Every year, the MEDICA trade fair in Düsseldorf brings together the most influential stakeholders in the global medical industry. From 17 to 20 November 2025, more than 5,000 exhibitors and 80,000 professional visitors from 165 different countries are expected to attend. It is the ideal opportunity to present your innovations, forge strategic partnerships and enhance your brand's visibility in the international market. MEDICA is much more than a trade fair... it is a powerful springboard for your international business strategy.
Exhibitor registrations closed on 3 March 2025, and requests are processed according to remaining availability. The trade fair covers a total area of over 115,000 m². To draw a comparison, this represents more than ten football pitches spread across the halls of the Messe Düsseldorf exhibition centre, making it one of the largest medical events in the world. The price of a stand varies according to its location, ranging from €298/m² to €329/m². Furthermore, there are supplementary fees, such as the mandatory Media Fee of €995, AUMA fees at €0.60/m² and waste management fees at €2.70/m². The standard minimum area is 12 m². As for visitors, tickets will be available a few months before the event, with a daily rate estimated at around €35, depending on the sales conditions.
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The key to success lies in meticulous preparation. However, if it is your first time participating at Medica, your location will largely depend on luck since you will be randomly assigned a stand. In your second year, you will then have the chance to obtain the same location as the previous year, depending on your budget. Large companies that participate in the fair every year have an almost guaranteed location. Whenever possible, choose a strategic location, near the main aisles or close to the thematic pavilions, to maximize natural traffic and capture the attention of visitors already interested in your areas of expertise. Opt for a modular, ergonomic and luminous stand. A flexible design allows you to adapt the space to different formats, such as individual meetings, group presentations, technical demonstrations. Ergonomics improve the visitor experience and good lighting attracts the eye while highlighting the key elements of your offer.
To make your exhibition stand truly attractive, its layout should naturally encourage visitors to enter. A stand that is too closed off or isolated can discourage entry, as it creates a visual and psychological barrier. Conversely, an open, well-lit space structured with clearly identifiable areas encourages curiosity and exploration. The entrance to the stand should be clear and welcoming, with a direct view of key elements such as products or demonstrations. A warm, well-positioned and easily identifiable reception point creates a positive first contact. It guides visitors and puts them at ease from the moment they arrive. The demonstration area, for its part, plays an essential role: it allows you to showcase your products in real-life situations and capture attention with concrete demonstrations. It should be visible from outside the stand, while being harmoniously integrated into the visitor's journey. A discreetly partitioned private discussion area placed nearby offers a suitable setting for confidential or business exchanges with decision-makers. To enhance attractiveness, consider integrating welcoming elements such as plants, soft lighting, comfortable furniture and offering refreshments to provide visitors with an exclusive experience by creating a sense of privilege. This will make them feel valued and appreciated, which will obviously be beneficial for your company's image. The entire stand should reflect your visual identity while also creating a friendly and professional atmosphere.
Don't forget the essential equipment: screens, interactive kiosks and presentation materials. These tools add value to your content and reinforce your message. Screens can display videos of your products, customer testimonials or reports on practical use. Interactive kiosks allow visitors to independently explore your catalogue or services. Presentation materials allow visitors to better understand and remember your offer. All these elements will improve their experience and give them a professional image of your company.
By taking these actions, you will increase the attractiveness of your stand and consequently the attention of visitors. Don't forget to include furniture for your staff to rest on so that they are in the best condition during their presentations. Comfortable seating or a discreet break room can make a difference at an intense trade fair like MEDICA, keeping your team efficient and available throughout the event, especially during peak hours.
The success of your presence depends on flawless logistical organisation. Book your hotels near Messe Düsseldorf very early as demand is high. Do not neglect the transport of your team either. From the city centre, you can opt for public transport. The trade fair is served by metro (line U78 or U79) as well as by bus (line 722). The good news is that all these transports are free throughout the duration of the trade fair upon presentation of your valid and personalised participant badge.
Creating a striking visual identity for your stand is not limited to sticking a logo on a partition, it is a strategic staging of your brand. Play with the colours of your graphic charter and coordinate all your material, digital supports and furniture so they have a uniform look. This will create a brand identity in the minds of your visitors and your stand will be all the more impactful and memorable, in addition to exuding professional visual coherence.
Use LED lighting to highlight certain elements, such as your logo or product, by adjusting the orientation of the lights, dynamic lighting or even the colour of the spotlights. It is a good strategy to catch the eye of passers-by and capture the public's attention as much as possible.
