Chinaplas 2024 ends with a record-breaking attendance of over 320,000 visitors
Chinaplas 2024 successfully concluded on April 26 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai, drawing significant global attention from the plastics and rubber industries. The event featured 4,495 exhibitors from 38 countries across 380,000 sqm and achieved a record-breaking attendance of 321,879 visitors from over 170 countries, marking a 29.67% increase from the 2023 Shenzhen exhibition. Notably, 73,204 of the visitors were from overseas, a 157.50% increase compared to the previous year.
“As the plastics and rubber industries pursue high-quality development, CHINAPLAS is also on a path of high-quality growth. Renowned exhibitors from around the world showcased their innovative products, highlighting the “New Productive Forces,” while local and international buyers with strong purchasing power came together for this significant event. Placing orders, signing contracts, sharing good news, engaging in face-to-face discussions on technological innovations, and unlocking industry opportunities have become the norm at the exhibition. The satisfaction of both exhibitors and visitors with the event's effectiveness has significantly increased, “ said Ms. Ada Leung, General Manager of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., the organizer of Chinaplas.
Highlight on global plastics and rubber market trends
Focusing on the four main themes of "Circular Economy," "Innovative Materials," "Digitalisation" and "High-End Technologies from China," the exhibition showcased innovative technologies presented by global exhibitors. It highlighted keywords such as carbon reduction, energy efficiency, cost reduction, intelligence, efficiency and high quality, directly addressing customer pain points and demands, and getting a lot of attentions in the fairground.
Exhibitors at the show introduced various innovative achievements, including bio-based plastics, biodegradable plastics with exceptional performance, single-material solutions, post-consumer recycled polycarbonate, chemically recycled medical-grade ABS materials, additives to enhance the performance of recycled plastics, carbon capture technologies, 100% recyclable closed-loop production lines for bottle caps, and online granulating recycling technologies. These innovations fostered deep exploration and collaboration within the industry.
Innovative materials were prominently featured at the exhibition, including a wide range of materials for PV storage and charging applications, such as ETFE films that enhance the power generation efficiency of PV modules, adhesives,back sheets, and energy storage solutions; and fast-charging materials. There was also a significant increase in solutions for fuel cell stacks, hydrogen production, and hydrogen storage, supporting the green transformation of energy. Additionally, the application of lightweight, flame-retardant, and thermal management materials for new energy vehicles (NEVs) continued to advance, while high-strength plastics and composite materials demonstrated their capabilities in the emerging low-altitude economy.
Several booths showcased automated and unmanned high-efficiency production and cutting-edge technologies, such as smart high-speed rotogravure printing machines, all-electric high-performance injection moulding machines, precision moulding of optical lens, one-shot process for injection moulding and painting with high-gloss surfaces, robot automatic tool changers, AI bottle chip sorting systems, layered injection moulding and automation for moulded optical lens, solutions for the moulding and packaging of 384-channel medical pipette heads, MES digital smart management systems and more demonstrated the enormous possibilities offered by . "Digitalisation " within the plastics and rubber industries.
Chinese chemical raw material companies continue to innovate, while Chinese plastics machinery has advanced in precision, stability, and intelligence. Over 800 exhibitors have been recognized as “Professionalization, Refinement, Specialization, and Innovation (PRSI)” enterprises, with more than 250 awarded as “Little Giants.” This highlights China's manufacturing transformation and upgrading, reshaping overseas buyers' perceptions. The "High-End Technologies from China" showcased at the exhibition gained widespread attention and praise.
The exhibition featured a variety of concurrent events and activities, including the World Trends and Plastics and Rubber Technology Summit, Plastics Recycling & Circular Economy Conference and Showcase, Tech Talk, Medical Plastics Connect, Application in Focus, Innovation of Injection Molding Forum, Advanced Molding & Innovative Technology Symposium 2024, Product Innovation Gallery, and Market Insights Hub. Each activity focused on industry trends and hot topics, bringing together professionals to discuss industry development. Additionally, several local and overseas business matching activities were organized at the fair.
Unprecedented success
Karen Wu, Marketing Communications Manager of KraussMaffei Machinery (China) Co., Ltd, commented:: “The scale and professionalism of the show were impressive, providing exhibitors like us with an ideal platform to demonstrate innovative technologies, the latest equipment and solutions. It also allowed us to gain deep insights into the future trends of the industry, grasp new market dynamics, and discover potential business opportunities.”
Tan Yujuan, Marketing Director of Battenfeld-Cincinnati (Foshan) Extrusion Systems Ltd, said: “With the successful sale of the on-site exhibited 3-roll calender machine, the good news kept coming as we went on to secure several extrusion production line orders, including large-diameter pipes and multi-layer composite pipes. In addition, some domestic clients signed letters of intent for future purchases and expressed their long-term cooperation intentions, resulting in fruitful outcomes. We had more than 300 registered customer visits and over 600 visitors to our booth over the four days of the exhibition.”
Dr. Yang Tao from Polylactic Acid Technology Center of Pliith Biotechnology Co., Ltd: “Our debut at Chinaplas was highly successful, and the company showcased its strong corporate capabilities leveraging this top-tier platform for industry exchange. During the exhibition, both the Polylactic Acid Division and the Modified Division of our company achieved significant results.
