Steady figures for the international triennial show PLAST'09 - Milan, March 24-28

Facing not easy time, the plastics and rubber industries - throughout the relevant chain and in most markets around the world affected by the economic crisis - get ready for a rendezvous that will allow operators to compare their experiences and strategies. Within the fairground of FieraMilano, from March 24 through 28, 2009, some 1,300 companies - Italians and foreign ones coming from over 40 countries, directly and represented, occupying 7 halls or almost 60,000 sqm net exhibiting area - will be giving the start to the fifteenth PLAST. Many machines will be exhibited in operation, thanks to the financial support provided by the organizer that will cover part of the connections and energy consumption costs. A few weeks before the show, it is now at final stage also the organization of the side events, in particular the articulated conferences and technical seminars program, offering the following main subjects: Wednesday March 25, 2009 --"PROCESSABILITY OF PVC FILMS. MANUFACTURER AND CONSUMER WARRANTY" (Secretariat: CENTRO DI INFORMAZIONE SUL PVC) --"POLYMER ENGINEERING: EDUCATION AND RESEARCH FOR TOMORROW'S INDUSTRY" (Secretariat: LIM.pol) Wednesday March 25-Thursday March 26, 2009 --"PLASTICS & AGRICULTURE" - International Conference (Secretariat: PROMAPLAST srl) Thursday March 26, 2009 --"ADVANCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NATIONAL COMMUNITY" (Secretariat: ASSOCOMPOSITI, with the patronage of CNR and in cooperation with Napoli University) --"CREATIVE DESIGN: EPS PACKAGING" (Secretariat: AIPE) Friday March 27, 2009 --"PLASTICS MATERIALS FOR PACKAGING: NEWS FROM THE RESEARCH" (Secretariat: AIM-ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA DI SCIENZA E TECNOLOGIA DELLE MACROMOLECOLE, in cooperation with ISTITUTO ITALIANO IMBALLAGGIO and with the support of ASSOCOMAPLAST) --"INNOVATION IN PLASTIC COATING" (Secretariat: ANVER-ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE VERNICIATORI) --"PLASTICS AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE" (Secretariat: SPE Italia) As regards professional visitors, the expectations are slightly optimistic, considering the nearly 8,000 pre-registrations recorded by January 31, 2009, from operators around the world: 5% more compared to the same deadline scheduled on occasion of PLAST'06. Moreover, the visit of over 30 official delegations is also awaited - being business missions organized in cooperation with the Italian Trade Commission and sectoral industry Associations of the respective countries of origin, among them many will have their own institutional booth within the exhibition - which represents an additional matter and confirms the international vocation of PLAST. PLAST'09 will be held together with IPACK-IMA 2009, GRAFITALIA and CONVERFLEX 2009, events devoted to packaging, graphic arts and converting sectors. By showing at the gates of PLAST'09 the ticket of any of these concurrent exhibitions, visitors can enter the plastics and rubber show, thus exploiting the opportunity to get, with a single visit to Milan, a panoramic view on four complementary sectors. The web-site www.plast09.org is constantly updated with information for exhibitors and visitors. (Press Release: Plast'09)