By Gary Thomas
The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has entered into a deal with SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association. The deal will provide new facets to the next three yearly SPE ANTEC conferences, increase attendance, and draw the attention of more number of corporate sponsors and exhibitors.
The deal integrates SPI’s expertise in the production and marketing of premier plastics exhibition, the triennial NPE, with SPE’s strength as the key coordinator of plastics technical conferences. The deal covers the 2013, 2014, and 2015 ANTEC conferences, of which ANTEC 2015 will be co-located with NPE2015 in Orlando, Florida in March 2015.
In all three ANTEC conferences, SPI will organize a ‘Business of Plastics’ conference, which will be conducted in conjunction with SPE’s technical conference; sell promotional opportunities and co-located exhibit space for corporate sponsors; and take part in the marketing of the whole ANTEC program.
The ANTEC conferences feature mainly original, peer-reviewed technical presentations. During NPE2012, 1,432 people attended the ANTEC 2012, where 623 presentations were delivered. The trade show that is conventionally related with the ANTEC conference was conducted in 2011 and not in 2012 and 84 exhibitors participated in the event. The trade show will be conducted again alongside ANTEC2013 in Cincinnati from April 22 to 24, 2013, and ANTEC 2014 in Las Vegas from April 27 to May 1, 2014.
SPE’s Chief Executive Officer, Willem (Wim) De Vos stated that both organizations will get benefited from the new agreement as it creates new growth opportunities. The two organizations’ joint efforts will increase participation at technical sessions, promote SPE’s strategy for global diversification, provide valuable new educational content, and expand the trade show conducted during ANTEC in non-NPE years.
Source: http://www.4spe.org