CHICAGO (June 4, 5 p.m. EDT) — Just as NPE is the frenzied pinnacle of plastics shows, it also is the chaotic climax of media coverage.
As in the past, Plastics News will be transplanting the bulk of its editorial staff to Chicago´s McCormick Place for coverage of the NPE 2000 show.
Attendees will receive the usual Monday issue of Plastics News along with special show dailies Tuesday through Thursday. The issue for Monday, June 26, will be distributed early Friday, June 23. That issue will feature the annual ranking of North American pipe, profile and tube extruders.
Editor Robert Grace and managing editor Don Loepp will coordinate production of the issues in the temporary newsroom in McCormick.
The following PN staff will be covering specific beats at the show:
Bill Bregar — injection molding machines and injection process controls.
Jinida Doba — blow molding machines, thermoforming machines, recyclers and recycling equipment.
Frank Esposito — thermoplastic resins and resin distributors and compounders.
Michael Lauzon — extrusion and calendering machines, including dies and feedscrews; related process controls; chemicals and additives; and miscellaneous auxiliary equipment.
Shannon Ledson — processors and materials-handling auxiliary equipment, including robots, conveyors and vacuum pumps.
Rhoda Miel — auxiliary equipment, including mixers, cutters, grinders, densifiers and edge-trimmers.
Joseph Pryweller — software, including computer-aided design and manufacturing, and mold makers, including hot-runners and mold steel. Pryweller also will handle a largely new category of NPE exhibitors this year: electronic business companies, including the multitude of Web-based transaction sites.
Roger Renstrom — reaction injection molding and compression molding equipment; rotational molding equipment; heat-related auxiliary equipment, including sensors, controls, chillers and heaters; and thermoset resins and reinforcing agents.
Steve Toloken — industry services and decoration and testing auxiliary equipment, including welders, pad-printers, corona-treating and test equipment.
Frank Antosiewicz — The South Hadley, Mass.-based correspondent will cover general-assignment stories at the show.
Angelo Young — The Mexico City-based correspondent will cover Latin American visitors and exhibitors, as well as general-assignment stories.
Also, New Baltimore, Mich.-based professional photographer Joe Wilssens once again will provide timely news and feature photos for our daily and post-show coverage.
The following reporters will stay at the Akron, Ohio, headquarters to cover industry happenings outside of Chicago:
Lisa Aichlmayr — A Cleveland-area native, senior at Kent State University and PN intern.
Sarah Smith — a former PN staff reporter and current Akron-area correspondent.
Following the breaking news coverage in the dailies, the Plastics News staff also will produce post-show special reports on various end markets.
A survey for processors will help identify their end markets, along with visits during the show and telephone interviews by the reporters.
The newspaper´s editorial staff also will be posting breaking-news updates from NPE on its Web site, www.plastics news.com, throughout show week, and it will display its coverage from the show in the special NPE 2000 section of its Web site until mid-August.
Plastics News will be in the East Hall, Booth E11547, demonstrating its Web site, signing up subscribers, and collecting surveys and news tips.
While exhibitors are encouraged to visit the PN booth, stories are not guaranteed, mostly because of the expected number of requests.