REHACARE International 2014: Report

The 2014 REHACARE International Trade Fair with Congress & Forums was held in Düsseldorf, Germany from September 24 to 27.

The 2014 REHACARE International Trade Fair with Congress & Forums, the leading international trade fair for prevention, rehabilitation, inclusion, and care, ran from September 24 to 27 at the Messe Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf, Germany. A total of 51,250 trade visitors, dependant carers, and people affected had the opportunity to see the latest aids for self-determined living and learn about the latest developments and innovations in the industry.

The trade fair hosted 902 exhibitors from 36 countries, who presented the latest assistive technologies and held product demonstrations, seminars, and workshops. The exhibitors included a number of companies that develop interactive solutions for rehabilitation and therapy, including Hocoma, YouRehab, h/p/cosmos, and zebris Medical, as well as a number of rehabilitation centres and clinics, research institutions, and companies specialising in robotics and other rehabilitation technologies. REHACARE 2014 also welcomed almost 8,100 trade visitors from the sales and import sector who travelled from more than 40 countries.

The 2014 event hosted the REHACARE Forum, which featured a series of lectures on inclusion and the quality of care for people with disabilities. The Forum "Living with Care @Home" also had good attendance, with a number of affected people and dependant carers taking the opportunity to get valuable advice about their daily routines and to find out about support options. Almost a half of the visitors were interested in learning about the latest walking and mobility aids, which took centre stage at this year's trade fair.

The REHACARE Congress 2014 focused on the development of districts and communities into sustainable living environments for seniors. The Congress featured seven lecture series and 50 individual talks on the theme of "District Development - ALL in the Midst of Things."

The Sports Center was the activity hub at the event, providing visitors with a chance to learn more about prevention, inclusive sports, and disablity sports. Many visitors turned to the North Rhine-Westphalia Disability Sports Association (BSNW) for information. Herbert Kaul, General Manager of BSNW, said, "Attendance was simply phenomenal this year. We have become the meeting point for all trade fair visitors keen about sports and this fact is also one increasingly recognised by exhibitors who are represented here with wheelchairs and other leisure and sports products. People wish to try out what they see at the stands on display here. A great development that shows us that we are on the right track."

A visitor survey showed that 96 percent of the REHACARE attendees were satisfied with the 2014 event.

REHACARE will return to Düsseldorf from October 14 to 17, 2015.