Record-Breaking Attendance of Over 320,000 Visitors Perfect Conclusion to CHINAPLAS's Return to Shanghai

After a six-year hiatus, CHINAPLAS 2024 made a glorious return to Shanghai and concluded successfully on April 26 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), Hongqiao, Shanghai, PR China. The grand comeback to Shanghai immediately captured the attention of the global plastics and rubber industries with its immense scale and extraordinary appeal. The exhibition not only achieved a record-breaking number of exhibitors, with 4,495 companies participating from 38 countries and regions, occupying total exhibition area of 380,000 sqm, but also set a new record for visitor attendance. A total of 321,879 visitors from over 170 countries and regions attended the mega event, representing a 29.67% increase compared to the 2023 Shenzhen exhibition. Among them, the number of overseas visitors reached 73,204, accounting for 22.74% of the total, marking a significant growth of 157.50% compared to the 2023 Shenzhen exhibition.

“We have repeatedly broken records, surpassing the number of exhibitors, total visitor count, and overseas visitor count of any previous edition of CHINAPLAS. The outcome is both expected and unexpected. As the exhibition returned to Eastern China after six years, various aspects such as the lively atmosphere, highlights of innovative technologies, the quantity and quality of visitors, and the proportion of overseas buyers have all significantly exceeded expectations,” said Ms. Ada Leung, General Manager of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., the organizer of CHINAPLAS. “As the plastics and rubber industries move towards high-quality development, CHINAPLAS is also running on the path of high-quality growth. Renowned exhibitors from around the world showcased their innovative products, demonstrating the “New Productive Forces” whereas local and international buyers with strong purchasing power come together in the two-way journey. Placing orders, signing contracts, delivering good news, engaging in face-to-face discussions on technological innovations, and unleashing industry opportunities have become the norm at the exhibition. The satisfaction of exhibitors and visitors with the effectiveness of the exhibition has substantially increased.

Global Plastics and Rubber Market Trends Highlighted at CHINAPLAS

Focusing on the four main themes of "Circular Economy," "Innovative Materials," "Digitalization" 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.

The wave of sustainability is sweeping across the globe. Many exhibitors dedicated their efforts to the realm of "Circular Economy" and "Sustainability." They introduced various innovative achievements, including bio-based plastics and biodegradable plastics with exceptional performance, single-material solutions, post-consumer recycled polycarbonate, chemically recycled medical-grade ABS materials and 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 related to the circular economy were richly presented at CHINAPLAS 2024, fostering deep exploration and collaboration within the industry.

Innovative materials were underlined at the exhibition. There was a wide range of materials for photovoltaic storage charging applications, such as ETFE films that enhance the power generation efficiency of photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic adhesives, photovoltaic back sheets, photovoltaic energy storage solutions, and fast-charging materials. The exhibition also witnessed a significant increase in solutions related to fuel cell stacks, hydrogen production, and hydrogen storage, providing strong support for the green transformation of energy. The application of lightweight, flame-retardant, and thermal management materials for new energy vehicles (NEV) continued to advance. High-strength plastics and composite materials demonstrated their capabilities in the emerging low-altitude economy.

As visitors walked through the exhibition halls, the presence of robotic arms swinging and flipping, skillfully grasping components, caught the eyes. The booths showcasing automated and unmanned high-efficiency production became a focal point for visitors, drawing crowds both inside and outside. Cutting-edge technologies take center stage, such as smart high-speed rotogravure printing machines, all-electric high-performance injection molding machines, precision molding of optical lens, one-shot process for injection molding 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 molding and packaging of 384-channel medical pipette heads, MES digital smart management systems, etc. These demonstrations in the realm of "Digitalization " vividly embodied the innovation and excitement within the plastics and rubber industries.

"Looking at the world in China" is gradually evolving into "The world is looking at China". The world not only observes China's development but also looks at China's solutions. Chinese chemical raw material companies continue to break new ground and innovate, while Chinese plastics machinery has further advanced in terms of processing precision, stability, and level of intelligence. Among the exhibitors this year, over 800 companies have been recognized as “Professionalization, Refinement, Specialization and Innovation (PRSI)” enterprises, with more than 250 of them awarded as a “Little Giant”. This highlights the strengths of China's manufacturing industry in terms of transformation and upgrading, significantly reshaping overseas buyers' perception of Chinese manufacturing. The combination of "High-End Technologies from China" showcased at the exhibition gained widespread attentions and praises 

As industry insiders immersed themselves in the visually stunning experiences, they were also treated to a series of captivating auditory delights. The exhibition featured a wide range of exciting concurrent events and activities, namely The World Trends and Plastics and Rubber Technology Summit, Plastics Recycling & Circular Economy Conference and Showcase, Tech Talk, Medical Plastics Connect, Application in Focus, The Innovation of Injection Molding Forum, Empowering Product Quality with Advanced Moulding & Innovative Technology Symposium 2024, Product Innovation Gallery, Market Insights Hub, etc which have drawn large crowds, bringing a vibrant and engaging experience to all participants. With unique theme and highlights, each activity closely followed the trends and hot topics in the plastics and rubber industries, bringing together professionals from various fields to discuss the development of the industry. Additionally, several local and overseas business matching activities were organized at the fairground with overwhelming responses. 

Unprecedented Success and Praise from Exhibitors and Visitors

Contracts were signed, and laughter filled the air. The meeting tables at the booth were fully occupied by new and old friends from all corners of the world. Industry elites were signing contracts, discussing collaborations, exploring new technologies and business opportunities, witnessing the thriving development of plastics and rubber technologies, broadening horizons, expanding networks and resources at the fairground. The satisfaction of exhibitors and visitors has soared to new heights at this year's exhibition. 

Karen Wu, Marketing Communications Manager of KraussMaffei Machinery (China) Co., Ltd.: “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.: “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.: “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.: “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.: “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.: “It was crowded and presented plenty of opportunities. 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 the miniaturization 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: “We observed that CHINAPLAS has been keeping up with the trends in the environmental market, and providing 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 of local manufacturing, opens more possibilities for local substitution 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.”

The grand event has come to a successful conclusion, but the excitement never ends. For those who missed or wanted to replay any exciting moments of the exhibition, please scan the below QR codes of CHINAPLAS Live or the live photo album to have a virtual exhibition tour now.

Thank you to all who attended, and gratitude to the industry professionals for their recognition and support at CHINAPLAS! CHINAPLAS will be held alternately between Shenzhen and Shanghai, with the next edition to be held at Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (Bao'an), Shenzhen, PR China on April 15-18, 2025. We look forward to joining hands with the industry in the new era, riding the waves, and creating brilliance together! 

For more information or enquiries about the show, please visit www.ChinaplasOnline.com or contact [email protected].

**END**

For media inquiries, please contact:

Hong Kong: Ms. Adele Fung / Ms. Cynthia Lau

Tel: (852) 2516 3316 / 2516 3583

Email: [email protected]

Official Website: www.ChinaplasOnline.com