NPE2012: A Resounding Success
Last week's NPE2012 show in Orlando was, by virtually every standard of measurement, a smash hit.
Last week's NPE2012 show in Orlando was, by virtually every standard of measurement, a smash hit. Each of the many, many exhibitors and attendees I spoke with told me so. I spoke to them at their booths while discussing new technology. I spoke with them at our booth in those brief periods of time I got to sit and collect my thoughts. I spoke with them at one of several social functions I attended. I spoke with them on the plane ride home. Based on the last numbers I saw reported by the Society of the Plastics Industry, the show organizer, total show registration was close to 55,000. I didn't speak to that many people for sure, but it seemed that way.
Orlando was a new venue for the triannual trade show after decades in Chicago. There isn't a tremendous amount of processing going on down or around there, so, unlike a show in the Midwest, folks who wanted to attend were unlikely to drive; they had to buy a ticket and get on a plane. These and other reasons made for some apprehensive moments before the show-opening, ribbon-cutting ceremony. Because no matter how many ads you run and emails you send out and free show invitations you distribute (and the SPI and the show exhibitors did a lot of those things), you never really know if all your time, effort and expense will bear fruit until those doors swing open Well, these efforts were successful in a big way.
We'll be reporting on the new technology that exhibitors had on display in the weeks ahead. We'll be following up on other chit-chat we heard from the show floor as well. I heard a lot of stories about reshoring...manufacturing jobs in plastics that had gone to China but are now coming back.
Make no mistake, the plastics processing marketplace has been in comeback mode. Some say the resurgence actually started shortly after NPE2009. In my made, NPE2012 was yet another confirmation of this reality.
Job well done.
