Canadian companies well represented among NPE2009 visitors

Attendee registrants from Canadian and Mexican companies made up the largest national groups attending the NPE2009 show, which ran June 22 to June 26 in Chicago. 

According to the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. (SPI), which operates the show, the overall number of companies represented by registrants declined by 17 per cent from the previous version of the show, in 2006. 

This compares favourably, however, with the preliminary total of 44,000 total visitor registrations in 2009, which represents a decline of approximately 30 per cent from the close of NPE2006.

The relatively healthy level of company representation indicates a strong level of buying power at the show, SPI said.

 “With very difficult economic times and travel reductions caused by concerns about the H1N1 pandemic, it came as no surprise that attendee delegations were smaller than in 2006, but those company representatives that did come to NPE2009 were typically significant players with real purchasing power,” said Bill Carteaux, president and CEO of the Washington-based SPI.

According to SPI, representatives from nearly 19,000 companies attended NPE2009.