SPE Thermoforming Board Cancels 2009 Conference
The Society of Plastics Engineers’ Thermoforming Board of
Directors has cancelled its Annual Thermoforming
Conference scheduled for September 2009 and will
instead focus its marketing energies on the
Thermoforming Division’s multi-exhibitor Thermoforming
World Pavilion at NPE2009. The Division has instituted a
new program of incentives for current and prospective
exhibitors in the Pavilion.
NPE2009 takes place June 22-26 at Chicago’s
McCormick Place and will be the year’s largest plastics
event by far. “While the conference cancellation is a
response to the economic trouble affecting the plastics
industry, it enables our Division to take greater advantage
of the marketing potential afforded by a prominent presence
at NPE2009, and to better prepare for the 2010
Thermoforming Conference, which is likely to take place
during better economic times,“ said Donald Kruschke,
Marketing Committee Chairman and Executive Vice
President of Solon, Ohio-based Stopol, Inc.
“The goal of the Pavilion is to bolster awareness of the
Thermoforming Division and serve as a platform to
increase overall thermoforming interest and attendance at
our 2010 annual Conference,” said Kruschke.
“As we were preparing the final stages of our Annual
Thermoforming Conference, we realized there were significant
headwinds preventing us from having a successful
event,” according to Brian Ray, Division Chairman and
President of Ontario, Calif.’s Ray Products, Inc. “Many companies
have issued travel bans and we’ve noticed attendance
decreases at other industry conferences. We are
committed to delivering a top-notch event to our exhibitors
and attendees, and we believe that we need to give the
economy a chance to recover in order to accomplish that.”
Thermoforming companies that already have submitted
deposits for the 2009 Conference can request the return
of the deposit by sending a letter to Conference
Coordinator Gwen Mathis, apply the deposit toward the
2010 Thermoforming Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
or apply the funds toward their sponsorship in the Pavilion
at NPE2009.
For more information, contact Gwen Mathis, SPE
Thermoforming Division, 706-235-9298, Fax: 706-295-4276, E-mail: gmathis224@aol.com.
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