The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. is selling its Plastics USA trade show to Canon Communications LLC of Los Angeles for undisclosed cash and royalty payments.
Under an agreement signed Feb. 14, Canon will absorb Plastics USA into its own Plastec trade shows. The first will be held Sept. 25-27 in Rosemont, Ill.
Washington-based SPI has canceled plans for a Plastics USA show in March 2008. Canon has scheduled a Plastics USA show for Sept. 23-25, 2008, in Rosemont.
Canon intends to offer incentives to SPI members who exhibit at Plastics USA, so the change is ``a win for SPI members if they participate in the Canon shows,'' said William Carteaux, SPI president and chief executive officer. He was interviewed at the Plastec West trade show, held Feb. 12-15 in Anaheim.
Carteaux said that in today's business environment, exhibitors are pressuring for fewer shows.
``The industry has changed dramatically,'' which affects stand-alone shows, such as Plastics USA, Carteaux said. ``We needed to remake that show.''
The last Plastics USA, in 2004, occupied 65,000 square feet of exhibition space and required SPI staff involvement for sales, transportation, security and food contracts and arrangements. Now, the SPI exposition staff can focus exclusively on building the larger NPE franchise. NPE 2006 registered 64,438 persons, had 1,838 exhibits and occupied 942,524 square feet in Chicago's McCormick Place convention center.
As part of the agreement, SPI designated Canon again to produce the digital newsletter ``NPE Advisor'' before and during NPE 2009 and NPE 2012. Canon electronically distributed 15 NPE ``Advisor'' newsletters before and during NPE 2006.
Also, in NPE years, Canon agreed not to schedule Plastec shows in the East or Midwest, but will continue the Plastec West event in Anaheim, Carteaux said.
Canon publishes 15 magazines, including Injection Molding Magazine, Plastics Machinery & Auxiliaries and Modern Plastics Worldwide. In addition to plastics, Canon trade shows deal with medical devices, packaging, manufacturing, design, quality, assembly, electronics and automation equipment.
