Recruiting for NPE in Mexico

Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. President Bill Carteaux hosted a news conference at Plastimagen today aimed at boosting Latin American participation at NPE, the big triennial trade show scheduled for June 22-26, 2009, in Chicago. In 2006, NPE attracted 4,307 visitor registrants from Latin America, with about half (2,162) from Mexico. Carteaux predicted the number of Latin American visitors will grow in 2009, perhaps to about 6,500. Some highlights for Latin American visitors: SPI will sponsor an "extensive education program," including some sessions in Spanish. He also expects the emphasis on new technologies and specialized industry sectors will be a draw. Plus, the exchange rate that makes it so expensive for U.S. residents to travel abroad should make attending NPE a relative bargain for people coming from outside the United States. In other SPI-related news, Carteaux revealed that he has just signed a 2-year contract extension -- he just finished his third year as SPI's president and CEO. He also noted that he expects more materials suppliers to sign up to exhibit at NPE -- some are "on the fence" now. Finally, he said we can expect some other trade shows and conferences to collocate with NPE next year, but it's too early to give details. The Society of Plastics Engineers has already announced that Antec will collocate with NPE in 2009.