Eeditorial
| Paolo Spinelli
Eeditorial
EDITORIAL
| Paolo Spinelli
From October 8 to 15, Düsseldorf is once again hosting K— the world’ s number one plastics industry exhibition. Long recognised as the leading industry event, this is a trade fair that sets the global technological agenda and enables suppliers, processors, brand owners and associations to meet in a single place. No one has ever really doubted its importance: if you’ re in plastics, you know that attending K is a must! And yet, this year, there is a question hanging over the fair— one that, until a few short years ago, would have been quite unthinkable: is the‘ K effect’ still a thing? Or is the exhibition in Düsseldorf running the risk of turning from a unique and unmissable event into just another major international trade show? This year, in fact, for the first time, K is taking place in a climate of real uncertainty. Whereas the global financial crisis,
THE‘ K’ EFFECT? pandemic, and even economic downturns have all failed to dent its leadership, the situation today is different. Back in June, the German machinery manufacturers— traditionally the heart of the event— were already laying their cards on the table, pointing to weak markets, declining orders, and prospects that look far less rosy than they used to. Meanwhile, the global trade fair calendar has become packed with regional and sector-specific events that, being more streamlined and less time-consuming, are increasingly appealing to companies wanting solid results— less window dressing and more substance. Also, why wait three years to see what’ s new and meet with customers? The doubt, therefore, seems justified: is K still the beacon of this global industry, or is it on its way to becoming something more‘ ordinary’? To ask this is by no means to diminish the importance of this German fair, which remains a giant of an event, capable of attracting tens of thousands of visitors and sending out strong messages about sustainability, digitalisation and innovation. But with markets now moving faster than ever before, and companies favouring targeted interactions over lavish showcases, a mammoth eight-day event like K needs to find a way to demonstrate that it is still indispensable. Perhaps the‘ K effect’ in 2025 will be precisely this— an opportunity to gauge whether the exhibition can confirm its unique status, reinventing itself to remain the main point of reference worldwide, or whether it is instead destined to increasingly resemble other international events. Because this is the difference between legendary and conventional, between extraordinary and important.
Italian technology plast / October 2025
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