? Are they good quality or just synthetic? Are these products really solving the issue? Medical grade sheepskin has been proven to reduce the occurrence of pressure ulcers. Wool is hydrophilic, meaning that it takes up or wicks away moisture from the skin. Wool can hold up to a third of its weight of water vapour before ‘feeling’ wet, and therefore helps to protect against maceration, and leads to greater comfort. On the other hand, artificial wool is hydrophobic, so cannot provide the moisture absorbing properties of wool which reduce the risk of maceration of the skin at the surface. The compressibility of synthetic fibre squeezes out trapped air, losing the temperature regulatory properties of the natural materials. The higher price of the real McCoy is the difference between a material that works and one that does not – even if visually they look the same. Cross-selling When you buy from Amazon, you see the message that ‘People who bought this product
also bought ….’ If someone is concerned about the damage to their skin from what they are sitting on, they could well appreciate pressure care products for other parts of their body – feet, arms, etc, or for other situations – bed, armchair, shower chair etc. If selling a walking frame, you can offer glides to replace ferrules, and simple lights to see where you are going in the dark (e.g. to the toilet in the night). Lateral thinking goes a long way to happier customers and better profits. BES Rehab Ltd can be contacted on 01179 666 761. The website is at www.besrehab.net Reproduced from THIIS Magazine
Presentation Slides All presentation slides (with speaker permission) have now been synchronised to the audio and all attending delegates have been emailed instructions on how to access these.
The Trade Days Photo Shoot Exhibitors and Delegates alike took advantage of the onsite photographer at Trade Days to get some up to date photos of their team!
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OVERCOMING PRICE OBJECTIONS AND ADDING TO BOTTOM LINE They can sell snow to the Eskimos is the phrase that’s probably the most used line when it comes to the super sales people. A couple of the qualities that most sales people have are confidence and the belief that they can sell anything to anyone. The top sales people also tend to make more money. Not just because they sell more, but because they aren’t afraid of selling the high ticket items. One of the seminars at Trade Days was all about becoming more comfortable selling the products that Shaun McCluskey, carry the higher Commercial Manager, Kirton Healthcare Group. price tags. It was presented by Shaun McCluskey, Commercial Manager at the Kirton Healthcare Group. He explained: “Our retailer network is a vital part of our business and supporting them is extremely important to us. One thing that we are all being challenged on in these difficult times is price and our experience is that retailers lack confidence when it comes to overcoming their customers’ objections to what may be perceived as ‘expensive’ price tags.” He added: “We believe that successfully selling high ticket items will help a retail business to grow. In fact, it can be easier than selling low cost alternatives once you have the knowledge and tools to approach it correctly.” “We want to get retailers to think differently” Shaun explained. “They need to have the confidence to introduce the higher value items to their customers. To be very clear, we are not talking about over-selling or over-prescribing, just looking at the basics such as features and benefits and improving knowledge of the products. It’s about the salesperson understanding the benefits of
the products they are selling better and thinking more long-term. If they have the knowledge they can then pass that onto their customers who can make an informed choice.” “There is a tendency for people to think shortterm” Shaun suggested “and you see it in both the private and the public sectors. People want to look at cost savings in the short term, but are less likely to think about the cost savings in the longer term unless the argument is made to them.” He explained how he approaches changing attitudes. “We encourage retailers to look at each individual product they are selling and to really understand how the features and benefits of that product can make a difference to a customer. A product might be twice the price of another option, but if it is going to do more for the customer and last a lot longer – maybe some years longer - then there is an argument for spending the money. Explaining to customers why the costs are there and the benefits to them of paying more is fundamental to being able to sell higher value products.” Not coming away with the order is something that Shaun believes gets in the way of introducing the higher value items. “People seem scared to talk about price sometimes, perhaps through fear of losing a sale completely, and they tend to go straight in with the lowest cost option as a security net. We don’t want people to be worrying about losing sales in the showroom and we understand the fear that a customer will leave, take a look online and find cheaper alternatives that they think will do the job just as well. Our message is that by justifying the cost of the products, properly and in terms the customer can understand and relate to, more of them will choose the higher value product as they know it’s the right decision in the longer term.”
