As the doors of the EPHJ trade show close after 4 days of activity, the organisers draw a positive balance sheet for this edition.
The event, which focuses on precision, is the largest medtech trade show in Switzerland.
"We had to wait 27 months before we could finally get together," explains Alexandre Catton, director of the EPHJ Trade Show for the watchmaking, jewellery, and micro- and medical technologies sectors. "This is a long time for the companies we are promoting. Much too long because digital technology will never replace human contact. We have verified this during this week and the testimonies of the exhibitors, as well as the visitors, all point in the same direction!"
These exhibitors knew, as did the organisers, that this edition of EPHJ would be smaller with slightly fewer visitors. That said, the 12,000 visitor mark was passed, compared with 20,000 in a normal situation.
“This is a first victory for EPHJ," says Alexandre Catton. From now on, if the pandemic will leave us alone, we will concentrate on our 20th edition, which will be held 14–17 June 2022, to return to our traditional format.”
The 530 exhibitors present appreciated the high quality of the visitors who came to sign deals or with encouraging prospects of concluding them soon.
In the current health context, it is worth noting that 25% of the 530 exhibitors present came from abroad, representing 13 countries.
The Swiss cantons most represented among the exhibitors were, in order, Neuchâtel (94), Jura (66), Bern (64), Geneva (55), Vaud (45) and Zürich (16). Another revealing statistic: although 90% of exhibitors declared a watchmaking activity and 59% a microtechnology activity, nearly 50% of them now had a medtech activity. Proof of an increasingly strong medical diversification.