Dear Reader,

After drinktec is before K show: Only a few weeks between the two world’s leading trade fairs - that only happens every twelve years under normal circumstances - and is quite unpopular with exhibitors from the PET and plastics world. Due to the pandemic-related postponement of drinktec from 2021 to 2022, this situation will occur again in three years, as Messe München has annnounced 2025 for the next drinktec. The K trade fair, on the other hand, will remain in its rhythm and also take place in 2025. This is a considerable double burden for many exhibitors who present themselves at both fairs, given the expected enormous cost increases in the next few years.

After drinktec is before K show: In our discussions with drinktec exhibitors, the conclusion was consistently positive with regard to the quality of the visitors. “... but of course, we would have been pleased to have a few more”, was the frequently heard statement. According to official information from Messe München, just under 50,000 visitors from 169 countries came to see the 1002 exhibitors at the Munich exhibition centre. Drinktec is the world’s leading trade fair for innovations in the beverage industry. Visitors and exhibitors love sharing their thoughts and networking on this technology-driven exhibition. A comparison with Drinktec 2017, with more than 76,000 visitors and almost 1750 exhibitors, makes one thing abundantly clear: the world is a different place today than it was five years ago.

Among the ongoing trade fair activities in the Bavarian capital this September, packaging and PET related exhibitors already had the K show in mind: What will it be like there? An exciting question. We are already switching on the spotlights - presenting developments from the world of PET and packaging in the K preview of this comPETence issue. The focus is on new technological and machine developments in injection moulding, stretch blow moulding, recycling and multilayers with their respective market challenges.

Stay tuned and visit www.petnology.com for more K show news.

Yours,

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Otto Appel

PETnology/tecPET GmbH

comPETence FOUR:22