camexpo reports 7% increase in attendees for 2015
UK’s leading natural and complementary health show welcomes 4,514 attendees
camexpo 2015 – the UK’s largest professional event for the CAM industry, has been hailed as its best edition yet.
The two day event, which took place at Olympia Central on 26-27 September, featured 200 leading exhibiters and welcomed 4,514 industry professionals (a 7% increase for 2015). The surge in footfall has been matched by glowing testimonials from across the show floor.
Motivating, innovative, excellent, fun, relevant and inspiring – are just some of the words used to describe the show this year. Around 92% of surveyed visitors went on to say that they would recommend their colleagues attending camexpo next year – with many calling it the “number one event for the CAM industry”.
“camexpo offers the chance to explore new therapy avenues that can help you build a better base for your business and your clients. It’s a learning experience not to be missed,” says massage therapist, Judy Spooner.
“This is where to find the wealth of knowledge that is constantly evolving, delivered by the fantastic peers of our industry. To see, source or update products and aids. This is a must see exhibition for all practitioners,” says Francesca Crocetta, owner of Body Be Able, Massage and Bodywork.
“At camexpo, I find innovative products and meet wonderful people. I would not miss it for the world!” says quantum kinesioligist health researcher, Maureen Jessica Jones.
As in previous years, individual practitioners and therapists were by far the show’s biggest audience (38%), followed by complementary health clinics, health stores, and training providers at 23%, 5%, and 4% respectively.
Zoe Campbell, event director of camexpo, says: “Complementary practitioners and therapists make a profound difference to people’s lives, helping them through stress and worry, alleviating pain and improving their quality of life through a complementary and holistic approach. But they need support too, and camexpo 2015 was their essential event for finding the right new products, services, research and training to not only enhance their practice commercially but also help even more clients.
“Based on the reaction from our industry, camexpo 2015 was one of our best editions to date. There was a real sense of business being done throughout the two days. From sole practitioners to CAM clinics and some big name distributors – they were there spending money up and down the aisles – and putting in more big orders than we’ve seen for years at the show. Which I’m happy to say, didn’t go unnoticed by our exhibitors.”
Around 60% of exhibitors rebooked for 2016, including Bionutri, Nature’s Plus, Balens, Songbird, A Vogel (Bioforce), Rio Trading Company Health, Pukka Herbs, Wiley’s, Abundance & Health, Yogi Tea, The Natural Health Practice, and The Really Healthy Company.
“camexpo helps us meet our prospective students. With our main office in Glasgow, camexpo makes us accessible to a wider group of healthcare professionals, where we can meet them face to face and help them book their myofascial workshops,” says Ruth Duncan, owner/director of Myofascial Release UK. “We have been attending camexpo for over ten years and it just keeps getting busier and better.”
“We launched at camexpo 2015. We were welcomed by the team and had an excellent show, where we met new potential members to our professional association and lots of therapists interested in our courses. We booked for 2016 straight away,” says Carole Preen, director at Complementary Health Professionals.
“We met a lot of very enthusiastic professionals in massage and bodywork therapies. Most were happy to talk with us about their practice and what resources they are looking for to support their clinical and professional development,” says Hilary Brown, marketing consultant at Handspring Publishing.
“It’s the first time we’ve been at camexpo and it’s been a tremendous show” says Lorraine Tarbitten, consultant at Synergy Natural Products.
Inspiring show content draws in the crowds
One of the show’s key draws has always been its exceptional educational content – including eight Keynotes, 46 Taster Workshops (sponsored by Balens), 15 Demo Theatre sessions, eight Business Clinic Sessions, and a panel discussion on complementary therapies for cancer patients. With around 57% of camexpo visitors citing an interest in nutrition, the addition of the new Nutrition Theatre, hosting 16 free to attend sessions, proved very popular with the crowds.
“camexpo is the practitioner and therapist event of the year. For two full days, everything is under one roof for access to top quality seminars, workshops, supplement and natural product companies,” says Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading nutritionist specialising in women’s health.
“camexpo provides the ideal opportunity for practitioners to catch up on the very latest information and developments in complementary and integrated healthcare from almost every angle,” agrees fellow speaker Dr Alex Richardson. “There’s accessible, practice-focused education and training on offer from the lectures and workshops, the very impressive range of exhibitors, and also a wealth of expertise and advice on business matters. So it’s an event that all professionals working in this area benefit from attending.”
