The tough economic climate was clearly evident at NPE 2009, the leading North America exhibition for the plastics industry (22-26 June 2009; www.npe.org) in Chicago. Visitor registrations were roughly a third lower than at the last two shows (63,000 in 2006 and 64,000 in 2003) and well below the record 95,000 in 2000. However, the number of companies that sent representatives only decreased by 17%, indicating that many firms merely reduced the size of their delegations. In January, SPI had expected the show to attract around 75,000 visitors.

William R. Carteaux, president of the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI, Washington, District of Columbia / USA; www.plasticsindustry.org), which organised the exhibition, attributed the reduction in visitor numbers to the difficult economic times and the H1N1 flu pandemic, which has affected willingness to travel in the US.