Articles

• At the show, time is precious: Get organized
  So, you’re headed to NPE 2006 (June 19-23, Chicago; www.npe.org) and your boss has given you just enough money for two days at the show, or maybe if you’re lucky you get two-and-a-half days with a couple nights in a hotel in Schaumburg. In the interest of time, efficiency, and sanity, this means you have to hit the show with an organized sense of the exhibitors you want to see, and where they’re located. There’s much territory to cover at NPE and getting your act together ahead of time will be critical.


• Not your father's NPE
  NPE 2006 (June 19-23, Chicago) is being billed as an international plastics exposition, and although U.S.-based firms still dominate the list of exhibitors, there's no doubt that number of foreign firms on the floor come June will be the largest ever.


• The price of flight to Chicago
  If you're even thinking about attending NPE 2006, a good start is to get to Chicago. We're keeping tabs on airfares for you. This list shows the cost (U.S. dollars) to get from several major cities to Chicago, as of early mid February. Our source is travelocity.com. Dates include a Saturday night stay in the Windy City. Check back here each issue and we'll keep updating the numbers for you.


• Developing export options
  There's a lot of talk in the plastics industry about how developing countries are taking manufacturing work, but that doesn't mean there isn't opportunity for North American plastics processors to develop export markets. At least that's the view of the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce.


• Spotlight on moldmaking
  If you're headed to NPE 2006 (June 19-23, Chicago; www.npe.org) intent on seeing the latest and greatest in mold design and moldmaking technoloy and expertise you're in luck. Located in the East Hall of McCormick Place will be the North American Moldmakes Pavilion, sponsored by The Society of the Plastics Industry's (SPI) Moldmakers Div., the American Mold Builders Assn. (AMBA), and the Canadian Assn. of Moldmakers (CAMM).