Canon Communications and SPI Align Plastics USA with PLASTEC

Agreement includes Canon’s acquisition of Plastics USA show and debut of PLASTEC Midwest Canon Communications LLC and the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. (SPI) announced today that the two organizations have agreed to align SPI’s Plastics USA with Canon’s PLASTEC trade show. Under the terms of the agreement, SPI will support all of Canon’s PLASTEC shows and related events. For its part, Canon will provide a broad array of financial incentives to exhibiting SPI members, purchase the Society’s Plastics USA trade show, and add a PLASTEC Midwest/Plastics USA feature to its Rosemont (Chicago) event of co-located shows on September 25-27, 2007. The company has also been designated as the official partner with SPI in 2009 and 2012 for the NPE Advisor, a digital newsletter delivered before and during the triennial world-scale NPE plastics exposition. “This acquisition expands our position as a leading provider of trade shows, publications and digital media for the plastics industry,” said Charles G. McCurdy, president and CEO of Canon Communications. “This move also more broadly adds to our extensive portfolio of properties serving advanced product design and manufacturing industries where technology developments, innovative processing software and controls, and next-generation resins and polymers continue to position plastics as the material of choice for a never-ending array of new product and equipment applications across the industrial landscape.” SPI President and CEO William Carteaux cited Canon’s expertise in managing successful regional trade shows in the U.S. “This agreement with Canon will enable SPI to focus more closely on our world-scale NPE expositions and to develop new online enterprises with even broader international potential,” Carteaux said. “At NPE 2006, participation by international exhibitors and visitors far surpassed previous records, and our international marketing program for NPE 2009 is already under way. At the same time, we are preparing to roll out new digital products for which the enormous database of NPE participants is just a starting point.” The agreement with Canon will also benefit SPI member companies planning to exhibit at PLASTEC events, Carteaux pointed out. “At future PLASTEC trade shows, exhibiting SPI member companies will benefit from enhanced show listings and Web promotions as well as discounted booth space and advertising.” McCurdy echoed Carteaux’s enthusiasm for collaboration and was also quick to emphasize the cross-promotional aspects of the agreement. “While Canon has had a working relationship with SPI for some time, it was often on a case-by-case, show-by-show basis. Our new agreement is a breed apart from any previous arrangements. We will now have in place a cooperative alliance with the premier trade association representing the dynamic U.S. plastics industr Plastics USA, held triennially, typically features more than 350 exhibitors and upwards of 10,000 attendees and is billed as “North America’s Plastics Marketplace.” Washington, DC-based SPI, with more than 1,100 member companies, is the only national trade association representing every facet of the plastics industry supply chain, including processors, manufacturers of machinery, molds, and raw materials. The $341 billion U.S. plastics industry is the fourth largest industry in the U.S. and includes over 18,000 facilities located in every state employing more than 1.1 million workers. Started in 2001, Canon’s PLASTEC Series now includes shows in California, New York, and Georgia. They feature the latest advances in primary processing machinery, computer-aided design and manufacturing, production machinery, contract services, materials, molds and mold components, automation technology, materials handling/logistics, and enterprise IT. The agreement goes into effect immediately and will be a key component of all promotion, marketing and sales efforts for PLASTEC and related events going forward. The first Plastics USA event to be managed and promoted by Canon will be held on September 23-25, 2008 in Rosemont’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. About Canon Communications Canon Communications LLC is a leading publisher, trade show producer, and digital media company serving advanced, technology-based manufacturing industries, including medical device, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, specialty packaging, electronics, and plastics processing.The company’s expanding array of magazine titles includes MD&DI (Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry), Medical Product Manufacturing News, European Medical Device Manufacturer, Medical Device Technology (UK), China Medical Device Manufacturer, IVD Technology, MX, Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News, Nutritional Outlook, Cosmetic/Personal Care Packaging, Injection Molding Magazine, Plastics Machinery & Auxiliaries, Modern Plastics Worldwide, Powder/Bulk Solids, and Advanced Design & Manufacturing (AD&M). Canon’s show names include Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M), MEDTEC, BIOMEDevice, and Medical Device Technology (MDT); WestPack, EastPack, SouthPack, and MidPak; Atlantic Design & Manufacturing, Pacific Design & Manufacturing, and Design & Manufacturing South; Quality Expo and Quality Expo Detroit; International Powder & Bulk Solids and Powder & Bulk Solids Southeast; Assembly Technology Expo, Electronics Assembly, Electronics West, Assembly New England, Automation Technology Expo (ATX), National Manufacturing Week, and Advanced Manufacturing Exposition (AM Expo); PLASTEC, NEPCON, and OEM New England. Further information about the company’s business-to-business publications, trade shows, and digital media, is available at www.cancom.com. About SPI Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. is the only national trade association representing the U.S plastics industry, which employs 1.1 million workers and provides nearly $341 billion in annual shipments. SPI's members represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw materials suppliers. SPI programs and services are geared to support the business interests of the U.S. plastics industry with representation in the public policy arena, commercial services and trade shows geared to promote business growth as well as cut bottom line expenses and connections into new, global markets. For more information about SPI, visit its Web site at www.plasticsindustry.org. SPI’s world-scale NPE 2009 exposition will take place June 22-26, 2009. NPE 2006 attracted 1,838 exhibitors on 942,524 sq.ft. (87,600 sq. m) of net space; 33% of them came directly from outside the U.S. Of 64,438 industry professionals who registered to attend, 23% were internationals from 114 countries. For details on NPE 2006, visit www.npe.org.