How to Really Highlight Your Medical Device at Trade Shows and Training Events

1. Introduction – Right Tool, Wrong Setting

You’ve developed a state-of-the-art medical device. It took years of engineering, clinical validation, and regulatory approval. But when the time comes to showcase it to customers - it’s being demonstrated on fruits, flowers, cheap plastic bones, or a DIY block of gelatin in a lunchbox prepared last minute in the hotel room.

Sound familiar?

We have seen many of the above things over the years. In many cases, these were born out of necessity. Access to human models, cadavers, or animal labs is limited, highly regulated, and ethically restricted - making it almost unthinkable to use on a trade show booth or in a simple hands-on setup.

We are not here to criticize that. But if you want to demonstrate a high-value medical device, or train others in how to use it effectively, the demonstration environment should reflect the context in which it will actually be used.

Because in medicine - context is everything.

2. “Pepperoscopy” and Other Off-Target Demos

Let’s take a few real-world examples we’ve seen repeatedly at trade shows and training sessions:

An advanced laparoscopic system with 4K resolution… demonstrated on bell peppers, flowers, or just using the hand.
A high-end ultrasound probe… tested on a gelatin mold in a household Tupperware container.
A fracture plate… fixed to a generic plastic bone model with no pathology.
Electrosurgical equipment… demonstrated using butchered meat in a metal bowl.

These setups are clever. They’re easy to transport. They’re budget-friendly. And they are way better than just dumping your products on the table (oh yes, we have seen that a lot).

But they also undermine the perceived sophistication of the product. The human body is complex. So are injuries, procedures, and anatomical variations. If your demonstration doesn’t reflect that complexity, your product may not be taken seriously - no matter how advanced it is.

3. Where Fruits and Flowers Still Shine

Let’s be clear: there are situations where using DIY solutions is completely appropriate — and even ideal:

Practicing suturing techniques on bananas
Using a banana to demonstrate the difference between MRI, CT, and X-ray
Use of bell peppers for training the first steps in arthroscopy (“Pepperoscopy”)
Using simple gelatine-based diy models with grapes and olives for training ultrasound-guided breast biopsy (we will have another blog article on this in the future)
Practicing first steps in joint replacement on generic bone models

These methods are fantastic tools for education and early-stage training. They lower the entry barrier. They promote creativity. And they make surgical skills accessible.

But when the goal is to convince professionals to adopt, purchase, or clinically apply a new device, the standards must rise accordingly.

4. Your Medical Device Deserves Better Than a Tupperware Box

When you use a low-fidelity, off-the-shelf, or DIY model to demonstrate a high-end device, the message you send - even unintentionally - is that the device itself might be equally improvised.

This mismatch creates problems:

It reduces the perceived value of your innovation
It disconnects the product from real-world clinical challenges
It fails to communicate the full benefit of the solution you offer

And here’s the business reality:
A booth at a medical conference or trade fair costs thousands of dollars - often far more when you factor in travel, personnel, logistics, and booth construction. If, after all that investment, the product is demonstrated using a $5 fruit model or a cheap plastic stand-in, it can send the wrong message:
That you didn’t think it through.
That you’re not taking the product’s success seriously.
Or worse - that the presentation environment was simply forgotten.

Think of it this way: you wouldn’t test a racing car on a gravel driveway and expect it to sell.

5. A Better Way

If your device is designed for a specific anatomy, pathology, or procedure - show it in that context.
Here’s what that can look like:

Anatomically accurate models that reflect patient variation
Pathology-specific training kits tailored to your product’s use case
Perfusion-capable models for vascular or interventional procedures
Custom casings or adapters for laparoscopic, orthopedic, or imaging equipment

First and foremost, this kind of realism helps users:

Understand the device’s purpose
See the true value and effectiveness
Build confidence in using it clinically

What's more (and this is the real benefit), these models don't just serve to impress potential buyers, they get them into real conversations. Because while the sales and marketing team at an event focuses on closing deals, collecting leads, and building brand presence, the engineering department - often not present at the booth - relies on accurate feedback from those interactions. The better and more realistic your demonstration setup, the more meaningful the insights you can gather about:

What users struggle with
What they appreciate
What they wish your product could do better

This feedback is critical for refining existing products and designing future solutions.
In short: realistic demo environments aren’t just for selling today - they’re also essential for building what comes next.

6. What the Best Teams Do Differently

The most effective product teams — whether in orthopedics, cardiovascular, or diagnostic imaging — don’t just bring great devices to conferences.
They bring the right environment to show what those devices are really capable of.

That means:

Custom training models that simulate the intended anatomy and pathology
Physical setups that match the use case (vascular flow, soft tissue response, bone density, etc.)
Modular, transportable kits for reps and workshops
Reliable tools that make hands-on interaction possible, even on a trade show floor

And they don’t build all of this from scratch. They partner with teams who specialize in replicating clinical reality — using medical imaging data, user-centered design, and practical testing setups.

The good news?

The cost for such customized demonstration models is often in the mid four-digit range - relatively small compared to the total investment in booth space, logistics, and staff for a major event. Yet the impact is disproportionally high:
You’ll have a unique, one-of-a-kind presentation, often unmatched by competitors at the same event.

And depending on how closely the demo model aligns with their own product portfolio, some specialized manufacturers even offer cooperative partnerships, especially when their products are featured under their own brand name at your booth.
After all, in most cases, the end users — the physicians and healthcare professionals — are shared customers.

It’s not about flashy demos.
It’s about showing your product in its element - and letting the results speak for themselves.

7. Conclusion – Raise the Bar

DIY solutions have their place. They’re creative, affordable, and incredibly useful for students, residents, and early-career clinicians practicing the fundamentals.

But when the goal is to launch a medical device, train professionals, or win over clinical decision-makers, your setup needs to do more than just function - it needs to communicate value.

If you’ve invested years into developing a sophisticated medical innovation,
don’t undermine it with a plastic bone, a fruit model, or a gelatin mold in a lunch container.

You’ve already paid thousands for the booth, shipped in staff, and developed powerful messaging.
For a small additional investment, you can deliver a demonstration environment that is:

Anatomically and clinically accurate
Unforgettable for the audience
And uniquely yours — not something your competitors can replicate

Better presentations lead to better conversations.
Better conversations lead to better outcomes — for your product, your team, and the people who will ultimately benefit from your innovation.

It’s time to raise the bar.

DIY Solutions Are Great… Until They're Not