Following the Fakuma 2024 plastics trade fair held in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on Oct. 15-19, the event's organizer, P.E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG announced on Oct. 21 that the 29th Fakuma fair attracted 36,675 visitors.
That total is down 7 percent from the 39,343 visitors in 2023, but 24 percent down on 2017, which was a peak year with 48,375 visitors. 2015 was however close to that 2017 peak, with 45,721 visitors.
In the Fakuma 2024 wrap-up news release, P.E. Schall Managing Director Bettina Schall referred to 12 "almost full" halls and "almost fully booked" foyers between the halls, adding that the event had again been "a great family festival for plastics." This year's Fakuma had 1,639 exhibitors.
This year's Fakuma included a new special "Mold your future" Career Friday event on Oct. 18, aimed at school kids and students, with a chance of winning a Zeppelin balloon flight from the airfield adjoining the fairground.
Looking at attendance trends over time, the number of visitors had dipped slightly from the 2017 peak to 47,650 in 2018, which was followed by a large 38 percent decline in 2021 that was clearly due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So despite the slight 2023-2024 decline, there has been a 24 percent recovery from the 2021 post-pandemic level.
Fakuma 2020 had been canceled due to the pandemic, a fate that did not affect the K 2019 and K 2022 fairs in Düsseldorf, as Fakuma fairs are only held outside the "K" years.
Next year is a K show year, the K 2025 fair will be held Oct. 8-15 in Düsseldorf. The 30th Fakuma fair is scheduled for Oct. 13-17, 2026, in Friedrichshafen.
