Interplas 2021 a must- attend event for the UK plastics industry

On 28-30 September 2021, Interplas will return to the NEC Birmingham for the first opportunity in four years, to meet face-to-face with the entire Plastics supply chain.

In its 70th year, Interplas 2021 will see more than 350 exhibitors present solutions, products, machines, and ideas from across the entire spectrum of moulding and forming machines as well as materials, automation, contract manufacturing and supporting technologies including software, testing, inspection, surface treatments and much more.

Add to this, a full three days of conferences from some of the industry’s leading brands, authorities and organisations, as well as supplementary seminars, workshops and events, a visit to Interplas ensures you will get value, insight and experience you would not get at your desk. 

New for the show in 2021 is multiple features on the theme of sustainability in plastics, including show floor demonstrations, exhibits and a dedicated conference programme.

2021 CONFERENCE

Interplas provides an engaging and value-added conference programme that is designed to impart insight and information. The conference in 2021 will take place across two dedicated stages. The first, the Main Stage, will have the theme of ‘Advancing UK Plastics’ and will present a must-attend programme for visitors looking to get a competitive advantage in their respective field thanks to a line-up of expert speakers.

New for 2021, the Sustainability Stage will feature a three-day programme dedicated to helping companies find the best solutions for their respective sustainability challenges.

Horners’ Award- Winner to be announced

Interplas has long been known as a show that champions UK plastics talent, and therefore will once again welcome back the ceremony for the Horners’ Award for Design and Innovation. The winner of the award will be announced by the Master Horner on the first day of the conference, during the break between morning and afternoon sessions at the Main Stage. Once the announcement is made the winner and other delegates will be around for networking and questions.

Mediplas Pavilion

The highly specialised area of manufacturing plastic parts for the medical industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the plastics industry and the Mediplas Pavilion will return once again in 2021 to focus the spotlight on the essential aspects and considerations of medical device manufacturing that are unique to the sector.

Organised in conjunction with - and sponsored by - Medical Plastics News magazine, this special feature zone will enable visitors to quickly identify the exhibitors showcasing technologies, materials and services relevant to their field. 

The pavilion will provide a focus for medical manufacturing within the UK’s largest plastics exhibition and will bring together a host of industry experts to offer practical advice and guidance for manufacturers from initial concepts and design ideas, through to materials and process optimisation. 

KNOWLEDGE PAVILION

After a hugely successful debut in 2017, the Knowledge Pavilion will return once again in 2021. A bank of highly experienced industry personnel from a cross-section of major institutions, consultancy bodies, trade associations, funding providers and livery companies will be on hand to answer questions and resolve queries in a dedicated and easy-to-find location.

With innovation at the heart of the plastics industry, the Knowledge Pavilion enables visitors to accelerate their ideas, find information on suppliers and funding and learn about the trade organisations that can offer support. It also offers a space for networking, collaboration and sharing of ideas through trusted and recognised associations.

PLASTIKCITY PAVILION

Online procurement and marketing hub PlastikCity will bring 20 of its partners to exhibit within the PlastikCity Pavilion (stand A40) at Interplas 2021.

The PlastikCity Pavilion was first introduced at Interplas in 2017, and following a very successful show, the show organisers and PlastikCity are bringing it back. The pavilion is designed to provide booths for high-quality UK & IE suppliers that may not normally exhibit at the show, for example, suppliers who may not have the resources to occupy a large individual stand, or who wish to dip their toe in the water to assess the benefits.

This year’s PlastikCity Pavilion exhibitors include:

• Applied Component Technology
• Associated Toolmakers – Big 3 Precision
• Certwood
• Dry Ice Energy Ireland
• ENL Group
• Heater Bands
• Kawasaki Robotics UK
• Leeds Plastic Engineering
• Matsuura Machinery
• Merriott Group
• The Plasticom Group
• Protool Plastics Group
• Refcool Refrigeration
• Spitfire AMS
• Sprint Tool & Die
• Taylor Engineering & Plastics
• Tekniplaz
• Wyvern Mouldings

Carl Futcher, PlastikCity’s Managing Director, commented:

“We were really pleased with the success of the PlastikCity Pavilion at Interplas 2017 and the buzz that it generated in that area of the hall, so it’s brilliant that we’re able to work with the organisers and bring it back for 2021.

“The PlastikCity Pavilion presents a perfect chance for visitors to gain access to these excellent UK & IE suppliers, who may not have a presence at the show otherwise. It’s also an excellent opportunity for our partners to further showcase their high-quality products and services to the market. We’re excited to see what this show brings!”

WOMEN IN PLASTICS

For the third edition running, Interplas 2021 will welcome back industry association, Women in Plastics. Following on from previous success with both networking events and seminars, Women in Plastics is set to hold its biggest event yet in 2021.

Women in Plastics will host its own conference session, focusing on attracting, training and retaining talent in the industry. 

With so many questions around quotas and the right people for the job, should you put people in a job due to gender, race or sexual orientation?  The panel will discuss quotas, asking is it simply a promoted tokenism, box-ticking exercise, which could represent an unsustainable short-term fix?

At Interplas visitors will also be able to attend an exclusive Women in Plastics coffee morning, taking place 30^th September 2021, to find out more about the benefits of joining and opportunities available.

A full round up of all news from the exhibitors will be featured in September’s issue of British Plastics and Rubber, along with exclusive interviews from conference speakers.

www.interplasuk.com