Fair celebrates 70th anniversary in October; Some 3,000 companies from 61 nations to present innovations for the efficient and responsible use of plastics
Organizers of K 2022 Düsseldorf recently invited local businessmen and the media to a presentation of the leading global trade fair of the plastics and rubber industry, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary this October in Germany.
Gernot Ringling, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf Asia, briefed them on what delegates and guests can expect from K 2022 Düsseldorf, scheduled from October 19 to 26 this year.
Juergen Rehkopf, Managing Director of Reifenhauser Asia Pacific, then delivered a technical presentation on “Sustainability and Plastics” to the audience at the Shangri-La at the Fort in BGC, Taguig City on April 19.
In 1952, the companies and associations dealing with the material that is plastic decided jointly with the then “Nordwestdeutsche Ausstellungsgesellschaft – NOWEA”, today’s Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, to create an event designed to give proof of the performance and versatility of polymer materials.
The age of producing mass plastics had just begun. This was the “birth” of K in Düsseldorf. Registered for the debut event were 270 exclusively German companies that presented to both trade visitors and ordinary consumers products designed above all to make everyday life nicer and more convenient.
After 70 years, those days put a smile on many faces, given that K in Düsseldorf became a special-interest trade fair for professionals as early as 1963; and its triumphant success as the world’s most important meeting place for the plastics and rubber industry continues unabated to this day.
K 2022 – most relevant trade fair of the industry worldwide
Just like every three years, K in Düsseldorf will also be the most relevant information and business platform for the global plastics and rubber industry once again in 2022.
Exhibitors and visitors from all over the world get together in Düsseldorf and use the opportunities from 19 to 26 October this year to demonstrate the operational excellence of the sector concentrated in one place, to discuss current trends, introduce innovations and chart the course for the future. Nowhere is the internationality as high as in Düsseldorf.
At the latest K in Düsseldorf, exhibitors from a total of 63 nations were represented. Of the 3,300 exhibitors in total 2,344 came from Europe, 828 from Asia, 143 from the Americas, 11 from Africa and 4 from Australia/Oceania. Visitors from as many as 169 nations were welcomed.
About 73% of the trade audience travelled to Düsseldorf from outside of Germany. 57% of all visitors came from Europe, 25% from Asia, 13% from America, 4% from Africa and 1% from Australia/Oceania.
K 2022 comes at precisely the right point in time to provide the plastics and rubber industry with fresh orientation after the changes induced by the pandemic.
The “Who’s Who” of the global plastics and rubber industry will again be represented with Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre fully occupied over some 175,000 m² of net exhibition space.
The individual product ranges are spread across the 18 exhibition halls as follows:
- Machinery and equipment: Halls 1, 3-4, 8b as well as 9-17
- Raw materials, auxiliaries: Halls 5, 6, 7, 7a, 8a, 8b
- Semi-finished products, technical components and reinforced plastic products: Halls 5, 6, 7, 7a, 8a, 8b
Well-represented once again will be the suppliers from Europe, above all from Germany, Italy, Austria, Turkey, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France and also the USA.
At the same time, K clearly mirrors the changes on the world market: the number and presentation areas of companies from Asia have remained at a constant high level for several years. Especially China, Taiwan, India, South Korea and Japan will impress visitors with their strong appearances.
The diversity and international cross-section of companies ensure that the global ranges of products, solutions, trends, and innovations are mapped in their entirety – also in special segments.
In addition, this ensures that K 2022 offers the best conditions for not only discussing global challenges of the industry in depth, but also for successfully tackling them together.
Top ratings for K in Düsseldorf
K is a firm fixture in the agendas of the sector. This is not only reflected by the number of exhibitors and the quality of ranges but is also impressively evidenced by outstanding trade visitor ratings: 97% praised the broad range of technical developments and forward-looking solutions.
In particular, the high number of innovations and the presence of all market leaders were given top ratings by visitors. This applies not only to the manufacturers of plastics and rubber products; industrial users also visit K regularly because here they find both inspiration for their sector and their products, and innovations helping them to be ideally geared up for international competition in future.
Professionals from a wide variety of customer industries – be it automotive, packaging, electronics and communication, construction, medical device technology or aerospace – come to the Rhine to have plastics and rubber industry experts illustrate to them current and visionary applications at K in Düsseldorf, the global marketplace for innovations.
After all, at K 2022 the entire value chain is showcased in a unique breadth and depth. And rubber also plays a decisive role here. While smaller than the plastics segment, this sector is highly innovative and of pivotal importance for key customer industries.
The central point of contact for rubber and elastomers will again be the Rubberstreet in Hall 6. This has been a fixture at K in Düsseldorf for almost 40 years now serving to increase the visibility of the rubber industry and stress its innovative potential.
Not only does K 2022 underpin its extraordinary position thanks to its great popularity within the industry worldwide, it also always addresses the key issues of our day and age and specifically those of the plastics and rubber industry.
The guiding themes at K 2022
At the last edition of K three years ago, exhibitors already unanimously underlined the need for operational and closed cycles along the complete material chain. Never had the industry been so unanimous in addressing an issue and working so cohesively on solutions around environmental compatibility, resource conservation and waste avoidance.
This development has picked up speed enormously since then. K 2022 will provide impressive proof that this industry assumes responsibility and that plastics will in future be part of the solution rather than a problem.
This is precisely why the three major guiding themes of K 2022 will read as follows:
- Circular Economy
- Climate Protection
- Digitalisation
Without plastics, careful management of the world climate will not be possible. Plastics are enablers for lightweight construction, e-mobility, the use of wind and solar energy. Here the Circular Economy is of vital importance, while digitalisation is an indispensable enabler for transparency and resource efficiency. All three guiding themes will also feature center stage in the Specials at K 2022.
K in Düsseldorf enjoys highly qualified input on these guiding themes care of a high-caliber expert body, the Scientific Council of K 2022. The scientists have already worked out a list of the aspects to be considered. Here just five topics by way of example: recycling of composites, standardization of recyclates, micro particles in the environment, bio-degradable plastics, CO2 as a polymer component.