Mar 19 2009
The Dow Chemical Company will sponsor two key programs at NPE2009, reflecting the company's commitment to supporting innovation in the plastics industry and endorsing initiatives for sustainability, it was announced today by The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI), producer of the triennial NPE event. NPE2009 will take place June 22-26 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
In an agreement with SPI, Dow will be the exclusive corporate underwriter of ANTEC™ 2009, which is co-located with NPE2009. Organized by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), ANTEC is the world’s largest plastics technical conference and this year will include a record 750 or more original, peer-reviewed presentations.
As part of the agreement, Dow will also sponsor the sustainability sector in SPI’s Emerging Technology Pavilion, a new type of multi-exhibitor program that includes three other technology sectors: bioplastics, nanotechnology, and energy. The major corporate underwriter of the pavilion is the DuPont Company.
“NPE2009 will be the central plastics event in this year of economic troubles, and Dow’s involvement in key programs at NPE is a way for us to support the industry and keep it strong, innovative and destined for major growth,” said Glenn Wright, commercial vice president for basic plastics in North America. “We are particularly interested in the emphasis on sustainability evident in many programs planned for NPE2009 and intend to make our contribution through presentations on a number of relevant topics.”
The Dow and DuPont sponsorships reflect the extensive involvement in NPE2009 by material suppliers, according to Gene Sanders, SPI vice president of trade shows. “Participation in NPE2009 by producers of resins, compounds, and additives will include not o*nly exhibits on the show floor but numerous presentations in educational events, technical conferences, and special programs like our International Plastics Design Competition,” said Sanders. “By expanding NPE beyond the traditional trade show core, SPI has provided new opportunities for these companies to make their presence known.”