At more than 5,700 m², quite a large portion of the floor space of the next "NPE" (www.npe.org) trade fair will be reserved for “Customer Service Centres”, reports organiser SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association (Washington DC / USA; www.plasticsindustry.org). Designed as spaces where companies can engage with processors, designers, OEM/Brand and other professionals, nine leading plastics companies have already booked space in the centres. They include Dow Chemical, DSM Engineering Plastics, DuPont, Eastman, ExxonMobil, Formosa Plastics, LyondellBasell, PPG Industries and Westlake Chemical. Other companies are reportedly still in discussions with SPI.

Commenting on the centres, Brad Williams, director of trade show marketing and sales at SPI, said, “The emerging importance of Customer Service Centres reflects a renewed commitment to NPE 2015 by raw material suppliers, and highlights the importance of the materials aspect within plastics production life cycle.”

Held in Orlando, Florida / USA every three years (see Plasteurope.com of 25.09.2012), NPE 2015 is reportedly “on track” to be the largest NPE in years, SPI said, adding that more than 88,000 m² of exhibition space has already been booked, with the show at 94% of total capacity.