The leading US plastics fair "NPE" (www.npe.org) came to an end on 27 March by posting a record number not just of exhibitors (2,029), but also of company visits (23,396). The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI, Washington DC / USA; www.plasticsindustry.org), which organises the event in Orlando, Florida, said the total number of registered visitors came to 65,810, 19% more than during the last NPE three years ago. The attendees came from 23,396 different companies (2012: 19,198).

With 44% of exhibitors and 26% of visitors coming from outside the US, the fair was also quite international. The largest contingent of visitors from abroad came from Latin America, even if their presence was markedly down from the previous 2012 NPE. The official visitor breakdown confirms this decline, with just 5,000 attendees from Latin America compared to 7,500 just three years ago – although overall visitor numbers at this year’s fair were up.

The impression gained at the Florida fair confirms all reports about an increasingly lively US processing sector. The fair’s second day was particularly busy in comparison to 2012. Plasteurope.com will be reporting further on its experiences at the fair in the coming weeks.