Erhard Wienkamp, MD of K 2022 organiser of Messe Düsseldorf (www.messe-duesseldorf.com), didn’t skimp on the superlatives for the eight-day German plastics show as the event came to a close. “It continues to be the most international, complete, and innovative trade fair of the global plastics and rubber industry.”

Wienkamp said he was “very satisfied” with both exhibitor and visitor numbers. The organiser noted that 176,000 trade guests arrived during the 19-26 October fair, where more than 3,000 exhibitors were on hand to present their products and services.

He blamed ongoing uncertainty about the pandemic and the absence of most visitors from China as reasons for the drop of some 20% in the number of visitors compared to the previous show in 2019.

Even though fewer people pushed through the turnstiles this year, the show was still able to retain its internationality. Around 70% of the guests came from outside Germany, Wienkamp said, a ratio just below the 73% announced three years ago. Some 44% of this year’s visitors hailed from outside Europe, with Brazil and India said to be particularly well represented.

A total of 157 nations participated in the show, Wienkamp announced, with a particularly large number of guests coming from the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, France, Poland, and Spain.

Ulrich Reifenhäuser, chairman of the show’s exhibitors advisory board, noted that his impression of the show was written all over his face. “You can see me grinning broadly. The fair was great.”

The decline in visitors had nothing to do with the quality of the exhibition, he said. “The number and intensity of the talks were absolutely comparable to 2019.” He added that his company, which makes blown film and extrusion equipment, “will be busy preparing offers over the next few months.”

Finally, Wienkamp announced the dates for K 2025, which is to be held from 8-15 October that year and again in Düsseldorf.