Last week's NPE2012 show in Orlando was, by virtually every standard of measurement, a smash hit. Each of the many, many exhibitors and attendees I spoke with told me so. I spoke to them at their booths while discussing new technology. I spoke with them at our booth in those brief periods of time I got to sit and collect my thoughts. I spoke with them at one of several social functions I attended. I spoke with them on the plane ride home. Based on the last numbers I saw  reported by the Society of the Plastics Industry, the show organizer, total show registration was close to 55,000. I didn't speak to that many people for sure, but it seemed that way.

Orlando was a new venue for the triannual trade show after decades in Chicago. There isn't a tremendous amount of processing going on down or around there, so, unlike a show in the Midwest, folks who wanted to attend were unlikely to drive; they had to buy a ticket and get on a plane. These and other reasons made for some apprehensive moments before the show-opening, ribbon-cutting ceremony. Because no matter how many ads you run and emails you send out and free show invitations you distribute (and the SPI and the show exhibitors did a lot of those things), you never really know if all your time, effort and expense will bear fruit until those doors swing open Well, these efforts were successful in a big way.

We'll be reporting on the new technology that exhibitors had on display in the weeks ahead. We'll be following up on other chit-chat we heard from the show floor as well. I heard a lot of stories about reshoring...manufacturing jobs in plastics that had gone to China but are now coming back. 

Make no mistake, the plastics processing marketplace has been in comeback mode. Some say the resurgence actually started shortly after NPE2009. In my made, NPE2012 was yet another confirmation of this reality.

Job well done.

Plan on attending NPE2012 April 1-5 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.? Then please make plans to stop and see Plastics Technology. We'll be at booth 3303 in the West Hall. We're calling our booth The Knowledge Network. It's a booth theme that is consistent with the intent of all of the print and electronic products we offer: provide useful knowledge to our audience of plastics processors by acting as a conduit between them and the experts in the field.

We have lots of activities planned. In fact, we've created a special website dedicated to those activities. Click here to learn more. Check out the list of experts in materials, injection molding, extrusion, blow molding and tooling who will be speaking at our booth. Stop in on any of these presentations. They're free.

Enter the Plastics Technology Knowledge Network contest while at the booth to get:

1) A Knowledge Network T-shirt

2) Two drink tickets redeemable for refreshments in the Network Bar

3) A chance to win 1 of 5 tablets being given away at the show.    

And check this site often for updates.

Hope to see you there.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Every couple of months we survey our readers to get their feelings on business conditions and the like. We call this survey the Processors' Pulse, and our December results suggest a revival of sorts in North American processing.

Some highlights from the 285 processors who responded to this 30-second survey:

• Roughly 52% said they were "somewhat more optimistic" about the general econonmy. In our October study, 32% expressed such optimism; in August the number was 30%.
• In our December study 60% reported "somewhat better" business conditions, while another 12% indicated "much better" business conditions. In October, these numbers were 58% and 11%, respectively.
• Our December survey showed that nearly 35% of processors studied said they were "very likey" to purchase capital equipment over the next 12 months, while another 34% said they were "somewhat likely" to do so.
• Nearly 40% of responding processors said they planned to attend NPE.
• A whopping 70% of those said what they saw at NPE will influence what they buy.

Shoot me an email if you would like a copy of the study.