“When I look at what is involved in the production of a chair” he says, “I look at every element and that starts with the quality of the materials we buy in and use to build the product, the production techniques and everything that goes into getting the item to the customer. If you look in detail at what goes into the production of a product, then you will realise that the more dramatically costs are removed, the more the quality is going to be compromised. Of course all manufacturers are keen to streamline processes where possible in order to develop more cost-effective options, and this is something Kirton A J Way is always striving for, but never to the detriment of quality. We encourage retailers to look at the bigger picture so that they can then communicate that to the customer.” Shaun accepts that there are times when the most costly product will not be suitable. “Obviously, if the money isn’t there in the first place, then you are going to have to work to the budget that is available. The trap that retailers sometimes fall into though, is automatically assuming that the customer in front of them doesn’t have the money or isn’t prepared to pay for something better. When you relate that to something like pressure care and the cost of treating problems that arise from poor seating options, then there is a big argument for making sure the customer understands the benefits of a product that they might have initially discounted due to cost. For example, we are talking about what can be massive costs to a family if someone has to go into full-time care.” “From our perspective” he added “demonstrating the real benefits of our products to retailers is about bringing them to the factory and showing them the production process, the materials and the work that goes into making a chair. If they
understand exactly what goes into making the product, they will be far better and far more comfortable explaining that to a customer. There’s nothing better than seeing a product being produced with your own eyes to help in the sales process and we encourage all retailers to do that.” A tip for showroom selling is to compare the products. “Putting two products side by side and showing the differences to a customer is a really useful exercise. That way the customer will truly understand the differences and will be able to see and feel why one costs more than the other. You can’t do that by simply showing the customer product leaflets.” Summing up, Shaun says: “Fully understand the products you are selling, fully understand their features and the benefits and always let the customer know what you know – don’t just tell them though, show them too! Of course there is no magic formula and this isn’t about teaching people to suck eggs. A lot of it is about mind set. If a product is positioned at the top end of the market with a price tag to match, the chances are there’s a reason; it’s about defining those reasons, identifying the USPs, and harnessing them to ensure you are selling with confidence. Because if you aren’t selling the high value products, someone up the road will be and they’ll be reaping the rewards.” The company has recently launched the Kirton Institute of Training which provides tailor-made training for retailers. For more details call the dealer management team on 01440 765026.
Reproduced from THIIS Magazine
What the visitors say... ...continued from page 1 Trade Days has been extremely informative for me in my role and being a trade only event means the exhibitors have time to talk to you and answer any technical questions you may have. This is not always the case with a public event. There has been loads to see!! Elwin Harker, Service Engineer, Burnham Mobility
We have been considering some possible new products lines for our business and being here today has without doubt helped us with these plans. We will certainly be back next year!
I have a specific interest in manual wheelchairs and associated products and I have been able to talk to many manufacturers and suppliers which is great for me. I will certainly be coming back.
Greg & Judy MacTieg, Owners of Wirrell Mobility
John Nuttall, N Dynamics
Trade Days is a great opportunity to see the latest deals and network. As it is a Sunday I have been able to bring along several members of my team which is great as it enables them to broaden their horizons as to what else is in our marketplace. We have all found the day extremely interesting and worthwhile. David Atwell, Assured Mobility
What a brilliant event! It is great to have a trade only show and we have not only made new contacts but also done some business. I will 100% be here again next year.
Compared to other events in our industry Trade Days feels much more relaxed. It is great to be able to see so many different products and I think we will visit again next year.
Joe Ganatra, Cleethorpes Mobility Centre
Ben Lane, Active Mobility
As a retailer the launch of Trade Days is great news!! In addition to the latest products, the seminar programme has also been very interesting and informative. Edward Trewhella, Chief Executive, Cornwall Mobility
The 149 trade suppliers on the show floor, including some of the sector’s biggest brand names, hosted a very senior audience of retailer buyers, the majority (88%) of whom were owners or at senior management level. The level of buying activity and the number and quality of the retail buying audience led to 80% of the exhibition space being re-booked for 2015 at this year’s event. Retailers clearly benefited from the trade-only admission policy and the Sunday and Monday event format: “What a brilliant event! It is great to have a trade only show and we have not only made new contacts but also done some business. I will 100% be here again next year,” said Joe Ganatra, Cleethorpes Mobility Centre. David Atwell from Assured Mobility agreed: “Trade Days is a great opportunity to see the latest deals and network. As it is on a Sunday too, I have been able to bring along several members of my team, which is great as it enables them to broaden their horizons as to what else is in our marketplace. We have all found the day extremely interesting and worthwhile.” And the team at Ableword Buying Team couldn’t be more satisfied with their experience at the show: “Trade Days proved to be a great event for us. We were able to meet up with most of our suppliers to discuss new ranges and opportunities or existing business, informally over a coffee. It also gave us the opportunity to see potential new suppliers and products that were very relevant to our business and our customers. “Trade Days brought the mobility industry together under one roof and was a valuable opportunity for us. We came away with a number of business opportunities to follow up and are certainly going to make sure it’s on our schedule for next year,” they added.