Show highlights included the announcement of the winners of camexpo’s three prestigious annual awards: Best New CAM Product Award; camexpo Clinic of the Year Award; and camexpo Outstanding Achievement Award.
camexpo Best New Product Award 2015
Audience participation was key to the prestigious camexpo Best New Product Award 2015, which was voted for by visitors to the New Products Showcase on the show’s opening day. Featuring new launches from the last twelve months, the winner of this year’s New Products Showcase award was Pro-Argi-9+ by Synergy Natural Products – The LP Partnership.
“It’s the first time we’ve been at camexpo and it’s been a tremendous show,” says Lorraine Tarbitten from Synergy Natural Products – The LP Partnership. “Its a great achievement for us to win this award, which gives our product the recognition we believe it deserves. It’s a great endorsement going forward and we’re delighted to win!”
camexpo Clinic of the Year Award 2015
Another camexpo winner was Mo Froud, founder of Unity Clinic in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, which won the camexpo Clinic of the Year Award 2015. The award, sponsored by Prof. George Birkmayer NADH, was presented by The CMA’s president Jayney Goddard.
Now in its 6th year, the award was judged on the treatments offered, marketing, client testimonials, unique selling points and all round client experience. The final shortlist also included Seb Contreras & Associates. Osteopaths & Sports Therapists, Knaresborough; Fine Fettle Multi-healthcare, Bookham (winner in 2013); and The Vale Practice in East Dulwich.
The judging panel were impressed by the high quality of entries and their fantastic client testimonials but singled out Unity Clinic, a specialised fertility and pregnancy multi-disciplinary clinic, for this year’s award:
“The winning clinic has dedicated practitioners who work with their clients and look at all aspects of their lives to help put their bodies back into balance and be best placed to achieve their goal. Many came to them who have lost faith in their bodies – perhaps they’ve been told they are infertile or at least may struggle to conceive without the aid of IVF.
“Reading the large number of testimonials, we could see what a life changing difference this clinic has made to a number of people who have now become families!”
“I come to camexpo every year as I like to stay informed and educated in all the new and latest treatments and innovations on offer there. It’s a wonderful event and this year I am so truly honoured – and extremely happy and proud – to have received the amazing accolade of camexpo Clinic Of The Year 2015 on behalf of Unity Clinic,” says Mo Froud.
“Unity Clinic aims to provide a totally integrated and holistic approach to help couples on their fertility journey. At the clinic we have a wonderful team of extremely experienced acupuncturists, we also have a Chinese herbalist, a natural nutritionist, a clinical hypnotherapist, and a fertility and pregnancy massage therapist.
“There is no greater gift you could give to a couple, who have been struggling with health issues preventing them conceiving, than to help them rebalance their body to support and optimise their chances of becoming parents,” she says.
camexpo Outstanding Achievement Award 2015
The recipient of camexpo’s 7th annual, industry-voted camexpo Outstanding Achievement Award was also a popular choice. The winner – Robin Daly founder of cancer charity Yes to Life, enjoyed a standing ovation as he accepted the award from last year’s winner Ruth Duncan, owner of Myofascial Release UK.
Robin set up Yes for Life ten years ago after he and his family experienced the immense difficulties facing those who wish to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as part of an integrative strategy when dealing with cancer. This prompted him to try and change the status quo to one where patients’ wishes are respected and supported.
“Amidst stellar support from camexpo for Yes to Life’s 10th year celebrations, I was ‘ambushed’ with a surprise Outstanding Achievement Award!” says Robin Daly.
“The last 10 years have been an incredible journey populated by a huge number of inspiring and wonderful people – both those we have been able to help, and those attracted to support the work of the charity. It’s been an honour and a privilege to be in such company, and I’m thrilled with everything we’ve been able to achieve and inspired by our future plans. Sincere thanks to camexpo for recognising the importance of our work and supporting the charity so generously over the last decade.”
Save the date!
camexpo returns to Olympia, London, next year on 24-25 September 2016. For more information, please visitwww.camexpo.co.uk.
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