Liu Juan, International Trade Manager of Hengyang Huayi Machinery Co., Ltd, said: “The number of visitors at our booth exceeded our expectations, and many of the exhibits were sold to clients on-site before shipped. In four days, approximately 30% of the visitors were existing customers, and 100% of them expressed interest in placing orders, which is a higher percentage compared to last year. Among the new customers, 20-30% had clear demands, and we have already entered the stage of quotation negotiation with them after the show.”
Zhang Shaoyuan, Sales Manager of Jiangsu Get Recycling Technology Co., Ltd, shared: “We have engaged with numerous high-quality clients, including those from Europe, Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. We have successfully closed deals with clients from countries such as Kenya, Indonesia, India, Ethiopia, etc. Our main focus lies in food-grade PET recycling, MLP packaging recycling, and film/woven bag cleaning and recycling lines.
Cheng Xiliang, Marketing Manager of Shaanxi Beiren Printing Machinery Co., Ltd, said: “The booth was packed with a continuous flow of visitors. Over four-day exhibition, we received more than 680 local and overseas clients. The on-site signed contracts reached over RMB 60 million, showcasing the satisfactory results achieved by our company.”
Chen Cheng, from Marketing department of Useon Technology Limited:“This year, there has been a significant increase in the number of visitors to Chinaplas, and every corner of our booth was packed. We will continue to participate and support Chinaplas 2025. Useon’s business spans both local and overseas markets, and we hope to grow together with CHINAPLAS and contribute our efforts in bringing Chinese plastic machinery to go global.”
The exhibition not only received overwhelming praise from exhibitors but also earned high acclaim from the visitors. Visitors measured the "hard power" of plastics and rubber technologies with their footsteps and expressed their abundant gains and benefits from the show.
Li Changtian, Vice President of Jiangsu Jinpeng Vehicle Industry Co., Ltd.: “ I gained a lot from this exhibition, ranging from the necessary technologies for front-end development to R&D processes, as well as production equipment and intelligent manufacturing. I found better and higher-quality supply chains and related technologies in the show. In particular, I was impressed by the hydrogen fuel cell technology, specifically theminiaturization of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC, demonstrated high energy conversion efficiency, good low-temperature startup performance, high output current, and low operating noise. It is suitable for cooling technology in hydrogen-powered vehicles, empowering the breakthrough of technology and unveiling a new trend.”
Boris Wang, Senior Sustainable Material Specialist of Logitech: “Chinaplas haskept up with the trends in the environmental market, and provided the latest, effective, and comprehensive information to help companies better address environmental challenges. Particularly in the dedicated networking sessions during the exhibition, Chinaplas accurately matched us with potential partner companies, technical experts, and sales personnel based on our specific needs. This allowed us to have face-to-face interactions with industry professionals, enabling us to gain in-depth knowledge about environmental materials, technologies, and trends in a short period of time.”
Le Yijun, Production/Technical Manager of Perfetti Van Melle Confectionery (China) Co. Ltd.: “I attend Chinaplas every year. This year, my main objective was to understand the practical application of environmental friendly materials and PCR materials in the market. Additionally, Chinaplas serves as an excellent platform for networking. During this exhibition, I not only met many old friends in the industry but also had the opportunity to engage in face-to-face conversations with industry professionals. This allowed me to gain in-depth knowledge about their companies' products and solutions, resulting in significant insights and takeaways.”
Han Jiangwei, R & D Engineer of Micro-Tech (Nanjing) Co., Ltd.: “As an engineer who has been involved in medical device development, attending Chinaplas for the first time this year was an eye-opening experience, and I gained a lot from it. At the exhibition, I witnessed meticulous efforts in industrial layout, smart manufacturing, and downstream services in specific sectors. The notable improvement in local machinery, raw material particles, inspection equipment, and other areas truly featured the rise oflocal manufacturing, opens more possibilities for localsubstitution and cost reduction in our downstream activities. Furthermore, concepts like "circular economy" and "carbon footprint" were the keywords at this year's exhibition. While these terms may still be conceptual at the product level, upstream manufacturers have already transformed them into new products and equipment. This provides us with more choices to meet the regulatory requirements of medical device regulations in various countries.”
Josephus, Operation Director of PT. Biggy Cemerlang from Indonesia: “I was able to find a wealth of resources at CHINAPLAS, especially in the areas of molds and machinery equipment. I discovered some new suppliers and gained valuable insights into advanced technologies, particularly in the field of new materials. This experience has been extremely beneficial to me.”
Qiu Qiang, Deputy General Manager of Testing/Quality Control Department of Akan Enterprise Group (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.: “I was surprised to witness the rapid development of plastics and rubber technologies at this exhibition. I saw a wide range of specialized plastic materials on-site, and their colours and performance were truly impressive. It made me consider them as substitutes for metal materials. It's exciting to witness so many new possibilities, providing the industry with more choices in the future. Currently, my company is also expanding into the development of auxiliary materials for crafts and clothing. The insights gained from this exhibition are extremely helpful for exploring new business opportunities. Many of the materials showcased can be applied to related products, opening up new avenues for us.”
Do Thi Thuy Huong, Member of Executive Board of Vietnam Electronic Industries Association: “This time, I led a delegation of nearly 15 companies to visit Chinaplas. The members are seeking high-quality raw materials and machinery suppliers in China to support the production of electric, telecommunication, wires, pipes, and other products. Additionally, we participated in the business matching held by the organizer, which was a fantastic service. Especially when it's challenging to find relevant suppliers on our own in the vast sea of options, the business matching provided us with an efficient platform for face-to-face communication with exhibitors.”
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