The International Dental Exhibition and Meeting (IDEM) 2026 took place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, with an opening ceremony officiated by Associate Prof Patrick Tseng, president of the Singapore Dental Council, alongside speeches by Dr Eugene Tang, president of the Singapore Dental Association, and Mathias Kuepper, managing director and regional president Asia-Pacific, Koelnmesse. The ceremony brought together industry leaders and VIP guests, marking the start of three days of innovation, education and business exchange across the dental community.
Held under the theme “Innovating Smart Dentistry for a Sustainable Digital Future”, the event welcomed strong international participation, reinforcing its role as one of the key platforms for advancing dentistry across the Asia-Pacific region.
A strategic gateway to the Asia-Pacific dental market
With over 80% of pre-registered participants from across Asia, this year’s edition continued to serve as a key gateway to the Asia-Pacific dental market. There was also a 10% increase in C-suite and senior executive participants compared with the previous edition, signalling stronger business intent among attendees.
Participants represented a broad cross-section of the dental industry, including dental clinics, hospitals, dental laboratories, distributors, start-ups, government health agencies, universities and research institutes — underscoring IDEM’s reach across the full industry ecosystem.
“IDEM has long served as a key meeting place for the dental industry across the Asia-Pacific region,” said Kuepper. “Opening yet another edition is a moment of great pride — and one that would not be possible without the steadfast partnership and support of the Singapore Dental Association. With representation from over 34 countries and regions, the event once again brings the global dental community to Singapore, creating meaningful connections that drive the industry forward. This year, with the introduction of a curated hosted buyer programme, we are further strengthening the quality of business engagement and high-value interactions on the show floor.”
Dr Tang added, “IDEM continues to play an important role in bringing the dental community together — not only to exchange knowledge, but also to address key challenges facing the profession and advance standards of care across the region.”
A diverse and innovation-driven exhibition floor
Spanning a dynamic exhibition floor, this year’s edition presented a wide range of products, technologies and innovations across three days.
In addition to the main showcase, exhibitors brought the show floor to life through live demonstrations, hands-on lectures and in-booth laboratory sessions, offering attendees the opportunity to engage directly with new technologies and clinical techniques. These on-site activations created a more practical and immersive experience, enabling dental professionals to better understand real-world applications and workflows in a clinical setting.
Advancing clinical excellence through education
The scientific conference programme featured 46 sessions and three workshops over three days, delivered by 44 speakers from 11 countries. Topics spanned key areas of modern dentistry — from aesthetic dentistry and digital workflows to paediatric care, temporomandibular disorder (TMD) management, peri-implant tissue management and whole-body approaches to sustainable dental health.
Highlights included masterclass sessions by Dr Anas Aloum and Dr Pokpong Amornvit, covering topics such as modern veneer preparation, digital full-mouth rehabilitation using facial-driven design and minimal-preparation techniques, as well as discussions on peri-implant tissue management and evidence-based approaches to orofacial pain — reflecting the industry’s shift towards more precise, patient-centred care.
The programme also addressed critical industry challenges through the National Dental Association Forum on Illegal Dentistry, a dedicated session highlighting the growing global issue of illegal dental practices. The forum examined the risks posed by unlicensed providers — including patient safety concerns and compromised treatment outcomes — while calling for stronger regulatory frameworks, improved access to care and closer collaboration across the dental ecosystem.
Driving meaningful business connections
Demonstrating strong pre-event engagement, IDEM360+, the event’s official digital platform, saw significant growth, with meeting requests nearly tripling to 3,000 and 160 confirmed on-site meetings ahead of the show, underscoring the event’s effectiveness in generating commercial opportunities and facilitating industry engagement. In addition to business matching, the platform supported session planning, exhibitor lead capture and seamless navigation through an interactive venue map. It also offered digital e-badges to support more sustainable event operations.
Building on this, the introduction of IDEMclub further strengthened the event’s business value. This exclusive hosted buyer programme was designed to facilitate targeted engagement between exhibitors and high-value, decision-making buyers. Carefully curated through a stringent selection process, it brought together senior procurement leaders, distributors and business owners with active sourcing intent across key regional and international markets. Participating companies included FINO, a German dental laboratory equipment and materials supplier, alongside regional distributors such as QS Dental Supply and Pacific Dental Supply, supporting targeted, results-driven business engagement across the exhibition floor.