The ribbon for the very first Trade Days show was cut by a group of people who had played a significant part in its development. At either end in the photograph is Charlotte Gillan of Classic Canes and Richard McGleenan of Drive Medical. They were the first two companies to book into the show on the day it launched back in May 2013 and helped to create the momentum that grew quickly with other suppliers taking exhibition space. Also pictured on p.g 1 Chris French, Steph Richardson and Natalie Coward from Cinque Ports Mobility. Chris sent an email to THIIS magazine in the summer of 2012 which set out the reasons why he hadn’t been to a show in the UK for a number of years. He said that he found it very frustrating that there wasn’t a show dedicated to the trade and that if someone did provide one, he would definitely be there with his team. It came at the time when research was taking place to discover whether there really was a demand for that type of event. The email Chris sent helped the decision to be made and the rest is history. Healthcare Matters has recently introduced their own range of pressure care products and Adam was so impressed with the show that he booked a stand for the 2015 show while he was there. Someone who came on the Sunday but who says he will spend more time next year is Duncan Gillett of Clearwell Mobility. He said: “Thanks for a fantastic show. It more than surpassed my expectations and the quality of discussions with exhibitors made it difficult to get round in a day. I am planning on coming for both days next year.” Trade Days 2015 returns to the NEC on Sunday 18th and Monday 19th October, 2015. *Unique Trade Days attendance 1,113 + 2,452 Pharmacy Show delegate cross over.
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www.tradedays.co.uk
18th & 19th October 2015 / NEC Birmingham
FLOORPLAN AND EXHIBITOR L Trade Days was a resounding success for Drive Medical in terms of spending quality time with our customers. The Sunday in particular worked well in that certain customers, normally too busy during the week, were able to spare the time to attend. The fact that entry was restricted to Trade customers also gave the show a very relaxed mood conducive to good, constructive business discussions. As far as meeting our business needs Trade Days felt very much like a square peg in a square hole and we were delighted to rebook for next year. Richard McGleenan, Drive Medical
Exhibitor
Stand No.
Exhibitor
Stand No.
A & D Instruments
A90
HMS Vilgo + Pharmaouest
E75
Able 2
C15
Horizon Mobility
B17
Ableworld Franchise Ltd
F50
idExpert
B65
accentu8
D30
Ivanhoe
E85
Active Living by Paroh
B90
Jetmarine
E72
Aidapt Bathrooms
C25
Karma Mobility
B05
amplicomms
F60
Kymco Healthcare
B31
BES REHABS Ltd
E20
Limbo Products
C01
BHTA
A40
Mackworth
F63
Blue Badge
C45
Medequip
D51
E60, 69
MG Retail
F10
C52
MK Battery
C12
Patterson Medical
B70
Camelot Furniture Capatex Cefndy Healthcare + Manufacturing
E85
Primacare Ltd
B49, B59
Classic Canes
A55
Redwood TTM
B25
We are currently expanding our business so Trade Days came at just the right time for us. One of the great things about the show is the fact that the majority of people that visit your stand are potential customers with a budget and you can talk about prices etc in a relaxed manner. We have had a good number of quality leads and we will certainly consider exhibiting next year.
