K 2013 Duesseldorf: No. 1 platform for world premieres

More than 3,000 companies of the global plastics and rubber industries will present solutions for today and tomorrowWhen it comes to innovative applications, the products and solutions of the plastics and rubber industry are the No. 1 choice. Whatever the application – the packaging or construction sector, automotive or electronics industry, medical technology, household goods industry or communication technology – plastics are the material for innovation and sustainability. The facts speak for themselves: plastics are easy to process, their properties can be tailored to the application in question, and their low weight and attractive price/performance ratio have paved the way to numerous fields of application. And these are constantly being joined by new ones. Furthermore, as far as energy conservation and climate protection are concerned, polymers have proven themselves as problem-solvers and still harbour plenty of potential.

The same can be said of the rubber industry. In addition to vehicle tyres that account for about 60 per cent of world rubber consumption, the applications of this elastic material can be neatly summed up as "sealing", "damping" and "materials handling". For example, rubber products seal large stadium roofs and tiny medical ampoules, contribute to the smooth, quiet and energy-efficient running of trains, engines/motors, conveyor belt systems and wind turbines, while transmitting power in drive belts and feeding fluids in hoses. And the relatively young group of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) is constantly conquering new fields of application. Renewable resources and biodegradable polymers have meanwhile also arrived in the world of TPEs.

Raw materials producers, manufacturers of plastics and rubber machines, processing companies, and the research establishments and competence centres supporting industry set standards with their research and development work. And make their impression on the market, as leading companies generate roughly a third of their sales with products that are no more than three years old.

K 2013 as a platform for premieres
Anyone who wants to meet the innovative companies of the sector needs a platform to present him- or herself. For the last sixty years, the forum for the plastics and rubber industry has been K Düsseldorf. Every three years, exhibitors and trade visitors from all continents come together to deepen existing or create new business relations with a view to stimulating development work in dialogue between suppliers and prospective customers. Trade visitors use K to obtain a global overview of the current situation and of the industry’s prospects for the future, and to get to know and directly compare new products and applications. For exhibitors, it is all about standing the scrutiny of a professional audience, making a good showing relative to the competition as well as interacting with customers and partners to identify trends early on and shape markets.

Innovation dominates K – surpassing all other trade fairs for the plastics and rubber industry, it offers the biggest and densest spectrum of ideas and products. At K 2013 from 16 to 23 October, some 3,000 companies from all over the world will again be showing the trade public their products and processes in the categories of machinery & equipment, raw materials & auxiliaries, and semi-finished products, technical parts & reinforced plastics. The exhibiting companies are already working flat out to present themselves in the best-possible light, i.e. with inspirational innovations.

The manufacturers of plastics and rubber products as well as their industrial end users will be able to witness the pinnacle of developments in machine, process and materials technology at K 2013. Again, some 200,000 trade visitors from all continents will be keen to seize this opportunity. For the vast majority of experts interviewed in the K 2010 visitor survey on the goals of their trip to the fair, the chief focus of interest is on information on novelties and trends and on innovative products, systems and applications. Their assessment of what exhibitors had on show was thoroughly positive. Well over 90 per cent of visitors were very satisfied or satisfied with the impressions gained.

K makes the difference!
The motto for K 2013 is "K makes the difference". And the fair will live up to its claim, as exhibitors and Messe Düsseldorf are eager to demonstrate. K differs on decisive counts from other events in the industry around the world – for the benefit of exhibitors and visitors, as there are a multitude of compelling reasons for attending K.

Superior offering
K is synonymous with the greatest variety and highest innovation density worldwide. It stands apart from all other fairs for the plastics and rubber industry in affording a comprehensive overview of products, technologies and services. An assurance of the world-class quality of all the market segments covered is again the sheer number and internationality of exhibitors. Among the companies from almost 60 countries, suppliers from Europe and particularly from Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and France will again be out in strength.

At the same time, the changes on the world market are clearly reflected at K. The number and booked floor space of companies from Asia has increased considerably over the last K in 2010. The net exhibition space of Asia’s five biggest exhibiting nations alone – China, Taiwan, India, Japan and South Korea – has grown by good third. After the industry’s crisis years, US exhibitors are again putting in a highly representative appearance with net booked space totalling about 5,300 square metres. The growing plastics industry in Turkey will be exhibiting on net space of roughly 4,000 square metres, 1,000 up over three years ago.

