For 30 years, the KRAKDENT® Fair, together with exhibitors and visitors, has been writing the history of the Polish dental industry. That's why the anniversary edition of the event, taking place on April 11-13 at EXPO Kraków, had to be grand!
3 days, 10 811 visitors, 342 exhibitors from Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Sweden, Ukraine, USA, Hungary, Italy, 16 medical courses and the International Dental Congress DENTAL SPAGHETTI as part of KRAKDENT-edu, 88 trainings and presentations by exhibitors in the EXPO Kraków space, 16 unique appearances on the KRAKDENT MeetUp stage, the Polish Society of Dental Technicians Competition - "Korona na 5+ II", over 150 new products, including products for veterinarians and ... 350 kilograms of oranges squeezed in the Dżus Bus stand. The organizers also took care of several additional attractions, the most attention of which was the Art on the Wheels paintings exhibition, DENTOspoty, and scenic helicopter flights.
The entire industry in one place
KRAKDENT® is a celebration of all professionals related to dentistry. Dentists, dental assistants and hygienists, dental technicians, representatives of dental companies, and dental students met at EXPO Kraków. The stands presented a wide selection of equipment, materials, and accessories in the fields of orthodontics, surgery, prosthetics, implantology, radiology, hygiene, and sterilization. In addition, you could see designs for the arrangement of dental offices and laboratories, lighting for dental offices, medical clothing, protective products, pharmaceuticals, dental technology laboratory equipment, and IT systems.
In addition to the exhibition, the event offered the KRAKDENT-edu training program, presentations and training by exhibitors at stands, and training conducted by companies in seminar rooms. Various medical courses and practical workshops improving skills were intended for each professional group. ‒ The greatest value of the fair is that there are so many people from various dentistry fields here. We can meet absolutely everyone: hygienists, assistants, dental technicians, students, and dentists. Everyone is in one place. This year we were surprised by the turnout. It's the second day, Friday, and we already have almost all the bags distributed and all participants registered, so it's really great - summed up Natalia Kłębowska, Junior Project Manager, organizer of the Dentoexpress game, Dentonet Group.
“We really wanted to be here”
The KRAKDENT® Fair is recognized as the biggest dental fair in Poland. Those taking part in them are long-term exhibitors, and also those who are just starting to be a part of the exhibition world. They all agree that image goals are as important to them as sales goals, and KRAKDENT® is the perfect place to ensure them. ‒ This is one of the largest if not the largest, dental fairs in Poland. We heard only great opinions about this event and we thought it was a great opportunity to present our brand, which is quite young. We have only been on the market for a year. A lot of new people can meet us here and we just wanted to show our best side - summed up Emilia Żabicka, co-owner of Kangoomed. Wiktoria Tagowska, CAD Designer at Once Aligner, has a similar opinion - We decided to participate because it is the largest dental fair in Poland and we wanted to be here, experience it, and meet a lot of people, inspiring companies with whom we will be able to exchange knowledge and experiences. We wanted to show ourselves because we are a small company from Wrocław with great ambitions. We approach the fair with a forward-looking approach and we already plan to come next year with even more energy and motivation. The fair itself gives such an inflow of motivation to act, to know more, to look for new solutions, new collaborations, and new contacts.
Young dentists at the fair
This year, the KRAKDENT® Fair was visited by many young dentists. Why? Because the event is a place where they have the opportunity to take part in an educational program prepared especially for them by the organizers and exhibitors. The “Kongres Młodych Dentystów” (Congress of Young Dentists) organized by the creators of the website Będąc Młodym Dentystą (Being a Young Dentist) was a very important part of the fair. Each day of the KRAKDENT-edu training program for dentists, a different topic in the field of dentistry was discussed. There was an endodontic session on Thursday, a surgical session on Friday, and on the last day, on Saturday, a pediatric dentistry session. They were led by experts, including Prof. Dr. Katrin Bekes, MD dentist Maxim Belograd, Dr. Marine Papachroni, Prof. Ph.D. Mariusz Szut, M.D., Wojciech Wilkoński, M.D., Ph.D. As many as 8 practical workshops were prepared for hygienists and dental assistants. A training program was also created for dental technicians, which consisted of 4 workshops and a lecture session conducted by the Polish Society of Dental Technicians. Every year, the KRAKDENT® Fair is also accompanied by the International Dental Congress DENTAL SPAGHETTI.
