Positive response for NPE 2009 space draw

Representatives of 864 companies attending the NPE 2009 space draw in Chicago on February 19-20 selected space amounting to approximately 82 per cent of the total taken by show-time at the previous edition of the triennial NPE show in 2006.

Participants contracted for 775,400 square foot (72,037 square metre), which is 81.7 per cent of the at-show total of 949,500 square foot (88,210 square metre) taken by 1,850 companies for NPE 2006.

NPE 2009 will take place on June 22-26, 2009 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

“The enthusiastic response of the industry at our traditional Drawing has given a big head start for NPE 2009 in comparison with a 2006 show that itself was successful,” said Gene Sanders, vice president of trade shows for The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI), founder and producer of NPE. “Since the number of companies selecting space at the Drawing is always much smaller than the final number of exhibitors, SPI is confident that NPE 2009 will indeed surpass the 2006 show in size. This is appropriate for a show that will incorporate much new content and many innovative features.”

According to Sanders, the first four selections at the space draw were made by companies that have exhibited at every NPE since the original one in 1946: LyondellBasell Industries, Demag Plastics Group, Canon Communications, and Farrel Corp.