News
Cleveland MMCC To Spur Northeast Ohio on as Medical Conference Destination
:: May 20, 2010
By Ken Krizner
The infrastructure is already in place. Now, Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center is putting Northeast Ohio on the cusp of becoming a premier destination for medical meetings and conferences.
The region is home to world-class institutions such as Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, more than 600 biomedical companies and a strong presence of medical device manufacturers. Tying this hub of biomedical research, development and investment together will be Cleveland MMCC.
“Combined with the regional resources, I can see the [MMCC] helping to make Cleveland and Northeast Ohio a highly desirable target destination for medical events,” says Robert Grace, editor, associate publisher and conference director for Plastics News, a Crain Communications publication.
Earlier this year, Plastics News held its “Plastics in Medical Devices 2010” conference in the Cleveland suburb of Westlake after three years in Brussels, Belgium. There were myriad factors why the conference was moved to the United States and, more specifically, to the Cleveland area. Grace indicates that Cleveland MMCC was a factor in the ultimate location choice of Northeast Ohio. “We met early on with [Director of Convention Sales] Tony Prusak, who enthusiastically supported bringing the conference to Cleveland,” Grace notes. “We appreciated that [support].”
Once Cleveland MMCC is operational in 2013, Grace believes its support for future Northeast Ohio medical device conferences sponsored by Plastics News will grow.
Dennis J. Roche, president of Positively Cleveland, Northeast Ohio’s convention and visitors bureau, says it’s only natural that the region will become a destination for medical manufacturers once Cleveland MMCC is operational. “Cleveland is home to one of the world’s greatest concentrations of the medical sciences,” he points out. “What better place could there be for buyers to not only view the latest in healthcare equipment and technology, but to also see these advancements in use?”