Thanks to new promotion methods, the KRAKDENT® Fair is attracting more and more attention from potential participants. The participation of industry Internet creators made the fair a platform for live meetings with people from whom they gain online knowledge. ‒ I have already been to the KRAKDENT® Fair several times. Last year I was here as a lecturer, and this year too. In previous years I was a participant. There really is a huge difference between what it used to be like and what it is like now. There are a lot of young people at the fair, both hygienists and young doctors. They take part in this event because it is a place where they can meet everyone. There are such celebrities here today at lectures that I am absolutely overwhelmed by their presence. Whenever I can, I talk to them, gain knowledge from them, and take photos with them. This is something amazing. You can really learn a lot here, not only from these people but also at the stands from representatives who have a lot of knowledge, so that's great - summed up Anna Babczyńska-Staszewska, M.D., creator of the Instagram profile @anna.the .dentist.
Lots of new products in one place
The world of medical treatment is developing very dynamically and patients are becoming more and more demanding. Therefore, innovative devices that provide quick and lasting effects are necessary. At the KRAKDENT® Fair, key manufacturers and distributors presented the latest solutions for the dental industry. The anniversary edition gathered a record number of new products - over 150. Thanks to this, specialists learned about and tested the latest technologies and products at the exhibitors' stands, which can significantly improve the quality of services provided. ‒ We have been deciding to participate in the KRAKDENT® Fair for over a dozen years because it is the largest fair in Poland for this industry. It's a pure pleasure to be here. We have a chance to meet customers and present our offer. Every year we expand it with new products, so it is simply the perfect place to present yourself at your best. Trade fairs are the best place to present new products. This is a chance to see everything live, you can physically touch and admire the equipment. Even though so many things have moved to the online world, I believe that trade fairs will never disappear. There will always be people who prefer to see something live, touch it, and then buy it - emphasizes Martyna Jakubiak, general director of Orimed.
Coming back after years
Over the past 30 years, significant changes have been noticeable in the organization of the event. Not only has the location of the fair changed, but technological progress has also influenced its character and size. The number of exhibitors during this time increased by over 1,100%, and 5 of the 30 companies participating in the premiere edition continuously exhibit at KRAKDENT®: Hol-Dental Depot, Magazyn Stomatologiczne, Megadenta, Poldent, and Stomed.
Recent years have proven how important direct meetings and contact with the client are. This was also confirmed by this edition of the fair, where exhibitors who had been absent for several years returned. - Coming back after many years, we realized that the fair had changed for the better. New people appear and new leads that were not there before. This is important to us and this is the added value. We also meet people we have lost, so I am happy about that. Our goal for this visit was certainly achieved. We wanted to maintain old contacts, regain lost ones, and acquire completely new ones. Friday was especially rich and plentiful for us in this concern. So we are satisfied - concluded Michał Zdybel, owner of ORTO-FAN®.
Catch the dragon by the tail
The 30th edition of the fair was an opportunity to introduce a bit of magic. The dragon accompanied the participants at every step as a symbol of strength, durability, and experience - all the features that also characterize the KRAKDENT® Dental Fair. Our heroine made herself at home in all corners of the facility and materials promoting the event. Standing between the pylons of EXPO Kraków, she warmly welcomed those arriving. She could also be found on the photo wall taking pictures with anyone interested, and while walking between the stands she offered KRAKDENT® sweets.
The charity campaign "DENTOPOMOC for Ukraine"
For 12 years, the DENTOPOMOC charity campaign has been organized during the KRAKDENT® International Dental Trade Fair, under which exhibitors provide oral hygiene products and accessories to those in need. When the war in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, the action aimed to help Ukrainians. Two years have passed since then and support is still needed! Also this year, the organizers decided to help the "Chance for New Life" Foundation - children from eastern Ukraine, evacuated to Poland. During this year's edition of the fair, 21 companies got involved in the campaign and donated, among others: oral hygiene products, food products, children's toys, clothing, and accessories.
What's next?
For 30 years, the KRAKDENT® exhibition has established itself as a key event in the dental industry, which, in addition to exhibitions, offers workshops, lectures, medical courses, and several other attractions. Each new edition of the fair is an opportunity to develop the event. The organizers are proud to announce the date of the next edition.
The 31st KRAKDENT® International Dental Trade Fair will be held on April 10-12, 2025 at EXPO Kraków.