voestalpine HPM at OMTEC—Reflections from the Chicago trade fair

OMTEC 2025 brought together manufacturing and technology professionals from across the orthopedic industry—OEMs, engineers, buyers, and more—all under one roof in Chicago. As Global Segment Manager for voestalpine HPM MedTech, I was excited to join our team on the ground. With almost two decades of technical sales experience behind me at voestalpine, OMTEC reminded me why I love this industry. These are my reflections from the trade fair: the questions people asked, the moments that stood out, and what I took away from the experience.

From Switzerland to Chicago: First Impressions of OMTEC 2025

Conversations that mattered: What we heard on the ground

I spoke with many visitors to our exhibition booth. Some responded with pleasant surprise: “Oh, I didn’t know voestalpine was also in MedTech!”

You bet we are! Our team made sure everyone was aware that voestalpine is a world-leading steel and technology group with many years’ expertise in medical technology. Once again, congratulations are in order here: A special thank you to Tyler McQuown and Vivienne Graf for organizing the exhibition booth. And kudos to Jeremy Steinman and Chris Trout for coordinating the demonstration parts, printing the brochures, and making all the bookings with existing and potential customers. I’m proud to say we were totally booked out!

As a technology enthusiast, I was impressed by OMTEC’s lead retrieval system, which allowed attendees to scan QR codes on name badges to share contact information.

“Do you mind if I scan?” was a common courtesy when conversations proved fruitful, as they often did. And it wasn’t always at the exhibition booth. The central café—with its constant whir of grinding coffee beans and enticing aromas—was a happening place. Unlike some European trade fairs, where suits and ties are the order of the day, OMTEC was more laid back; Chicago, with its Midwestern warmth and casual confidence, had us all shaking hands and diving straight into easygoing yet meaningful conversations.

I met some fascinating people at the central bar: an OEM representative from Germany, another from Taiwan, a manufacturer from Ireland, and many more. I had a good “chinwag” with a representative from an Australian medical company.

“What’s your favorite beer?” he asked me. Was it a challenge, I wondered? I know Aussies love their local beer. Dare I mention Brauerei Hans Müller in Switzerland? I needn’t have worried—his taste was international. At the end of the day, he said, “It’s my shout!” and ordered us a couple of cold Busch Lagers.

By the time we parted company, our colleague in Australia was already planning a meeting with him.

Insights from the exhibition booth: Customer needs, expectations, and opportunities

By the end of day one of OMTEC, through many conversations, our team could confirm the same clear message: visitors wanted to know what we offer, when we can deliver, and at what price. It’s hardly rocket science—yet we were reminded of the importance of customer centricity. These conversations reinforced our commitment to building long-term relationships with our customers in order to understand their needs clearly and to deliver on the voestalpine promise of helping keep them “one step ahead.”

I think visitors to our booth were also genuinely impressed by what we offered and our global availability. Some visitors had heard of our production sites; others, about our value chain services. Most were keen to learn about our orthopedic applications and steel grades.

“This is big!” one visitor (now a customer) told me when she read our list of over 25 certified quality steel grades. She wasn’t just referring to the number of grades; she was thinking of the business implications. “With voestalpine as our supplier of special steel grades, we can manage risk more effectively!” Material availability was a key factor for her, as it is with every manufacturer in the industry.

OMTEC really drove home for me just how specialized and passionate people are in the orthopedics industry. I listened to some fascinating presentations by experts about how solution-oriented innovation and technology are driving the industry forward. Through networking and collaboration, we’re able to create great product solutions.

Turning momentum into action: What comes next

Like all memorable events, three days of OMTEC soon came to an end, and we were all saying our farewells. On my flight back to Switzerland, I thought about how it may be quite some time before the international team gathers again. Of course, there would be MEDICA/Compamed in Düsseldorf, Germany this November. Some of us would be there. And now that OMTEC 2025 is behind us, we’ll use our key insights for future trade fairs. For now, though, we’re busy following up on the trade fair—turning leads into customers, strengthening existing customer relationships, and enhancing our position within the MedTech industry. 

Thanks to the entire team

A big thank you to the entire team at OMTEC 2025 for making it such a memorable trade fair.  Along with those team members mentioned above, I would also like to thank David Friesenbichler, Giuseppe Scarnà, Trevor Biggs, and Lukas Dauwa for their outstanding engagement and enthusiasm.

Find out more about voestalpine HPM MedTech

You can find out more about voestalpine HPM MedTech here.

voestalpine HPM MedTech Team in featured image top (from left): Giuseppe Scarnà, Chris Trout, Lukas Dauwa, Trevor Biggs, Weijia Zheng, David Friesenbichler, Dominik Baumann, Jeremy Steinman