Lots of videos, interviews and highlight tours still available after the fair!
Last week (19 to 26 October), K 2022, The World's No.1 Trade Fair for Plastics & Rubber, came to a close at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf.
This year, for the first time, those who could not be on site every day were also taken live to the trade fair: Daily live highlight tours provided exciting insights into what was happening at the fair and also captured innovations, products and statements by exhibitors. These tours, interviews and impressions can still be experienced now: https://www.k-online.com/en/Review/K-LIVE/K-LIVE
Meanwhile, the exhibitors in the exhibition halls were highly satisfied with the international trade visitors, their willingness to invest and the great interest in the three hot topics of circular economy, climate protection and digitalisation.
Here are some of the exhibitors' testimonials:
“For Asahi Kasei K 2022 was by far the biggest trade fair – measured by stand size, product range and visitor numbers. In addition to our AKXY2 concept car, our plastic solutions for automotive interiors as well as our particle foams for battery applications were clearly the focus of interest among visitors to our stand.” Martin Aeschlimann, General Manager Engineering Plastics Division, Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH
“K is simply the most international, the most dynamic and the most forward looking not only trade fair, but actually platform in the industry. It is the beginning of a new era, it is really the beginning of the era of sustainability in the plastics industry. Everywhere you go here at K you can really sense and feel that.” Richard Amberger, Group Leader Communications Performance Materials Europe, BASF
“The K exhibitors from the plastics producing industry are very satisfied. Customers and partners from many sectors were especially interested in developments and projects related to the circular economy and climate neutrality since all industries are urgently looking for solutions to reduce emissions and save resources. Regardless of the current crises, plastics producers draw confidence from their world-leading trade fair. For us K 2022 was the perfect platform to accelerate the journey into a sustainable future with plastics. Over the whole duration of the trade fair we experienced strong international interest, enriching encounters and a noticeable sense of optimism. Add to this the in-depth dialogue with policy-makers and the media, which helped carry K’s messages and content beyond the exhibition halls. K demonstrated once again: we deliver the right answers to the pivotal questions of our time.” Ingemar Bühler, Managing Director Plastics Europe Germany.
“K 2022 also draws to a close with a clear commitment to sustainability and the circular economy for the rubber industry, too. Nearly all raw and auxiliary materials suppliers to the rubber industry represented at K are on the path to climate neutrality. The same applies to mechanical engineering. Since the last K (2019) a global supply chain platform for sustainable natural rubber has been established; this opens up new avenues for re-use of rubber products after their first use such as the ‘Allianz Zukunft Reifen’ (Alliance Future Tyres) (AZuR). The Rubber Street in Hall 6 of K 2022 and the positive feedback we received there confirm the interest of the elastomer industry in re-use and recycling options for rubber products as well as in living the circular economy. We can look forward to the concepts presented here being put into everyday practice by K 2025. Boris Engelhardt, Managing Director wdk e.V. (German Rubber Manufacturers’ Association)
“Jomar found K 2022 to be quite successful and although we had less overall visitors than in years past, the quality of the visitors was greatly increased.” Ron Gabriele, Global Sales and Marketing Manager, Jomar Corporation
“We are highly satisfied with the results of the trade fair. Recycling and the circular economy have been embraced 100% by the plastics industry. We notice this both in the high visitor footfall at our stand and in the Circonomic Centre, as well as in the very pleasing number of sales deals concluded overall.” Manfred Hackl, CEO EREMA Group GmbH
“Plastics and rubber machinery producers arrive at a very positive verdict: they have succeeded in presenting their technology innovations to a broad professional audience and in closing many good business deals. K 2022 has given the circular economy an enormous boost. The interest taken by national but above all also international trade visitors clearly exceeded machinery producers’ expectations; they showcased their innovations specifically geared to the circular economy at VDMA’s Circular Economy Forum in addition to their exhibition stands. With the Circular Economy Forum we have sent out a clear signal and made a clear commitment to the circular economy. This was received very well by visitors. The exhibitors themselves were a little surprised by the strong interest taken by the trade audience.” Thorsten Kühmann, General Manager Plastics and Rubber Machinery, VDMA