Make sure to position your logo high so that it is noticeable even from a distance or in a dense crowd. This once again attracts the attention of visitors, especially if your stand is located among other exhibitors. Also multiply the visible panels on your stand. The idea is that your logo is identifiable from any angle to ensure immediate recognition of your stand. However, be careful not to make it overwhelming. Good logo positioning helps anchor your brand in visitors' memory and reinforces your professionalism.
But the visibility of your participation in the MEDICA trade fair is not limited to the event itself... it starts well in advance. To make an excellent impression and maximise your impact, actively communicate about your presence through well-chosen digital and professional channels.
Start with a targeted email campaign, informing your clients, qualified leads and partners of your participation. A clear, dynamic and personalised message, accompanied by a visual of your stand or your flagship products, will encourage recipients to come and meet you. Include a registration link or a form to book an on-site appointment in this email.
On social media, announce your presence several weeks in advance, then maintain the pace with regular posts. Use attractive visuals, product teasers and short videos to generate interest. Don't forget to include the official trade fair hashtags (#MEDICA2025, #MEDICA) to gain visibility within the professional community. Instagram and Facebook stories as well as LinkedIn posts are ideal for creating an atmosphere around the behind-the-scenes of your preparation.
Also consider updating your email signatures by integrating a banner announcing your participation, such as "Find us at MEDICA 2025 – Stand XX". This allows you to spread the information discreetly but systematically with every professional exchange.
For effective participation in MEDICA, it is essential to manage peak traffic well. These usually occur between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm, then again between 2 pm and 4:30 pm. It is essential to organise the reception team accordingly. There must be sufficient staff and optimal distribution of roles in order to respond effectively to the flow of visitors. This organisation allows you to methodically manage the many visitors without being overwhelmed by their demands.
You can also offer personalised content to maximise interest. Brochures or QR codes leading to digital content can, for example, enhance the customer experience while making your statements uniform and clear.
Moreover, the use of goodies at a professional trade fair like MEDICA is an excellent lever to attract visitors' attention. In a dynamic and competitive environment, every visual element counts, and a well-thought-out promotional item can become a real magnet for visitors. By having these items on your stand — whether pens, tote bags, notebooks, or other useful accessories — you naturally encourage passers-by to stop, interact and start a conversation with your staff.
Beyond the immediate appeal, goodies fulfil an essential strategic function by making an impression on visitors. By leaving with an item bearing your company's name or logo, they take away a tangible memory of their visit to your stand. This physical link extends the impact of your presence, embedding you in their memory long after the trade fair ends.
Finally, goodies can also be a conduit for transmitting values and brand image. An eco-friendly design or innovative item says a lot about how you wish to be perceived. By choosing items in line with your positioning, you create coherence between your commercial discourse and the experience lived by visitors.
One of the major reasons for participating in MEDICA is making contact, a fact that should not be overlooked. It is advisable to facilitate this as much as possible by creating contact points before the trade fair to prepare meetings and facilitate contact. To this end, you can do the following:
- Use an appointment scheduling tool (like Calendly). Create a personalised link to allow qualified leads to book a slot according to your availability. Include this link in your emails, signatures, social networks or web pages dedicated to your presence at the trade fair. Actively promote this tool in your pre-trade fair communications.
- Provide online contact forms: Collect contact details with a simple page and consider adding a QR Code to your communication material that directs people to this form.
- Take part in proactive communication: Contact certain target visitors or partners in advance via email, phone or LinkedIn to propose a meeting. Inform them of your presence at the trade fair and offer available slots.
Of course, contact is also made during the trade fair, you can use:
- Paper forms: Offer forms to be filled out manually for visitors who do not wish to use a digital format.
- Online forms accessible via QR Code: Clearly display QR Codes on your stand allowing visitors to fill out a quick form from their smartphone.
- Official trade fair app — Scan2Lead: Use this app to scan visitors' badges and instantly retrieve their information. All data is centralised for easy processing after the trade fair (available for iOS and Android).
Once the trade fair is over, do not let the commercial momentum fade away. Analyse the data collected at your stand, identify the most promising contacts and quickly engage in personalised follow-ups. Your CRM then becomes your best ally to track each interaction, turn leads into concrete opportunities and accurately measure the return on investment of your participation. It is in this post-event phase that the true value of MEDICA is played out.
At AbroadLink, we will be present at the 2025 edition of MEDICA for the third time to support companies in the healthcare sector with their specialised translation needs. You will be able to meet Josh Gambín and Alex Le Baut who will represent our company in hall 12, stand B24, where we will be delighted to discuss your multilingual projects with you.
