The last few weeks, you may have seen a new phrase entering the plastics industry vocabulary: "not actively participating."
This wording — let's call it "NAP" for short — has become part of the standard statement used by companies pulling back on their participation in upcoming trade shows. The highest profile of those shows is Fakuma. The show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, is set for Oct. 13-17. While COVID-19 is more under control in Germany at this time, in other countries (you can guess the biggest of those countries) it is not. And part of the fear is whether the coronavirus would have another chance to spread at an international trade show, regardless of the number of sanitizing stations.
But what, exactly, does NAP mean? A few companies have offered glimpses of what they will do in place of staffing a large booth.
Belgium's Domo Chemicals said July 15 that it would "be present through an on-site contact desk at the event." It will also host a digital event to discuss its business outlook and new materials.
Auxiliary company Nordson Corp. said its polymer processing systems group will retain its exhibit space, but it will not send a team or equipment it had planned to show.
Expect more details on companies planning to NAP in the coming weeks.