MEDICA is the world's largest trade fair for medical technology, held each November at Messe Düsseldorf. The 2026 edition runs 16-19 November 2026. Organised by Messe Düsseldorf, it brings together around 5,000 exhibitors from more than 70 countries and draws roughly 80,000 trade visitors, covering medical imaging, health IT, diagnostics, laboratory equipment, physiotherapy and hospital and surgery supplies. It runs alongside COMPAMED, the fair for medical-device suppliers, filling much of the Düsseldorf grounds.
MEDICA is a strictly trade event, and that shapes stand design toward function over spectacle. Exhibitors need substantial private meeting capacity, product-demonstration areas and, for many, live-device or clinical-workflow displays that carry hygiene, power and data requirements. Because the audience is specialist and time-pressured, stands are built to move qualified visitors efficiently from open display to closed meeting space, which rewards builders who can deliver clean, clinical-grade finishes and integrate significant AV and connectivity.
With around 5,000 exhibitors, MEDICA fills a large number of halls organised by product category, so hall placement relative to a company's sub-sector matters to footfall. The scale of the fair and Messe Düsseldorf's technical requirements mean build slots are in high demand across the November period, when the venue also hosts other major shows. Exhibitors typically confirm stand design and hall position well in advance.
For companies exhibiting at MEDICA, a builder with Düsseldorf and Messe Düsseldorf experience is a practical advantage: knowledge of the venue's load-in logistics, the official forwarder and its approved-contractor rules reduces on-site risk during one of the busiest and most tightly scheduled weeks in the German fair calendar.