Six Years in the Waiting, PLASTICS Igniting a ‘Spark’ at NPE

Six years is a long time to wait for anything. But as hard it might seem, when NPE2024: The Plastics Show opens its doors May 6-10, 2024, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, it will be six years since the last show took place. COVID-19 put the kibosh on NPE2021, and since that time the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has made some additions to lead attendees on what it calls a “a new immersive learning journey on key topics in the plastics industry.”

Don’t be concerned, like every other NPE there will be loads of machinery demonstrations on the show floor for processors of all kinds at this one. In fact, the exhibit floor is sold out and, as I write this a full six months before the curtain goes up, exhibitors are hard at work planning on new product introductions and demos that promise to grab your attention, if not knock your socks off. My bet is there will be tremendous developments unveiled in Orlando in the areas of sustainability, automation,  machine learning, energy efficiency and a lot more.

But, beyond that, PLASTICS has put together an extremely impactful, robust technical program aimed at giving attendees more reasons than ever to register. The idea behind all this, PLASTICS says, is to help businesses tackle the ever-changing challenges of the industry, with unprecedented opportunities to gain insights from plastics experts around the world.

PLASTICS President and CEO Matt Seaholm puts it thusly: “With more than 100 sessions total and 60 industry speakers present at NPE, attendees will learn about the future of plastics, the important part they play in our evolving industry and how plastics contribute to our daily lives and our circular economy.”

For the first time, NPE will be offering an Expo Pass registration that will give those attendees access to more than 75 education sessions located on the show floor in the all-new “Spark Stages.” Sessions will highlight topics such as artificial intelligence applications, the future of plastics, business productivity and profitability, sustainability and advancement of the circular economy and more. Attendees are encouraged to tailor their education schedules to meet their personal business needs.

The three Spark Stages are:

• Bottling Stage: Attendees will discover advancements in technologies for the beverage and non-food segments.
• Innovation Stage. Sponsored by the Plastics Hall of Fame, attendees will hear presentations on the latest in electrification in automotive, advancements in Industry 4.0, material science and more.
• Sustainability Stage. Sponsored by Nova Chemicals, attendees will learn how the entire plastics supply chain is developing solutions to improve efficiency, reduce materials loss, use less power and more.

Off the show floor, and for the first time in its history, NPE2024 will also give Expo Pass attendees access to industry briefings from thought leaders representing the major end markets for plastics — automotive, building and construction, consumer goods, and medical and packaging.

There will also be comprehensive industry briefings that offer insights and business updates from every market segment, including global insights on the economic impact of plastics, market trends, future forecasts on recycling and a review of the Global Plastics Treaty. Plus, there will be market trends sessions with insights into the U.S. recycled plastics industry, the future of polyethylene and polypropylene, and other leading topics.

For PLASTICS, this NPE2024 is going to places that no NPE has gone before. “These new Education Sessions are an opportunity to gain insightful takeaways to help organizations and individuals solve their toughest challenges and shape the future of the plastics industry,” says Arlene Davis, director of NPE Content and Experience at PLASTICS. “NPE2024 is more than an opportunity to discover the latest products and services. It is a show that brings the whole plastics ecosystem together to innovate, collaborate and share findings that will shape the future of our global industry for years to come.”

I encourage you to visit npe.org to learn more about these learning opportunities. Early bird pricing ends Dec. 15.