K 2007 Exceeded Optimistic Expectations

Published: December 26, 2007

CHICAGO, IL | At K 2007, the 17th Intl. Trade Fair for Plastics + Rubber, all expectations were exceeded: 3,130 exhibitors from 58 countries and about 242,000 visitors from 100 nations took part in the event (compared to 2,904 exhibitors and 231,000 visitors at K 2004). Results from a visitor survey confirmed increased nationality: 57% (or about 138,000 trade visitors) came from outside of Germany, 22,000 more than in 2004. About 55% of the international experts arrived from Europe while 45% were from overseas. The number of visitors from Asia also increased: 30,000 compared to 23,000 in 2004. Among Asian nations, the largest contingent (about 10,000 attendees) came from India. A rise in the number of visitors from Thailand and Japan also was recorded.

A total of 8,300 trade visitors from the United States and Canada took part in K 2007, an increase of 1,400 compared to K 2004). Around 11,000 experts (compared to 8,000 at K 2004) arrived from Latin America, especially from Brazil and Mexico.

Ulrich Reifenhauser, chairman of the K 2007 Exhibitor Council, says, "We're heading home in the best of moods! Already during the traid fair itself, a remarkable number of deals were closed, some of them in the millions. We forged so many promising new contacts and recorded so many serious enquiries regarding new projects that we feel completely confident about the continued growth predicted for the industry." See mdna.com.