NPE ’09: Attendance down but sales expectations up at show

24 June 2009 21:57  [Source: ICIS news]

CHICAGO (ICIS news)--Attendance was down at the 2009 National Plastics Exhibition (NPE) trade show, but exhibitors were seeing more visitors who were likely to result in new business, participants said on Wednesday.

Registered and walk-in participants at the event in Chicago amounted to roughly 70% of the 64,000 who attended in 2006, according to estimates by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), but exhibitors cited a notable increase in the percentage of viable leads among attendees.

“There aren't so many tyre-kickers this year as we saw in 2006,” said Karl Fitzl, sales representative of S+S Metal Detectors. “The aisles appear emptier, but the people coming by seem more eager to buy,” he said.

Part of that may have to do with tough economic times prompting companies to send fewer representatives for a shorter period of time, said a polymer producer who preferred not to be named.

“So far we have not seen as many students or [non-industry] visitors this year,” said Burt Capel, director of Eastman's specialty plastics business, who agreed that there did seem to be more active interest from those who did visit.

While attendees were fewer, the number of exhibitors at this year's event actually rose.

Organizers for the giant trade show at Chicago's McCormick Place convention centre cited a 12% increase in the number of exhibitors in 2009 compared with 2006.

One of every four NPE participants was from overseas, including around 500 business executives from China, an NPE spokesman said.

The SPI-sponsored event runs through Friday.

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By: Landon Feller
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