CHINAPLAS 2018 in a bigger venue

For the first time in its history, CHINAPLAS 2018 is taking place at a new venue - the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Hongqiao, Shanghai, PR China, next month (April 24-27). The exhibition area is expected to exceed 320,000 square meters – 30% more exhibition space than that of the 2016 edition of the show in Shanghai. CHINAPLAS will bring together 4,000 exhibitors from around the world, who will be located in well-organised theme zones.  

 

A big leap 

Since China has implemented reforms and a more open policy, its economic and technological sectors have developed and changed rapidly. The country’s plastics and rubber industries, which are fundamental sectors, are growing significantly. New materials and processing technologies continue to emerge, and propel the expansion of upstream and downstream industries. Exhibitors and visitors alike have been demanding more and better exhibition services at CHINAPLAS, the leading plastics and rubber trade fair. This has driven Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., the show’s organiser, to continuously expand the event’s scale and upgrade its quality.  Previously, the Shanghai edition of the show was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in Pudong, but the exhibition had used up all the indoor exhibition halls that outdoor temporary exhibition halls had to be set up. Still, demand from exhibitors remains high that relocation to the new venue is deemed good for the long-term development of CHINAPLAS.   

 

 

The NECC is shaped like a blooming “four-leaf clover" and with a total construction area of ​​1.47 million square metres, it is the largest single block building and exhibition complex in the world. There are 400,000sq.m. of indoor area, which consists of 13 large exhibition halls and three small exhibition halls. There are conference rooms with different specifications and settings among the halls. The central area is a commercial plaza providing abundant catering services. 

 

NECC enjoys a unique geographical advantage. Located in the west of the core business district of Hongqiao, the linear distance from NECC to the Hongqiao traffic hub is only 1.5km. It is closely linked with the Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. Flights take only two to three hours to reach major cities in the Asia-Pacific region, while it takes one hour by rail to arrive to the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomerations and it takes just 30 minutes by subway to the Shanghai business districts. 

 

NECC opened its doors in 2015, and has been in full operation since 2016. Supporting facilities have also been gradually improving in the area near the fairgrounds. In terms of public transport, Metro Line 2 directly links to the NECC; Metro Line 17, which is connected to the northwest corner of NECC, is expected to be operating by year’s end.  The massive CHINAPLAS 2018 relocation project is equivalent to moving 4,000 houses to a new place at the same time. This is not a minor issue for any show, but is a particular challenge for the huge, technology-oriented CHINAPLAS.  

 

New Theme Zones   

To bring visitors a good and convenient experience, the show organiser is rearranging the overall theme zone layout. Extrusion-related technology will be in the eastern part of the NECC, injection moulding technology will be in the west, and blow moulding technology will occupy the southern part of the complex. Exhibits of the same category are also arrange in nearby locations, for example, “film technology and plastic packaging machinery” and “injection moulding technology and smart manufacturing equipment” etc. And different European pavilions, which were scattered among different halls in the past, will be gathered in Hall 2H at CHINAPLAS 2018. 

 

In response to rising market demands, CHINAPLAS 2018 will also introduce a “3D Technology Zone” and a “Thermoplastic Elastomers & Rubber Zone”. To cater for the demands of customisation and small-batch production, with the aim of shortening development cycle time and reducing costs arising from Industry 4.0, CHINAPLAS will set up a “3D Technology Zone” to group together the vendors and providers of 3D printing (additive manufacturing) technologies. The new theme zone and the concurrent event “The 3rd Industry 4.0 Conference” will complement each other, providing a comprehensive experience for the enterprises interested in 3D printing technology and “smart manufacturing”. Exhibitors that have reserved their exhibit space include Autodesk, Ureal, Cang Ming, dMac, ZWSOFT, and more.   

 

In recent years, the market is accelerating for energy-saving, environmentally friendly and lightweight thermoplastic elastomers. They are widely used in the automotive, electronics and electrical, medical and footwear industries. The coming edition of CHINAPLAS is introducing the "Thermoplastic Elastomers & Rubber Zone" to the “Chemicals & Raw Materials Zone”, and is expected to attract about 70 suppliers to showcase the latest development in this field. Exhibitors that have reserved their space include Huntsman, Momentive, SIBUR, Top Polymer, Dawn, Huafon, and so on. 

 

Robust demand for exhibit space   

The global economy is gradually recovering, and the plastics and rubber industries are growing strongly. This positive trend has been clearly visible since the beginning of 2017, with a record-breaking number of visitors attending CHINAPLAS 2017 and strong business being generated during that show. Many exhibitors said the orders they received during CHINAPLAS 2017 in Guangzhou enabled them to meet their entire year’s business target. Exhibitors also said that many visitors came with a clear purchasing plan, and those visitors were particularly interested in new technologies and total solutions. 

 

To further enhance the exhibition’s service level and quality, attendees will be charged RMB 50 for a one-day pass and RMB 80 for a four-day pass. Visitors can enjoy admission discount through online pre-registration from now till April 18, 2018, at an early-bird rate of RMB 50 for a four-day pass. To pre-register, visit www.ChinaplasOnline.com/prereg.