NPE2012 Declared a Major Success
- Published: April 23, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC | The NPE2012 plastics exposition, which took place April 1–5 in Orlando, FL, substantially exceeded NPE2009 in size, and it attracted more participants from outside the US than any other NPE in history, reports SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Assn., producer of the triennial event.
Taking place in a new venue, NPE2012 attracted 1,933 exhibitors, more than in each of the three previous NPEs. The total exhibit space occupied at NPE2012 was 939,972 sq ft, (87,326 sq m), or 23% greater than in 2009. There was a 26% increase in 
attendance, as 55,359 plastics professionals participated in NPE2012.
Of total attendance in 2012, 26% came from outside the US, a substantial increase compared with any previous NPE. One-third of these international visitors came from Latin America, fulfilling SPI’s prediction that the new venue would attract more visitors from that region than ever before.
Also setting a new record for international participation was the number of exhibiting companies from outside the US—approximately 750, or 40% of the total. China sent the most international exhibitors to NPE2012—a little over 300, or 16% of all exhibitors. Another 8% came from the rest of Asia and the Mideast, and 10% came from Europe. Canada sent 72 exhibitors—the second-largest country total after China. The 28 exhibitors from Mexico and South America represented the largest contingent ever from Latin America.
Positive as they are, these statistics do not fully convey the degree of success achieved by NPE2012, according to William R. (Bill) Carteaux, president and CEO of SPI. “There was far more plastics processing equipment operating on the exhibit floor than in 2009, much greater attendance at the co-located conferences, and a larger and more exciting program of special events.” Carteaux says both exhibitors and visitors gave SPI very positive feedback on the new venue in Orlando, supporting the decision to schedule both the 2012 and 2015 NPEs there.
Adds Gene Sanders, SPI’s senior VP of trade shows and conferences, “While the NPE trade show was the core event and scored a great success, the entire experience included a broad array of other events and offerings…A completely new feature was our pre-show Super Sunday, which included social and networking events, brand owner presentations, and an evening gala whose highlights were a keynote address by Jon Huntsman, Jr., and the Plastics Hall of Fame induction ceremony.”
The next NPE will take place March 22–26, 2015, again at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