Cosy Feet
E47
Repose
B20
CPC Battery Services
B4
Fiona Langlan, Head of Group Marketing Redwood TTM Ltd Exhibitions are all about quality of visitors to the stand and that has been the case, at Trade Days. It is great to finally have a trade event in our market and we will definitely look to attend again next year. Becky, General Manager, Timo UK
We have been delighted with the quality of visitors to the stand. We have had the opportunity to meet some great potential new customers and taken a huge amount of enquiries. I will certainly be looking to book for next year as the show has been everything I thought it would be and more. Jeff Morris, Director, Uniscan There is no doubt that for some time there has been a need for a trade only event within our industry - and Sunday and Monday at the NEC certainly proved this to be the case. Over the two days we were able to engage with existing and potential retailers and showcase our range of wheelchairs and powerchairs in a relaxed business environment; I certainly believe we will generate substantial business off the back of our attendance and I will be looking to exhibit again in 2015. Mark Duffield, General Manager Karma Mobility
Rika Care
F42
Drive Medical
D40
Rise & Recline
E50
Electric Mobility
D60
Royams
D10
Electric Trikes n Bikes
C10
Sandpiper
F20
Embryonyx Ltd
E82
Scootertch Ltd
C49
Enable Access
C20
Sidhil Limited
D50
Etac
A45
Sunrise Medical Limited
C82
First Senior
C40
FLEXEL (UK) Ltd
A80
Swallow Evacuation & Mobility Products Ltd
E45
FREERIDER UK LTD
D15
Tente Castors
A30
Furmanac Ltd
D20
TGA Electric Leisure Ltd
B40
Gerald Simonds Healthcare
E10
The Helping Hand Company
A70
Globaleather
D10
The Ramp People
D72
Gordon Eliis & Co,
B30
The Sticker Haus UK Ltd
F39
Guy-Raymond Eng.Co
C50
Topro
E29
Healthcare & Assistive Technology Society
F25
Trans-Global Sports
A60
Healthcare Distribution Direct
F70
Healthcare Matters
D74
Uniscan Ltd
B01
Z-Tec
B85
Rise & Recline Ltd, exhibited at Trade Days to launch several new products and it was certainly a wise decision. We had been asking the industry show organisers for a number of years to concentrate their efforts on a trade only event that focused on our key customers. When the rumours began to spread about the possibility of a trade only show, we were delighted that we had finally been listened to. We are definitely going to exhibit next year. As expected, we saw many existing customers on the first day. They came to see our current product range and the new items which we had previously marketed. Some customers even came armed with orders. Day 2 was equally productive, during which we achieved further sales and new customers. Samantha Langtree, Managing Director Rise & Recline Ltd
We have been delighted with the quality of visitors to the stand. We have had the opportunity to meet some great potential new customers and taken a huge amount of enquiries. I will certainly be looking to book for next year as the show has been everything I thought it would be and more. Jeff Morris, Director, Uniscan
Save the date! 18th & 19th October 2015
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18th & 19th October 2015 / NEC Birmingham
LIST 2015
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The fact that it was a trade only exhibition with no end users allowed us to promote with a focused message to a business audience. The focus on retail and trade was great.
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running alongside The Pharmacy Show 2015 for the homecare, mobility gy trade to do business, to demonstrate products, give technical briefings host one-to-one meetings with retailers and distributors
re information call Clare Johnson on 0779 003 2349 or email her at .johnson@closerstillmedia.com
Andrew Stevenson, Sales Director, NRS
Trade Days was a great experience for Kirton A J Way and gave us a real chance to talk business with our distributors. It also provided the team with a unique opportunity to discuss prices, discount structures and actually take orders on the stand, something that is not usually possible at other shows where end users and healthcare professionals are visiting too. Vanessa Hands, Marketing Manager at Kirton
Trade Days is the only event in the UK that I am aware of that focuses specifically on B2B relationship building, networking and selling. We were aiming to meet manufacturers of medical mattresses and seating and I am delighted to say that I found the audience to be relevant and engaged. We exceeded our targets for customer appointments and lead generation by over 200% so there is a huge amount of follow up activity to close the prospects we have identified at the show Zane Powers, Marketing Manager, Dartex Coatings
We were delighted by the response from our customers, who were very appreciative of the opportunity to discuss business matters in a tradeonly environment. The turn-out from our existing customers was excellent and we were very pleased to receive so many promising new enquiries. We very much look forward to exhibiting again in 2015. Charlotte Gillan, Managing Partner, Classic Canes
As far as we are concerned you “nailed it”, we had an excellent show! We saw exactly the audience we wanted to see. We had enough time with them and they didn’t feel pressured and overcrowded on the stand. The link to the Pharmacy show was excellent too, probably helps both exhibitions and definitely the credibility of Trade Days and indeed the professionalism of our industry. Mark Diaj, Managing Director, Able2
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18th & 19th October 2015 / NEC Birmingham
