More than 70,000 affluent Russian citizens travel each year for medical diagnosis, necessary and cosmetic surgeries, dental and spa treatments. That’s one reason Mr. Kim Waddoup, CEO of aiGroup Russia, created the only business-to-consumer (B2C) health exposition in Moscow, Russia 24332
The bi-annual Moscow MedShow is an event that gives Russian patients and healthcare providers from around the world the opportunity to connect and discuss options for medical treatment abroad.
aiGroup Russia was searching for new industries to expand its B2C exhibition organization business to. Mr. Waddoup had personal experience with medical tourism, and saw potential for this sector in Russia. He planned the Moscow MedShow, started to expand his medical tourism network, and grew the conference into Russia’s leading specialized medical tourism exhibition.
In other parts of the world, business-to-consumer conferences are not always successful. The reason the MedShow has been successful in Russia is that it creates a direct connection between potential providers and consumers. The prospective Russian patients want clear and direct answers from the doctors. Mr. Waddoup’s advice for newcomers to the Russian market is to go with a completely open mind. He says, “In Russia it’s basically go and grab patients. Go and ask them, ‘Can I offer you services at my clinic?’ wherever that clinic is.
Russian citizens are still able to receive free healthcare from local, well-trained doctors, despite the deteriorated healthcare infrastructure in the country. The main obstacle to obtaining this free healthcare is negotiating your way past the receptionist. Mr. Waddoup said that without bringing the receptionist a gift, your wait to see a doctor will likely be prolonged. Russian patients are looking for choice—of services that are not available in Russia or for services that offer a higher quality of care than locally available. The MedShow offers Russian patients a supermarket of healthcare services in one convenient location. Attendance numbers at the MedShow continue to rise each year.
To learn more about the Moscow MedShow or to contact Kim Waddoup, visit www.medshow.ru.
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