Health Care Shows Make the TSW 200

Michael Hart -- Tradeshow Week, 4/29/2008 12:18:00 PM

The biggest health care shows just keep getting bigger. According to the 2008 Tradeshow Week 200, released April 30, the largest health care-related tradeshow held in the United States last year was the Radiological Society of North America Scientific Assembly & Annual Meeting, ranked No. 33, with a 535,300 net square foot showfloor when it was held in November at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The next biggest was HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition (Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society) with 371,300 net sq. ft. However, while the RSNA showfloor grew by just under 15,000 net sq. ft., HIMSS expanded by just under 50,000 net sq. ft., allowing it to jump from No. 68 on the 2007 TSW to No. 54 this year.

The TSW 200 is a list of the 200 largest tradeshows held each year in the United States. Statistics on the country’s largest shows are gathered and verified each year by TSW editors.

Just as last year, 23 health care-related shows made the list, with nearly half (11) moving up in ranking.
“The fact that more than 10 percent of the largest shows held in the United States last year were medical shows illustrates the vibrancy of that sector,” said TSW Editor-in-Chief Michael Hart.

By comparison, the 2001 TSW 200 had 13 health care-related shows and as recently as 2006, only 21.
While the five largest health care shows on the list remained the same as last year, the No. 2 and 3 shows changed places. Last year’s No. 2, Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West, WestPack, Plastec West Pavilion, Electronics West, Pacific Design & Manufacturing and Automation Technology Expo (ATX) West was replaced by HIMSS, No. 3 last year.

The five largest health care shows held in 2007 were:

1. RSNA, 535,300 net sq. ft., Nov. 25-30, McCormick Place, Chicago (2008 TSW 200 rank: 33)

2. HIMSS, 371,300 net sq. ft., Feb. 21-March 1, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans (No. 54)

3. MD&M West, 370,558 net sq. ft., Feb. 13-15, Anaheim Convention Center (No. 55)

4. Medtrade, 277,000 net sq. ft., Oct. 2-4, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando (No. 86)

5. AAOS 2007 Annual Meeting (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons), 262,715 net sq. ft., Feb. 14-16, San Diego Convention Center (No. 91).