Article provided by the Greater New York Dental Meeting
The Greater New York Dental Meeting was proud, once again, to partner with the U.S. Department of Commerce in sponsoring a Dental Trade Fair in the Middle East region to increase the sale of U.S. manufactured dental products. This annual event was held in conjunction with the AEEDC-Dubai International Dental Meeting.
Despite the recent downturn in the world's economy and the reported financial challenges in Dubai, the 2010 AEEDC-Dubai International Dental Meeting was a huge success. Attendance surpassed the 2009 record and the number of exhibitors increased by approximately 15%. Most notable was the large increase in exhibiting companies from China and South Korea.
It is also important to note the recognition given to AEEDC-Dubai by government officials of Dubai. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance, and President of the Dubai Health Authority visited the event on opening day. Sheikh Hamdan is also the benefactor and the patron of the "Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Excellence," an award instituted to recognize excellence in the field of medical sciences. The Dubai Health Authority, which Sheikh Hamdan leads, supports the education of dental and medical students. He continues to be an enthusiastic supporter of both the Dubai International Dental Meeting, the largest dental event in the Middle East, as well as the Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM), to which he sends a delegation each year.
(Visiting the joint USDOC-GNYDM booth, second from left: Mr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Dr. Robert Edwab, Mr. Robert W. Dunn, USDOC, and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum)
Sheikh Hamdan visited the joint U.S. Department of Commerce-Greater New York Dental Meeting exhibit booth and personally thanked the GNYDM and members of the U.S. Department of Commerce for their active participation in their event. Forty-nine U.S. manufacturers and distributors were in attendance, with other U.S. companies being represented by local distributors.
The final report from AEEDC indicated that they experienced an increase of approximately 25% in exhibit space over 2009. There were over 800 booths from 65 countries including 15 international pavilions. With such large representation from so many countries, it was gratifying that the United States booths were positioned in a prominent position in the exhibit hall. This location gave American products tremendous exposure. The Greater New York Dental Meeting booth, which included representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Embassy in Dubai, along with other U.S. companies, was decorated with American flags and other items reflecting our country's highlights.
The exhibit floor at AEEDC-Dubai is an example of the competition the United States dental manufacturing industry faces throughout the world. Other countries are well organized and often have governmental support. One must remember there are approximately 70,000 dentists in the Middle East. This joint effort between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Greater New York Dental Meeting ensures that American-made products are in the forefront when competing with dental products made by international competitors. It also affords better exposure for the United States dental industry on a global scale and maximizes exhibitor-attendee interaction and networking experience to produce greater sales opportunities. As strategic partners in this endeavor, both the USDOC and GNYDM are committed to helping U.S. manufacturers succeed in this global marketplace. Exhibitors depend on show management to deliver a highly qualified audience for them to achieve their objectives. The Greater New York Dental Meeting serves this purpose by traveling and exhibiting worldwide to encourage attendance in New York for the purchase of U.S. manufactured dental products.
In this newspaper article (from left to right), Mr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Dr. Robert Edwab, and Mr. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum are shown at the AEEDC ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The benefits are obvious. Dentists see U.S. products at international meetings and purchase them, thus increasing our exports. Potential attendees are encouraged to visit the Greater New York Dental Meeting to buy products and technology on site. In addition, the economy of New York City gains tremendously by these attendees. It is a "win-win" for the dental industry, the United States, the city of New York, and of course, the Greater New York Dental Meeting. As a continuing example of The Greater New York Dental Meeting's commitment to successfully promote the sale of U.S. dental products throughout the world, it is now developing a similar Dental Trade Fair in Beijing, China.
The Greater New York Dental Meeting contributes a tremendous amount of time and financial resources each year for this trade fair endeavor. Dr. Robert Edwab, Executive Director of the Greater New York Dental Meeting, feels strongly that the Meeting has a responsibility to its exhibitors to work 365 days a year, not just the five days of its event, to promote their products and increase their sales opportunities. He believes exhibitors must have the opportunity to maximize their investments when participating at dental events. The Greater New York Dental Meeting, which continues to be the largest dental event in the United States with more than 59,000 attendees from all 50 states and 124 countries in 2009, feels that it has an obligation to advance the sales opportunities of United States manufactured dental products throughout the world.
Editor's Note: The meeting dates for the 2010 Greater New York Dental Meeting are Nov. 26-Dec. 1, while the exhibit dates are Nov. 28-Dec. 1. For more information, visit www.gnydm.com.