Day in the life of a A Big thank you to Trade Days delegate our founder members As UK Sales Manager for Geemarc, one of the market leaders in assistive listening devices, I visited the first Trade Days exhibition this year for 3 reasons: to meet existing and new customers; to see if the show was worth Geemarc attending next year as an exhibitor; and to see what was new in the industry. I spent a day at Trade Days, which I thought would be enough, but with prearranged appointments and so many relevant customers and potential customers the day flew by and I wished I had longer. I spoke to many exhibitors, all of whom had a steady stream of relevant customers, so as a potential exhibitor this was extremely encouraging. On speaking to my customers, who had walked the halls, the feedback was very positive. As a trade-only exhibition, suppliers had time and room to discuss business with their suppliers, without interruption from end users. This element seems to be a huge draw for buyers/decision makers. As I walked the halls, having been in the industry for a while now, it was easy to pick out familiar faces and I saw decision makers from a number of relevant industries: from mobility chains, rehab distributors, pharmacy chains, through to mail order buyers. I think that as Trade Days grows, with an even bigger variety of manufacturers and distributors exhibiting, the volume of relevant buyers will
increase and even more buyers from various industries will visit. Being next to the Pharmacy Show was an excellent idea. Although two separate shows, the two are in adjoining halls, allowing people who may have an interest in both to easily walk the Trade Days aisles. If your products have the potential to appeal to pharmacies, which often mobility and living aids do, the two shows are an ideal union and provide a second customer stream to your stand, something which was of great interest to us. As a manufacturer, focused on the development of new assistive listening aids and other assistive devices, I hope that Trade Days can offer us a platform to launch new products to the industry and raise awareness of the phones and other assistive devices we develop for the hearing, visually impaired and disabled that can make life easier and more enjoyable. Rebecca Poppleton, UK Sales Manager, Geemarc Telecom SA
www.tradedays.co.uk/news
An exhibitor’s first experience at Trade Days By Lisa Wardley, Managing Director, Repose Specialist Seating We were so pleased to have taken a stand at the recent Trade Days. What a refreshing approach to the market place – the ability to spend quality time with quality trade clients and prospects. We have been a regular exhibitor at some of the major mobility shows in the past and one of the problems that we have always experienced is the quality of the leads that are generated. Quite often we have lots of visitors to our stand, but many of them are not in a position to purchase our products. This is a real shame, as companies are investing a considerable amount of money and effort to exhibit at the main shows. If you couple this with the severe economic downturns that markets have had to endure over the past 5 years the pressure is on for us to gain a Return on Investment. Trade Days has enabled this to happen. We not only placed significant orders over the two days of the show, but we were able to source a whole range of new contacts who, we believe, in the forthcoming months will convert to business. The quality of the clients was exceptional and we believe that this will only improve over time as the message permeates through our marketplace – that this is the show that places business in front of business to agree deals. My sales staff thoroughly enjoyed the event and the conversion of new business opportunities certainly resulted in an enthusiastic response to booking our place for 2015.
It was an excellent venue to launch new products to the market, with such a high degree of attendance from distributors. Our new Melrose, Brooklyn and Madison health chairs were very well received. We expect to be launching new editions to our range at next year’s show. It was also great to attend some of the workshops, and in fact some of my team found them very useful in terms of their own continual professional development. We also managed to spend a little time talking to some of our competitors about the event and we were all in agreement that the show had created an environment for serious business and whilst we are all competitive a backdrop for sharing experiences and knowledge. Whilst we are booked in for next year’s event we are also looking at how we can become involved in more of the workshops, by providing quality speakers. We are exhibiting at the OT show, on Stand A1, in November and have organised for our own Dr Hilary to open the show and present one of the workshops. I would not hesitate to recommend the show to other potential exhibitors. I would personally like to thank the shows organising team for putting on such an excellent event.
www.tradedays.co.uk
18th & 19th October 2015 / NEC Birmingham
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Over 700 NEW products were on the show floor Below is a snapshot of just a few of them... New wheelchair from ZTEC
The Rascal Ventura has a delta handlebar, hydraulic tiller adjustment, LED lighting, LCD instrument panel and a USB power outlet. There is a front coil and rear mono-shock suspension for a superior ride, a gas strut tiller with useful battery charging port and a safety turning sensor slows down the scooter when turning at full speed.
Reproduced from THIIS Magazine
crafted from TPE studs that are moulded through the base of the tray. The carry handles, deep sides and TPE underside make it easy to carry or use as an anti-slip lap tray. These come in two sizes - 45.5 cm x 32 cm and 41.5cm x 29.4cm.
seat raiser which can be used on most toilet bowls. It is available with or without the lid. The Kalli is a cushion for medium to high risk. It has a non-slip base and is available in several
Call: 01494 783851 or visit www.isagi.co.uk
For more information call 0800 252 614 or visit the website at www.electricmobility.co.uk More practical than traditional options
dimensions with 2 different covers and in viscoelastic foam. The AC 207+ table is height adjustable with
The M-Brand D-Lite wheelchair has swing away removable footrests, net nylon upholstery with a cushion, a fold down backrest and anti-tips.