All world market leaders will be present at K 2013 as well as numerous interesting newcomers and spin-offs. They cover the entire spectrum of the industry, from standard to high-tech solutions, and from proven processes to visionary approaches. They ensure that the key themes of the sector – first and foremost the efficient use of energy, resources and materials – as well as special segments will be spotlighted.

Superior in terms of comprehensiveness
K spans the industry’s entire value chain – from raw materials production and machine manufacture, including the complete range of peripheral equipment through to processing. And rubber is also very much an indispensable factor at the fair. Though smaller than the plastics industry, rubber occupies centre-stage in important customer industries and is highly innovative. The Rubber Street in Hall 6 is a permanent fixture at K Düsseldorf and is much appreciated by visitors.

The very fact that K covers the industry’s full breadth and depth makes it so attractive for trade visitors from all over the world. Numerous industrial end users therefore also come to Düsseldorf in order gather new ideas for their fields of business and their products. K has become an important information platform for developers, design engineers and production specialists from different branches of industry because exhibitors are constantly presenting new application possibilities for plastics and rubber.

Superior structure
The Düsseldorf exhibition grounds are renowned for their functionalism and – despite their size – their short distances. K 2013’s clear layout aids orientation and enables all trade visitors to obtain the information they need for their professional interests without searching or detours.

Manufacturers of machinery and equipment are occupying Halls 1 to 4 and 9 to 17, again booking slightly more exhibition space than in 2010. Traditionally, they make up the largest exhibitor group at K and parade the world’s biggest array of progressive production, processing and finishing technologies.

Suppliers of raw materials, semi-finished products and technical parts are exhibiting in Halls 5 to 8a. The range of raw materials will again be more extensive than three years ago. Apart from the optimisation of standard polymers, the important themes will be bio-, special and reinforced plastics and the latest developments in the fields of structural materials and functional polymers for futuristic applications.

Superior supporting programme
The multi-faceted offering of exhibitors is being supplemented by a supporting programme that promises trade visitors added benefit, e.g. the already traditional special show in Hall 6, entitled "Plastics move the world" in 2013. Forward-looking aspects of the theme of mobility will be presented here – with everything from lightweight construction in the design of vehicles, aircraft and ships via electromobility to personal mobility and modern leisure behaviour. The topics covered will include climate-compatible energy and transport strategies as well as changes in the world of work and leisure thanks to mobile means of communication. With multimedia and reference to selected exhibits and in daily rounds of discussion with experts from science and industry, the show will demonstrate the contribution that plastics and rubber can make to "life on the move".

The special show K 2013 is again being organised by the German plastics industry under the supervision of Plastics Europe Deutschland e.V. and Messe Düsseldorf.

For the first time at K 2013, university and research institutes will be collectively presenting the themes of the future at the Science Campus. Grouping these institutions in Hall 7.0 will facilitate an even better overview of the activities and findings of scientific organisations and encourage livelier dialogue between research and industry. The pivotal issues of the industry will be aired at the communication and discussion forum in the heart of the Science Campus.

Bioplastics – both bio-based and biodegradable – are a major talking point and rank among the industry’s exciting themes of the future. Anyone who wants to find out about their potential and possibilities will have plenty of opportunities at the stands of exhibitors at K 2013. Over and above this, bioplastics MAGAZINE will be cooperating with Messe Düsseldorf in organising three knowledge-deepening events. From 17 to 19 October, in each case from 8 am to 12 noon, the Bioplastics Business Breakfasts will serve as a medium for the latest news.

Printed electronics is an important innovation theme of the plastics industry, which is why current printed electronics developments will also be present at K. Both print technologies and functionalised surfaces like RFID solutions, flexible displays and OLEDS will be on show for trade visitors from the processing and user industries. A special brochure will guide interested visitors.

Superior services
Messe Düsseldorf is an international trade fair organiser and, with a range of over 50 trade fairs in Germany and about 100 events of its own and participations abroad, one of the most important export platforms. To make the time spent by all visitors at K 2013 as pleasant and comfortable as possible, there is a big emphasis on service at Messe Düsseldorf.

