Return to Cologne for IDS 2023

It's difficult to imagine it was four years ago that I was last in Cologne for the International Dental Show (IDS.)  A lot has happened in the world since 2019 but arriving in the city by train, late on Monday afternoon, much seemed familiar, as my travelling companion and I made our way to the hotel. However, things aren't quite the same as we were to discover, as the same labour shortage that is affecting the UK is having a similar effect in Germany. To my great chagrin, the rather nice bacon and scrambled egg breakfast at the hotel was no longer available, in fact there was no breakfast at all, due to the aforementioned labour shortages.

The dental show itself was much the same as previous events, and at times the interlinked exhibition halls of Köln Messe (Trade Fair), seemed bursting at the seams, with visitors from all over the world. I shan’t repeat what I wrote in my last article, although I can confirm that working on the trade stand is sometimes boring, often tiring and always hard on one’s feet. This fact was acknowledged by the huge number of people wearing smart, and often designer trainers, with thick, comfortable-looking soles. As one old stager, (on the stand next to us), acknowledged, the days of expecting staff to turn up smartly attired in a business suit, wearing a pair of foot constricting, leather brogues have gone. Instead, smart casual appears to be the order of the day, with several European nations seemingly leading the way on this.

This may well be the way forward for my company too, although whether such changes will affect me remains to be seen. As hinted at in a previous post, 2023 may well be my last trade show, as age continues creeping up on me, un-noticed by some, as exemplified by the colleague who expressed her amazement after I revealed I'm rapidly approaching my 68^th birthday. There was no way I looked like a person in his late sixties, she said, although I must confess, I am starting to feel it, and in recognition of this I broke with the protocol of previous dental shows.

This meant not joining my colleagues in walking to and from the show each day - along a route which takes one over the River Rhine, across the local equivalent of London’s Hungerford bridge. You see much as I enjoy a walk, I don’t think it a good idea when it’s either side of standing on my feet for the best part on nine hours! Instead, I let the train take the strain as, included in the show’s admission pass, is a downloadable digital ticket, that permits the holder to use public transport, to and from the exhibition halls.

The event itself is also paper free, as in order to gain admittance, visitors are required to register their details digitally, by download the IDS App. The latter gives access to all the show’s exhibitors, the location of their stand, and access to their website. Again, this does away with a bulky, printed exhibition, catalogue, and guide, but before we get too carried away with extolling the virtues of digitalisation, let’s not forget there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings between suppliers, manufacturers, and sales companies. This is something that cannot be replicated by the “virtual" meetings, hosted by Zoom, or other digital platforms, that were all the rage during the pandemic.

This year saw IDS celebrating its 100^th year, and the same anniversary applies to our Japanese parent company. It remains the world’s largest dental show, occupying several halls of the Köln Messe (the Cologne city Trade Fair), although our much-travelled sales manager clams that AEEDC, an annual event which takes place in Dubai, will soon eclipse it in terms of both size and importance. Just about every company involved in the field of dentistry attends these events, and the additional footfall and business they bring in to their respective host cities, cannot be underestimated. I can’t speak for Dubai, but Cologne benefits massively from these exhibitions, not just in terms of hotel bookings but in the socialisation that takes place each evening. Dining with customers and/or suppliers, is where relationships are strengthened, and the real deals often made.

Some might dismiss this as nothing more than a “glorified piss-up”, and it’s true to say these get togethers are often “lubricated” by more than a little alcohol, but just being out wandering the streets of Cologne whilst IDS is taking place, demonstrates their importance to the local economy. Our walk on Wednesday evening, from our hotel to the large beer house, that is Früh am Dom, provided proof enough of this. Situated in the shadow of Cologne’s massive cathedral or Dom, Früh is a maze of inter-connected rooms, spread out across several different levels. The place was absolutely heaving when we pitched up, and we were fortunate that one of the waiters managed to squeeze us in.

Full marks then to the waiter (Kobe), who looked after not just our table of six, but several other tables of equal or if not greater numbers. He kept us supplied with numerous glasses of Kölsch and managed took care of our food orders as well. Mind you, a large knuckle of roasted pork, just a couple of hours before bedtime, was probably not the wisest of moves, in terms of getting a good night’s sleep!

In summary then, my four full days in Cologne, represented a hectic and rather tiring week, but despite this I manged to squeeze in a visit to the home of a classic Kölsch brewer, whose beers are rarely seen in the city’s bars. I also experienced the legendary Gaststätte Lommerzheim, a down-to earth Kölsch pub, that is something of a Cologne institution. Having now crossed these two Cologne “essentials” off from my list, there is no compelling reason for a further visit to the city. I may feel different in a couple of years’ time, but at this current moment, I'm not sure whether I want to do the full week, IDS experience again.