Range of new products from Vilgo
There is a maximum user weight of 100kg and the weight of the product, including footrests is 14kg. Call 01384 445600 for more information. New special edition scooter from Electric Mobility Electric Mobility has introduced a special edition scooter in Teal.
Traditionally Trivets, heat resistant stands for hot pans, are made of metal, are heavy and hard to clean, are not easy to store due to size, and are not generally slip- resistant. As this can be a drawback for elderly or disabled users, Isagi have developed the StayPut folding anti-slip silicon Trivet in tough, hardwearing 100% silicon.
The company has also produced an anti-slip tray with a modern design and high-grip surface
Scooter transport option
The Space Rack was developed due to a lack of quality racks to carry motorcycles on the back of motorhomes by the importers and distributers of Skyteam motorcycles, which are bought by motorhome owners. Charlie White of Skyteam told us: “At first we concentrated on the motorhome market and sold the racks through our network of motorcycle dealers who were able to sell the rack and a bike as a package. It was only by chance that a number of dealers said they had sold more racks to carry mobility scooters than bikes. That’s why we are now promoting the rack for this purpose.”
‘simple operation’. The monitor is easy to use and features the %IHB function. This allows the user to determine the frequency of detection of irregular heartbeats. The memory has been upgraded to 60 readings which also helps with more detailed analysis of results.
The UB-543 is a wrist blood pressure monitor with a stylish slim body and large LCD. This monitor has clock and calendar function that allows the user to recall morning (AM) or afternoon (PM) measurements as well as the average. It will help users to find a tendency for morning hypertension by comparing AM/PM/ALL averages.
Showroom shelf products A&D Medical had two new products at Trade Days which could be on showroom shelves. The UA-767S is for personal use and focused on
The Euro’ Design is a luxury adjustable bed with adjustable height for stand up assistance. It has a 5 year warranty and is available in various colour and size options. It is also supplied with a ‘well being’ mattress. The Rehosof is an injected foam toilet
The Zinger has what the company describes as an ultra-simple traction drive and intuitive steering system which gives it ‘amazing manoeuvrability’. The unique design creates an instant folding frame with a total weight below 18kg which can be placed in the back of a small hatchback car, even with the seats up. The unique control system is easy to learn and intuitive to use and is ideal for use around the home or office. There are three forward speed settings ranging from ‘Slow’ for indoor use up to ‘Fast’ for travelling outdoors at up to 6mph, plus a ‘Reverse’ mode. The battery has an anti-theft key and can be fully charged, on or off the chair, in 3.5 hours, giving a range of 8 miles (13 km).
For more information, call 0330 555 5225. The website is at www.zingerchair.co.uk
He added: “The advantages are that the scooter does not have to be dismantled for transport and the rack can be used for a number of items including bicycles and camping gear. The Space Rack will do all the things a trailer can, but with the ability to remove in seconds and be stored in a shed or even in a porch.” Call 01935 412501 or e mail spacerackproducts@ aol.co.uk The website is at www.space-rack.com
Hms Vilgo and Pharmaouest have been working with healthcare professionals in the UK for 8 years. The company was at a UK show for the first time to promote the products to retailers. The range of products includes adjustable beds, moving and handling and pressure care items, overbed tables, commodes and shower chairs.
For more details, contact A&D Medical on 01235 550420. The website is at www.aandd-eu.net Zinger Powerchair The Zinger powerchair is distributed exclusively in the UK and Ireland by Proactive Mobility.
a tilting top. It is available in a large choice of colours. The column can be adjusted on the left or the right side and it has 2 braked castors. For more information on any of the products, contact Julien Potez, Export Manager at julien. potez@hms-vilgo.com or call 079 6086 1999.
New scooter from TGA TGA unveiled the new Minimo Plus at Trade Days. The new scooter is based on the 4mph Minimo that was launched in 2013 and that the company reports has produced significant results for retailers across the UK. According to the company, the Minimo introduction represented the beginning of a new genre of car boot scooter with a unique, single action folding mechanism that can be operated with one hand. The Minimo requires no dismantling of parts for storage in a compact space and its easy-lift design is furthered by an optional, cutting-edge lithium battery that is so lightweight, it can be lifted with one finger.
The new 4mph Minimo Plus incorporates all these features along with additional attributes including larger pneumatic tyres, more powerful motor and controller, integrated light, higher ground clearance and enhanced batteries. It also has a weight limit of up to 115kg (250lbs). Contact TGA on 01787 882244 for more information.
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18th & 19th October 2015 / NEC Birmingham
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