To highlight the abundance of innovations, the Innovation Compass was introduced back at K 2010. On its premiere, there were plenty of accolades for this medium, which has now been refined and updated by industry experts. As of now, keynote articles on raw materials/auxiliaries and machinery/equipment will be drawing attention to futuristic developments. Some six weeks ahead of the fair, exhibitors’ product information will be going online. With the help of a search matrix, those interested can then track down those companies at www.ic-k-online.de which, in clearly defined fields of application, are presenting significantly improved or even fundamentally modified products and processes. This will enable trade visitors to individually plan and make efficient use of their stay at the exhibition grounds.

In addition, www.k-online.de is offering exhibiting companies and visitors a wealth of useful news and helpful tips. The plastics fair’s service portal has meanwhile firmly established itself in the virtual marketplace – the 40,000 visits each month reflect its appeal. The very latest daily news from the industry, topical reports from research fields concerned with the use of plastics, and links to trade journals and scientific bodies give the user that decisive information edge. If desired, K-related news can be sent by electronic newsletter to the user’s PC. With personalised services like the personal notebook MyOrganizer, MyCalendar for online appointments and MyCatalogue for compiling one’s personal trade fair catalogue, the K portal has a host of useful tools for planning the trip to the fair. The offer even extends to information on travelling to and staying in Düsseldorf and also includes the opportunity to book hotel rooms online.

From February, exhibitors to K 2013 will be presenting themselves with their product ranges and information on their companies in the exhibitor database. This gives visitors effective assistance in the search for companies, goods categories and product information. And should any questions remain unanswered, there is K Matchmaking. This online tool helps all those who have special questions for exhibitors or are looking for a product with very specific characteristics. And who want make an inquiry initially without commitment. Anonymity is assured until the exhibitor replies. Only then does the inquirer decide whether he or she wants further contact by email.

Entirely new is the possibility of purchasing tickets to K via the Internet and printing them at home. As of March 2013, this service will be conveniently available at www.k-online.de. The main advantage of the eTicket is that it is cheaper. The three-day ticket is available online for EUR 108, while costing EUR 135 on site. And there is yet another reason for purchasing the ticket in advance. When travelling to the exhibition centre, it can be used as a free ticket on all transport modes of the local public transport network.

With the K app, all the key information is also available on the move. The complete exhibitor data and many other facts and figures can be downloaded to any smartphone – thus making the application the ideal companion before and during the visit to the fair in Düsseldorf.

Having arrived at the exhibition grounds, K participants will find a multitude of service facilities awaiting them. These range from everything from a doctor’s practice, banks, various shops and service providers to a travel agent, restaurants, manpower services and hotel reservation service.

And K does not stop at the boundaries of the exhibition venue. Many business deals and talks already initiated or completed on the premises can be cemented in the evening in Düsseldorf’s famous "Altstadt" or Old Town. With its broad selection of pubs, restaurants and shops, it is definitely worth a visit. And, in addition to this, Düsseldorf has plenty more to interest the visitor, e.g. over 20 museums, musical shows, the opera house, theatres, shopping malls and, of course, the Königsallee (or "Kö" for short), the city’s elegant shopping boulevard.

One thing in the world of plastics and rubber is undisputed: anyone who is interested in the innovations of the industry, who wants to offer his customers ever more attractive products or who is planning to invest or wants to find out about the competition – K is a must for all those wishing to consolidate or build on their market position.

K 2013 - At a Glance:

Event title: K 2013
International Trade Fair No. 1 for Plastics and Rubber Worldwide

Staging cycle: Every three years   

Show venue: Düsseldorf Fairgrounds Halls 1 – 17   

Date: 16 – 23 October 2013   
Opening hours:  Daily from 10 am - 6.30 pm

Entrance fees: Day ticket: € 49,00 online/ € 65,00 on-site                          
3-Days-ticket: € 108,00 online/ € 135,00 on-site

A glance back at K 2010: Exhibitors: 3.094 from 56 countries
(1.072 from Germany, 2.022 from other countries)   

Net exhibition space:  162.093 sqm

Visitors: 222.000                               
(43 % from Germany, 57% from other countries)