Plastics News - Show Daily - October 19, 2022 - 4

4 * Plastics News, October 19, 2022
SHOW DAILY
K show 2022 holds high expectations
By Jim Johnson
Plastics News Staff
All things considered, Ulrich
Reifenhäuser figures, this latest
version of the K show is probably
the most important one
ever. And that's saying something,
as the world's largest
plastic trade show now dates
back 70 years to 1952.
COVID-19 turned everyone's
life upside-down and inside-out,
impacting business all along the
way.
While there are lingering effects
still today, the economy has resumed
for the most part despite
issues such as supply chain diffi -
culties that continue to vex.
" It's probably one of the most
important shows ever. My expectations
are very high, " said Reifenhäuser,
chairman of the Exhibitors'
Council for the K show, at an
opening news conference on Oct.
18 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
That's because most normal
years feature at least one major
plastics trade show. But that
has not been the case since
COVID-19 hit.
" Normally, we have a lot of international
fairs in a row every
year - at least two or three, " he
said. But for the past three years
there's been " more or less nothing "
at a time when there is a great
deal of interest and innovation
and surround plastics industry.
" A lot of information and good
news have been held back, " said
Reifenhäuser, chief sales offi cer
for Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG
Maschinenfabrik, a maker of extrusion
and blown fi lm lines.
" Now we open up this K show
and people are really ready to
2022 compared with 2019 even
has the total number of exhibitors
has fallen.
The leaders of the K show Exhibitors' Council sees pent-up demand for information as a key driver. From
left: Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Erhard Wienkamp and Cornelia Jokisch. Plastics News photo by Caroline Seidel
present the best and the market
is more than interested after this
three years to fi nd specialists, to
have really good discussions, to
get information. That's the reasons
why the K is really, really,
very, very special and maybe the
most important, " he said.
The lingering impacts of
COVID-19 are expected to tamp
down attendance fi gures at the
show this year, organizers said.
Looking at fi gures from other
recent trade shows, organizers
estimated attendance could come
in around two-thirds of the number
of people at last K show held
in 2019.
" This is absolutely high time to
meet again and to exchange views
and to get aware about what has
happened during the last three
years during the period, to fi nd
what is possible in the next three
years until we meet again in '25, "
said Erhard Wienkamp, managing
director of Messe Düsseldorf
GmbH, the company that organizes
the show.
" The experience of the last
shows being organization internationally
and here in Germany
has shown that there is a presence
of two-thirds or less. If we
could match two-thirds, it would
be good. But the important thing
is which companies, which investors
are represented by these attendees, "
Wienkamp said.
Reifenhäuser expects the number
of more casual attendees who
show up just for a part of the
show to decrease in 2022. These
type of attendees work in the industry,
but may not be the decision
makers at a company.
Even with the smaller crowds,
Reifenhäuser said his schedule is
all booked solid. " My agenda is so
packed, as packed as ever. This
shows there is great interest. ...
My personal expectations are extremely
high, " he said.
The amount of exhibition
space has actually increased in
A total of 3,037 exhibitors are
taking up 178,965 square meters,
or 1,926,363 square feet, in 2022.
That compares with 3,327 exhibitors
that used 177,035 square meters,
or 1,905,589 square feet, in
2019, organizers said.
Wienkamp said this year's show
is a sell-out in terms of available
space. The decrease in the number
of exhibitors in 2022 actually
required less aisle space and
freed up more exhibition space
for those who came. The K show,
unlike some other shows, does
not include aisle space when computing
exhibition space.
Not surprisingly, there are no
Russian exhibitors at this year's
show due to that country's ongoing
invasion of Ukraine. At total
of 21 companies from Russia
exhibited in 2019 utilizing 545
square meters or - square feet.
Ukraine, meanwhile, increased
that country's exhibitors to
four this year. That's up from
two in 2019.
China's 308 exhibitors using
9,414 square meters, or 101,331
square feet, in 2022 is down from
369 exhibitors using 9,339 square
meters, or 100,524 square feet, in
2019. The United States has 104
exhibitors in 2022 using 4,928
square meters, or 53,045 square
feet. That compares with 109 exhibitors
and 4,874 square meters,
or 52,463 square feet, in 2019.
Machinery and equipment
makers take up more than half
of the available exhibition space
and make up more than half of
the companies on the ground in
Düsseldorf. A total of 1,766 machinery
and equipment companies
are being housed in 118,672
square meters, or 1,277,375
square feet, of space. Raw materials
and auxiliary companies are
second with 836 exhibitors and
44,016 square meters, or 473,784
square meters. A total of 260 companies
are on the show fl oor with
9,189 square meters, or 98,910
square feet, to sell semi-fi nished
products and technical parts. A
total of 175 service providers are
utilizing 7,157 square meters, or
77,037 square feet, of fl oor space
during the show.
New BOY XS E
With more efficient
servo-motor pump drive
Spritzgiessautomaten
Hall 13
Booth A 43

Plastics News - Show Daily - October 19, 2022

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