Over 900 visitors attended the first ever Healthcare Ireland conference and exhibition in Dublin from 23-24 April, with 94% of from the Irish Republic, 5% from Northern Ireland and 1% from mainland UK.
Organisers Step Exhibitions say Healthcare Ireland 2008, held at Dublin’s RDS, met its key goal of “delivering a quality audience of senior decision-makers responsible for the development of healthcare facilities and the delivery of services” in Ireland, adding that 40% of companies that exhibited have already booked for next year’s event, to be held at the same venue from 1-2 April, 2009
The opening keynote speech this year was delivered by Ireland’s Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney T.D, who set out to a 300-strong audience the challenges and opportunities facing the country’s health sector.
The two concurrent seminar programmes, staged by the organisers, and by IHEEM’s Irish branch, examined a wide range of topics, ranging from successful “search and destroy” strategies deployed at a leading Irish private hospital to reduce “superbug” infection rates to “Designing healthcare facilities through a sustainable model”.
Organisations supporting the conferences included IHEEM, the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI), the Healthcare Management Institute (HMI), the Hospice Friendly Hospital Programme (HfH), and the Infection Prevention Society.
Exhibition director Hugh Robinson added: “Exhibitors at Healthcare Ireland 2008 reported that the event delivered quality contacts, responsible for all aspects of the service, to their stands. Delegates ranged from national directors from the HSE to hospital CEOs, architects, estates and facilities directors and managers, and directors of nursing, from both the public and private sectors. We will now be looking to firmly establish the event as Ireland’s top annual healthcare forum.”
For more information on Healthcare Ireland 2009 visit: www.healthcare-ireland.com, or call Step Exhibitions on 01892 518877.
