Dentsply Sirona announced that it will not attend the International Dental Show (IDS), scheduled to be held from March 9-13, 2021, in Cologne, Germany. The company said that this decision also applies to Dentsply Sirona brands VDW, MIS, and Zhermack.
In a release, Dentsply Sirona said that the decision was related to the COVID-19 pandemic and potential restrictions that could be placed on show attendance, as well as a potential lack of the "proximity and depth of consultation that Dentsply Sirona and its customers know and value."
"It was a difficult decision to make, but much of what makes the IDS and its unique dynamics what they are, will not be possible in March 2021 because of the conditions we expect due to COVID-19," said Walter Petersohn, chief commercial officer at Dentsply Sirona. "We would not be able to provide our customers and visitors with their usual experience at the show at this time. The same applies to the quality that they expect of Dentsply Sirona. We trust that the situation will change in due course, and we already look forward to taking part in the next IDS."
Oliver Frese, chief operating officer of Koelnmesse, said he believes IDS 2021 will continue the show's long and illustrious history as one of the leading dental meetings in the world, despite current conditions.
"We, Koelnmesse and the GFDI Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Dental-Industrie mbH, the commercial enterprise of the VDDI (Association of German Dental Manufacturers e.V.) are totally convinced that IDS 2021 will do justice to its decisive role as the leading global trade fair in ensuring a successful [restart] of the industry after the acute phase of the [coronavirus] crisis has eased," Frese said. "The industry needs a strong driver precisely now, which under the best possible framework conditions will guarantee a safe, personal exchange and thus provide impulses for new business. All the more so since a large share of the exhibitors of IDS are medium-sized companies, which are reliant on the urgently needed economic effects that ensue from the appeal of a strong marketing platform.
"The remaining eight months until IDS 2021 is staged in mid-March give us time to further prepare all of the measures necessary for a successful and safe event."
