For the first time in person we presented Adam’s Hand® at OTWorld22, the world’s biggest fair about prosthetics held every 2 years in Leipzig.
What is OTWorld22
For the occasion, the largest manufacturers, distributors and orthopedic clinics participate with their products in the event that represents a great opportunity to meet highly targeted potential customers.
Our participation in OTWorld20
In 2020 we presented the version of Adam’s Hand® AH01 at OTWorld20.connect, as we have already told you with an article on our blog.
On that occasion we interacted for the first time with new contacts, stimulating the interest of various players in the prosthetic market, and involving over 350 people from 15 different countries in the online workshop entitled “Introducing Adam’s Hand®: The World’s First Fully Adaptive Bionic Hand “.
BionIT Labs® at OTWorld22
This year, however, the emotion was even stronger, because we had the opportunity to physically meet, get to know, talk to everyone who visited our stand and beyond.
In fact, this fantastic opportunity allowed us to measure ourselves against our reference market, confirming that Adam’s Hand® can represent a real revolution for the upper limb prosthesis market.
Like all new experiences, however, fun facts and “behind the scenes” can’t be missed, although we were able to face them thanks to our strong problem solving skills.
Logbook – Day 1-2
An unwise choice was to leave with a fantastic 9-seater van to reach Leipzig after 2 days of travel. The team members are Giovanni, Domenico, Silvia, Cristina and our Ambassador Salvatore. Joined us in the van (in order): devices, roll-ups, posters, steady Italian coffee machine, flyers, brochures, wine, taralli and cantucci.
Everything was there! Only in Trento did we realize that we had forgotten the projector in the office. Initial panic and dismay were soon overcome thanks to our incurable optimism: we would have solved even this first little hiccup! The first day finishes in Trento, where we stopped for the night, before leaving the next day for Leipzig. Lesson learned? We must pay close attention to the walls of Trento, which, being very ‘exposed’ and very ‘robust’, can cause considerable damage to the cars. However we are resistant enough and we proceed with our journey.
Logbook – Day 3
On 9 May we arrived in Leipzig and immediately headed to the “Leipziger Messe” to start setting up our stand. We are moved: in these years we have designed, tested, optimized and worked with all our strength and seeing that one of our great achievements begins to take shape fills us with joy and enthusiasm.
The emotion affected us so much that we forgot German habits and, when we decided to leave the stand at 10.00 pm, our search for a place to have a well-deserved meal was worthless. See you tomorrow and in bed without dinner!
Logbook – Days 4 and 5
The big day is finally here! A crazy experience, 8 non-stop hours of discussion, questions, ideas, interactions with companies, distributors, orthopedic technicians from many countries.
An extremely fruitful and stimulating comparison, which immediately restored us to the certainty that our technology can truly represent a revolution for thousands of patients around the world.
We relax after the first day with the first Italian Happy Hour at 5.00 pm, during which we fill the stand with good Italian music and offer visitors an excellent rosé and delicious taralli from Salento. Those same taralli that will become our lunch for the remaining days of the fair (to be evaluated as food for the astronauts)! At the end of the second day of the fair, however, thanks to the strategic network of acquaintances of our new Chief Sales Officer, we are finally able to dine worthily!
Logbook – Day 6
Another important moment for us at OTWorld22 comes on the third day of the fair, with the workshop dedicated to the official presentation of the latest version of our device, entitled “Adam’s Hand®: a robust, biomimetic solution for a new generation of upper limb prostheses“.
Many participants, particularly impressed by the presentation video of the workshop, in which our ambassador Salvatore shows how simple it is to prepare a dish of carbonara with Adam’s Hand®, a device characterized by extreme ease of use because it does not require the selection of any pre-set grip pattern, automatically adapting to the shape and size of the objects being held.
The feedback and questions received during the workshop are many, and several participants want to deepen their knowledge of our device and the technology on which it is based.
Initially starting with 6 people, this second day of the fair we were joined by 10 other members of our team (together with the legendary projector!), all of them wishfull to live such an important experience after having dedicated the work of the last few years to our project.
We all repeated Happy Hour together and the day ends with a mega-table for dinner, during which we toast to the success achieved.
Logbook – Day 7
The last day of the fair closes with greetings to the other exhibitors and distributors with whom we had the opportunity to discuss and entertain ourselves in the previous days and with the distribution of wine and taralli that we could not have brought home! Another lesson learned: 1000 packs of taralli are too many for a 3-day fair!
Let’s go home. We are very tired but full of adrenaline for having lived an exceptional experience: in a few days we have learned a lot and we brought home new challenges, new contacts, new incitement, new deadlines.
The balance was excellent: more than 300 visitors to our booth, coming from 25 different countries and all impressed by Adam’s Hand®’s innovative technology, and therefore ready to evaluate the potential distribution of our device in their respective countries.
Despite the misadventures and the tension, which could not be missing to make this trip even more exciting, the experience at OTWorld22 left us with great grit and determination and we returned home even more certain that the work of each of us, day after day, it is helping to create a rare reality, which can concretely improve the lives of thousands of people around the world.
PS: this time we didn’t forget the projector in Leipzig! He is back safe and sound with us in Salento!
P.P.S .: We started selling tarallini with turnips, calzone and black olives. Interested parties can go to our office in Via Cracovia 1, Soleto (Le). Thank you! : D
