K 2019 wraps up, drew 225,000 visitors

The K 2019 trade show has wrapped up in Dusseldorf, Germany, having drawn approximately 225,000 visitors from 165 countries.

Said to be the world’s biggest trade fair for plastics and rubber, K 2019 – which ran from Oct. 16 – 23 – featured 3,330 exhibitors from 63 nations.

“K 2019 came at precisely the right point in time. Its enormous importance for the sector is underscored by its high acceptance from all over the world. Nowhere else is the industry represented as internationally and completely as here in Düsseldorf every three years,” said Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, president and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf. “Especially in times of great challenges, a platform like the K is indispensable. It provides guidance and perspectives, sets sustainable economic impulses, shows forward-looking trends and concrete approaches. The industry and its professional associations enjoyed the unique opportunity here to present sector-specific solutions and to discuss socio-politically relevant issues on a global basis. And they made excellent use of this opportunity.”

After Germany, the majority of the visitors came from Italy, the Netherlands, India, Turkey, China, and the U.S. A marked increase in the number of trade visitors from the Russian Federation, Japan and Brazil was also registered. The number of executives among K visitors increased slightly: about 68 per cent had middle or top management positions. With over 90 per cent, visitor satisfaction was again at a high level. While for German trade visitors increased efficiency was the most important issue, the priority for European and non-European trade visitors was the expansion of product and service portfolios.

The U.S. was also well represented on the exhibitor side: 108 exhibitors showed their products at K 2019, including 38 companies within the two U.S. Pavilions, organized by Messe Düsseldorf North America and supported by The Plastics Industry Association.

There were 16 Canadian companies exhibiting at K, according to Messe Dusseldorf: Brampton Engineering Inc., CDS Custom Downstream Systems, Corma Inc., Drader Manufacturing, GN Thermoforming Equipment, Husky Injection Molding Systems, Ingenia Polymers, Macro Engineering & Technology, MHS Mold Hotrunner Solutions, MMC Packaging Equipment, Nova Chemicals, Polystyvert, StackTeck Systems, Structur3d Printing, Thomson Research Associates, and Top Grade Molds.

The next K trade fair will be held from October 19 – 26, 2022 in Dusseldorf.