The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. wants brand owners to have no shortage of compelling reasons to attend its triennial NPE trade show, next taking place in March 2015 in Orlando, Fla. So SPI is creating “Mission Control Centers,” or complimentary on-site meeting spaces, for such firms at NPE2015. SPI will be highlighting this new approach at its K 2013 trade-show booth (Hall 13, Stand B91-28) in Düsseldorf, Germany, this coming Oct. 16-23.
Companies with recognized appliance, automotive, consumer-product, electronic, medical, packaged-goods and other brands that send buying teams to the show will be eligible for Mission Control Centers, according to Gene Sanders, senior vice president for trade shows and conferences for Washington-based SPI.
Already, 14 companies have taken advantage of the program: Apple, Bayer/Medtronic, BD/Becton Dickinson, Berry Plastics, Bemis Manufacturing Co., Chrysler, Covidien, Ford, John Deere, Kimberly Clark, Mars, Newell Rubbermaid, Phillips Respironics, and Tervis Tumblers.
SPI also plans to offer such firms additional meeting services at NPE.
As purchasers or specifiers of equipment, materials and processing services, brand-owner teams bring critical concentrations of buying power to NPE, Sanders pointed out. They often consist of 10, 20, or dozens of individual attendees, coming from multiple locations and representing diverse job functions. It is not unusual for members of a buying team from a large or multinational company to meet one another for the first time while attending NPE.
“Think of the Mission Control Center as an ‘Executive Club' for buying teams,” he said. “Having a convenient place to gather, discuss objectives, coordinate schedules, share notes and host meetings, as well as to grab a cup of coffee and relax, will help these teams to increase the return on their companies' NPE2015 investment.”
One can get more information on SPI's brand owners program from Sanders at [email protected] or by phone (202) 974-5250.
NPE 2015 will take place March 23-27, 2015, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. NPE2012, the first ever NPE in Orlando, attracted 1,933 exhibitors and 55,359 participants over four days.