K show 2022 holds high expectations

All things considered, Ulrich Reifenhäuser figures, this latest version of the K show is probably the most important one ever. And that’s saying something, as the world’s largest plastic trade show now dates back 70 years to 1952.

COVID-19 turned everyone’s life upside-down and inside-out, impacting business all along the way.

While there are lingering effects still today, the economy has resumed for the most part despite issues such as supply chain difficulties that continue to vex.

“It’s probably one of the most important shows ever. My expectations are very high,” said Reifenhäuser, chairman of the Exhibitors’ Council for the K show, at an opening news conference on Oct. 18 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

That’s because most normal years feature at least one major plastics trade show. But that has not been the case since COVID-19 hit.

“Normally, we have a lot of international fairs in a row every year — at least two or three,” he said. But for the past three years there’s been “more or less nothing” at a time when there is a great deal of interest and innovation and surround plastics industry.

“A lot of information and good news have been held back,”  said Reifenhäuser, chief sales officer for Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenfabrik, a maker of extrusion and blown film lines.

“Now we open up this K show and people are really ready to present the best and the market is more than interested after this three years to find specialists, to have really good discussions, to get information. That’s the reasons why the K is really, really, very, very special and maybe the most important,” he said.

The lingering impacts of COVID-19 are expected to tamp down attendance figures at the show this year, organizers said.

Looking at figures from other recent trade shows, organizers estimated attendance could come in around two-thirds of the number of people at last K show held in 2019.

“This is absolutely high time to meet again and to exchange views and to get aware about what has  happened during the last three years during the period, to find what is possible in the next three years until we meet again in ’25,” said Erhard Wienkamp, managing director of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, the company that organizes the show.

“The experience of the last shows being organization internationally and here in Germany has shown that there is a presence of two-thirds or less. If we could match two-thirds, it would be good. But the important thing is which companies, which investors are represented by these attendees,” Wienkamp said.

Reifenhäuser expects the number of more casual attendees who show up just for a part of the show to decrease in 2022. These type of attendees work in the industry, but may not be the decision makers at a company.

Even with the smaller crowds,  Reifenhäuser said his schedule is all booked solid. “My agenda is so packed, as packed as ever. This shows there is great interest. … My personal expectations are extremely high,” he said.

The amount of exhibition space has actually increased in 2022 compared with 2019 even has the total number of exhibitors has fallen.

A total of 3,037 exhibitors are taking up 178,965 square meters, or 1,926,363 square feet, in 2022. That compares with 3,327 exhibitors that used 177,035 square meters, or 1,905,589 square feet, in 2019, organizers said.

Wienkamp said this year’s show is a sell-out in terms of available space. The decrease in the number of exhibitors in 2022 actually required less aisle space and freed up more exhibition space for those who came. The K show, unlike some other shows, does not include aisle space when computing exhibition space.

Not surprisingly, there are no Russian exhibitors at this year’s show due to that country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. At total of 21 companies from Russia exhibited in 2019 utilizing 545 square meters or — square feet. Ukraine, meanwhile, increased that country’s exhibitors to four this year. That’s up from two in 2019.

China’s 308 exhibitors using 9,414 square meters, or 101,331 square feet, in 2022 is down from 369 exhibitors using 9,339 square meters, or 100,524 square feet, in 2019. The United States has 104 exhibitors in 2022 using 4,928 square meters, or 53,045 square feet. That compares with 109 exhibitors and 4,874 square meters, or 52,463 square feet,  in 2019.

Machinery and equipment makers take up more than half of the available exhibition space and make up more than half of the companies on the ground in Düsseldorf. A total of 1,766 machinery and equipment companies are being housed in 118,672 square meters, or 1,277,375 square feet, of space. Raw materials and auxiliary companies are second with 836 exhibitors and 44,016 square meters, or 473,784 square meters. A total of 260 companies are on the show floor with 9,189 square meters, or 98,910 square feet,  to sell semi-finished products and technical parts. A total of 175 service providers are utilizing 7,157 square meters, or 77,037 square feet, of floor space during the show.

Plastics News will be putting out trade show dailies at K 2022. We'll also be on hand for all of the breaking news and press conferences at K. Be sure to sign up for our special K newsletters so you don't miss a thing.

Check out our live blog of the show here.