NPE2024 – The Plastic Show Exhibitor Participation Report

NPE2024, held for five days from May 6th, 2024, is one of the world's largest exhibitions, held every three years, bringing together the latest technologies and products in the plastics industry. This year marked the first time the event has been held since 2018, with approximately 2,000 companies from around the world setting up booths to showcase cutting-edge technologies and innovative products, and more than 50,000 visitors from 133 countries attending.

This was our first time exhibiting at this international exhibition, where we introduced our technology and products. We will report on the NPE2024 event, our exhibit status, and our impressions on the ground.

It was unexpectedly deserted...but then we were greeted with a hectic welcome!

This year's event was held in Orlando, Florida, home to Disneyland and Universal Studios. The venue was the Orange County Convention Center, the largest in the United States. Our booth was located at the very back of the South Hall. It took about 10 minutes to reach our booth from the entrance. We were excited to see how many people would come to our booth.

We were all on standby in matching uniforms, but the morning of the first day passed by quietly... This is bad! I thought to myself, but I continued to wait impatiently. In the afternoon, the place gradually became more lively, and more and more people began to visit our booth. The venue was huge, so it seemed to take some time to reach the back where our booth was located.

We had a wide variety of visitors, including those looking for new materials, those who happened to drop by, and trading companies and exhibitors who came to sell their products. We were also able to have in-depth conversations with customers from Central and South America, who are far from Japan and difficult to meet in person.

Discover many exciting new things from other companies' exhibits! Unique booths

Our company's guides also took turns visiting other companies' booths when they found the time. Sometimes it took a 25-minute walk to get to the booth they were looking for. Compared to the domestic exhibitions that we have mainly exhibited at, there were many playful and unique booths. There was a welcoming cafe space, a golf simulation experience, a huge two-story booth, and more, so just looking around was fun.

We learned a lot that we hadn't learned at domestic exhibitions, such as how to design a booth that is easy to understand what you want to promote even from a distance and that evokes a corporate image. We also realized that from next time, we want to aim for a booth that is more pop, has a clearer concept, and is more approachable.

Other members said that they were welcomed at the booths of the customers they visited, and were able to have in-depth conversations with people from departments they would not normally meet, which allowed them to gain a multifaceted understanding of the client companies.
Also, when I visited a booth of a company that I thought was a competitor, I honestly explained that I was interested in their products because they were selling similar products, and they were surprisingly friendly and explained their products to me and made small talk. Perhaps it was because it was an overseas exhibition, or perhaps it was the open atmosphere of Florida that made them feel this way. It was a very pleasant experience.

During breaks and outside the exhibition hall

There were many snack stands set up in the lobby area of the exhibition hall, and a permanent cafe offered pizza, sandwiches, drinks, etc. A hot dog set cost over $12, and a cup of coffee was about $6, so I felt the pain of the weak yen, but I still managed to get some takeout snacks for lunch and enjoyed them outside the venue under the blue sky.

lastly···

The five-day overseas exhibition took nearly a year to prepare, and although there were some accidents along the way, we managed to complete it safely.
In addition to the results that directly relate to the business, such as meeting new customers, interacting with existing customers, and gathering information on the industry and technology, we also learned a lot about marketing activities, such as booth design and experiencing the unique atmosphere of booths overseas.
The only thing I didn't anticipate was how strong the air conditioning was in the exhibition hall. I was shivering even though I was wearing multiple layers of jacket. It's important to be prepared for anything.