IDS 2017: World’s greatest dental show tops 155,000 visitors in Cologne

After five days, the 37th International Dental Show (IDS) came to a close on Saturday, 25 March 2017 with new record results. Over 155,000 trade visitors from 157 countries attended the leading global trade fair for the dental industry. This corresponds to a 12% cent increase compared to two years prior. In particular, IDS experienced growth among foreign visitors: The share of international trade visitors increased by almost 20% up to around 60%. A slight increase was also recorded among national visitors. Thus, IDS once again proved its significance for the dental world.

Exhibitors were delighted with the high number of international trade visitors and the quality of the visitors that found their way to their exhibition stands. Almost all regions experienced significant growth again in terms of the number of visitors: Considerably more trade visitors attended IDS from Central and South America (+52.9%), Eastern Europe (+43%), the Near East (+31.9%), Africa (+31.7%) and Asia (+28%). North America (+15.7%) and Europe (+12.6%) also showed significant growth.

The focus of IDS 2017 lay on digital production and diagnosis methods, intelligent networking solutions for the practice and laboratory, smart services for dentists and dental technicians as well as the further improvement of patient care and thus oral health worldwide.

IDS 2017 in figures

At IDS 2017, on a gross exhibition area of 163,000 m² (2015: 158,200 m²), 2,305 companies from 59 countries participated (2015: 2,182 companies from 56 countries). These included 624 exhibitors and 20 additionally represented companies from Germany (2015: 636 exhibitors and 19 additionally represented companies) as well as 1,617 exhibitors and 44 additionally represented companies from abroad (2015: 1,480 exhibitors and 44 additionally represented companies). The share of foreign exhibitors was 72% (2015: 70%). Including estimates for the last day of the fair, over 155,000 trade visitors from 157 countries attended IDS (2015: 138,500 trade visitors from 151 countries), approximately 60% of whom (2015: 51%) came from abroad.

The next IDS - the 38th International Dental Show - is scheduled to take place from 12 to 16 March 2019.