”K 2022 exhibition was extremely successful for SIKORA. Contrary to the subdued expectations of Messe Düsseldorf, we were able to register a significant increase in visitors compared to 2019. As expected, most visitors came from Germany, but also international guests, for example from India, Italy, Poland and Turkey, were represented. The discussions at our booth were not only numerous, but also characterized by a high quality, which gives hope for a good follow-up business. The focus was clearly on quality and efficiency increase as well as circular economy and sustainability. We are already looking forward to the next K in 2025!” Holger Lieder, Director of Sales/Interim Director Marketing & Service, SIKORA AG
“The plastic converting industry gives a positive verdict on K 2022. Once again, a high-calibre international trade fair audience with decision-making authority found its way to Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre to attend K 2022. The first major event in the plastics industry held since the beginning of the Covid pandemic had been eagerly anticipated by many exhibitors and trade fair visitors. K 2022 passed this acid test. It became evident again that K as the world’s No. 1 trade fair serves not only as a “projection screen” and showcase for the latest innovations in plastics technology but also as a unique worldwide forum for discussions and exchange for the entire plastics value chain. K 2022 has served both these purposes in an outstanding way.” Dr. Oliver Möllenstädt, General Manager German Plastics Converters Association (gkv e.V.)
Our booth entertained visitors from 82 countries who were keen to know about our expanded PP and PE solutions. Many also showed interest in exploring investment opportunities at our Ladayn Polymer Park in Oman. Congratulations and thank you Messe Dusseldorf for hosting such a marvelous and long-standing tradeshow.” Ron Reago, Marcom Head, OQ
“Our team is satisfied with the number of visitors and even more so with the quality of the interaction. We were especially happy to be able to meet them on site again and to have good conversations with them. By our assessment, German and European visitors were more dominant this time, but North and South Americans and various Asian countries were also strongly represented again. Customers and partners were particularly interested in our developments and projects related to the circular economy and climate neutrality; after all, all industries are urgently looking for solutions to cut emissions and save resources. Despite all other restrictions caused by the current crisis, we are confident that the plastics industry as a solutions provider will continue focusing on answers to the major global challenges for many consumer industries.” Dr. Frank Rothbarth, Corporate Trade Media Relations, Communications, Covestro
“We are very satisfied with K 2022. We recorded an enormous run on our trade fair stand and the arburgGREENworld pavilion in VDMA’s Circular Economy Forum throughout the course of the trade fair, including at the weekend. Under the current circumstances we had not expected such a strong response in terms of the quantity, quality and international origin of visitors. Our communications strapline “There is only a Plan A” obviously hit the bull’s eye: the interest in our focal themes sustainability, digitalisation and resilience was enormous. We presented great applications and innovative technology and demonstrated that our portfolio and services offer everything to strengthen our customers’ resilience, not only during these challenging times. We are also very proud of our trainees who “rocked” the arburgGREENworld Pavilion and with great commitment discussed sustainable and resource-conserving solutions and the future of plastics especially also with young visitors.” Dr. Schumacher, Head of Business Unit Global Marketing, Arburg
"Participating to K2022 was very special for DOMO in many ways. After years inside Hall 5, we decided for an outdoor pavilion, co-hosted with our partner Circularise - and the decision paid off in full. We welcomed key decision-makers and partners to the booth and registered more interest overall across all regions and continents. As a supplier of technical polyamides, we offer high-performance solutions for a genuine and sustainable circular economy. It is great to see that this is a joint ambition of the entire chemical and plastics industry, already delivering concrete results for CO2 reduction. One thing became clear this year: K, at 70 years old, is younger and more innovative than ever!” Ludovic Tonnerre, Chief Commercial Officer, DOMO Chemicals
“Nearly all nations without exceptions were represented, both on the sales side and on the customer side. Our European launches and the Medical Machine garnered particularly strong interest. A predominant topic in the discussions was the subject of energy.” Dominik Wiesner, Marketing & Communications Europe, Haitian International Germany GmbH
Next K in Düsseldorf will be held from 8 to 15 October 2025.
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