There are a lot of new things at NPE in 2024, including the people

It's been a long time since any of us were at NPE. It's been so long that there has been a generational shift in the plastics industry. Nearly half of the 55,000 people — potentially as many as 60,000 people — at NPE2024 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., May 6-10 will be first-time attendees.

"Obviously, there's going to be a lot more technology that's available, but also the audience is going to be a lot different," said Daniele Fresca, director of trade show services for the Plastics Industry Association, the show's organizer. "We have new people who haven't been to the show before, who don't know what to expect and who are going to be opening their eyes on what the industry is capable of."

Earlier this year, I headed to Orlando to meet with show planners, the company that will recycle material from exhibitors' booths and Orlando tourism officials to talk about what's new in 2024. You can find a series of videos from those interviews on plasticsnews.com, focused on general information, what exhibitors can expect, how first-time attendees should prepare, the effort to recycle 100 percent of material from the show floor and some options for what to do after show hours.

If you're one of those new attendees, then you've probably already had people tell you to wear comfortable shoes. But seriously: Wear comfortable shoes.

 

NPE is spread across three halls in two buildings, covering more than 1 million square feet. Try to plan to spend enough time there to wander the show floor, rather than rushing from one appointment to the next.

Inside the Orange County Convention Center, you'll find simple booths adjacent to massive production cells turning out finished products. (Be sure to think twice about what items you grab to take home, especially if you're flying. A lot of them won't fit in a carry-on bag.)

The biggest shift for NPE veterans may be the three registration levels for attendees: the Expo Pass, currently priced at $175, with access to the show floor all five days, along with attendance to keynote addresses and other sessions taking place on the show floor; the Expo Plus, $325, which adds access to sessions on workforce development, artificial intelligence and market trends; and the Expo Premier, $525, which is essentially a VIP pass and will include records of events during NPE. Prices go up May 6.

But there's another option for picking up a pass. Every exhibitor has "unlimited" expo passes available, and quite a few of them are happy to share them if you have a regular contact. (Here's another hint: Check out the ads in this week's issue.) Attendees can pay an additional fee to upgrade from there.

And for those exhibitors, keep in mind how many first-time attendees will be there. Do not assume that they already know about your company. Include links to an updated website, organizers noted in their tips. Include information about your specialties and mention any key mergers or acquisitions in the past six years.

Badges will be picked up at the OCCC — there will be collection sites throughout both buildings; just go to the one with the shortest line — and there will be plastic holders to protect the paper badge for its multiple days of use. It can be kept as a souvenir or recycled at the end of the show.

The Plastics Industry Association has added an app, MyNPE, to help organize visits and appointments and navigate the show floor. It is expected to be up and running by the end of April.

Commercial Plastics Recycling Inc., a Tampa, Fla.-based company that handles hard-to-recycle items such as municipal pipes, polycarbonate containers and medical products, has been working with show organizers and exhibitors to fine-tune plans to recycle 100 percent of everything produced on the show floor.

CPR will grind most of the material collected from the show floor on-site in Orlando, then ship it to its facility in Tampa. Film will be recycled off-site. If you're an exhibitor that has not connected with CPR yet, then do so now.

Beyond the show floor, you may be able to find more restaurant variety in 2024. Dining and entertainment districts have expanded closer to the convention center during the past few years, putting them within a 10-minute walk of NPE. But if you really must get a taste of the Florida theme park life, Universal CityWalk and Disney Springs are both free, offer a range of restaurants and are just about a 15-minute drive from the convention center.

And the most important tip I have: Don't forget to pick up Plastics News' daily issues from NPE, available at our booths — S30039 and W5143 — and online.

Rhoda Miel is the managing editor of Plastics News. Follow her on Twitter @PNRhodaMiel.