International Plastics News for Asia

NPE opens record-breaking edition

NPE2018: The Plastics Show officially kicked off on May 7 with the Opening Ceremony including remarks from Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) President and CEO William R. Carteaux, PLASTICS Chair of the Board of Directors Wylie Royce and NPE2018 Chair Glenn Anderson. Bigger and better than ever, this year’s show will complement the business transactions and relationships made on the show floor with educational opportunities for attendees. New to NPE® are the Plastics Leadership Summit and Re|focus Sustainability & Recycling Summit, two co-located educational events for sustainability and C-suite executives, respectively.

“We’ve intentionally designed programming for attendees who’ve expressed interest in expanded educational opportunities at NPE. We’ve created the Plastics Leadership Summit and co-located the annual Re|focus Sustainability & Recycling Summit to bolster on-site learning,” said William R. Carteaux, president and CEO of PLASTICS. The exhibition also announced a 100% waste diversion goal to further our industry’s commitment to the environment.

This week, more than 2,100 exhibiting companies showcase innovations in plastics in the 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space on the tradeshow floor. An estimated record crowd – including more than 11,000 international attendees representing the plastics industry from 110 countries – are expected to make connections that will bolster their businesses and strengthen the global plastics supply chain. The triennial trade show’s theme is “We’ve got it covered.” Over the next week, attendees in Orlando, Fla. will uncover innovation, business intelligence and opportunity, as they gain exclusive access to the people, processes, science and ideas that are shaping the future of plastics.

Expanded offerings at NPE include: 9 specialized education programs; 3D Printing Workshop, presented by Additive Manufacturing Media and Plastics Technology; Agricultural Plastics Recycling Conference (APRC); ANTEC®, sponsored by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE); Bottle Zone Technical Forum, hosted by: PETplanet and the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT); Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) Conference; Plastics Industry Insights, presented by IHS Markit; Plastics Leadership Summit, presented by PLASTICS; Re|focus Sustainability & Recycling Summit, presented by PLASTICS; and Seminarios Latinoamericanos, presentados en EspaƱol, presented by Technologia del Plastico and El Empaque+Conversion.

There are 12 technology zones to visit focusing on: 3D/4D Printing; Bottle Zone; Business & Finance; Flexible Vinyl; IDSA Design Center; Material Science; Medical Parts Processing; Moldmaking; Processors; The Manufacturers Association for Plastic Processors (MAPP) Pavilion; Re|focus Sustainability & Recycling Summit; and Thermoforming.