Plastics trade show KPA restarts in 2023 as an Easyfairs event

Because of the uncertainties around the pandemic, Messe Friedrichshafen has decided not to hold the “KPA – Kunststoff Produkte Aktuell” trade fair in March 2022. A restart of the event, which is popular in the plastics processing community, has been postponed to 2023. Messe Friedrichshafen has also announced the acquisition of the event by the international event organiser, Easyfairs, which has secured the support of the former co-founder of KPA, Horst Rudolph, for the restart in Ulm.

“It was with a heavy heart that we once again decided not to hold the Kunststoff Produkte Aktuell trade fair (KPA), which was planned for March 2022, because of the pandemic. At the same time, we look forward to placing the future of the KPA in the hands of our long-standing and competent guest event partner Easyfairs,” said Thomas Grunewald, Head of Guest Events at Messe Friedrichshafen.

Easyfairs acquires KPA plastics trade show
Messe Friedrichshafen further announces that the trade fair is getting a new organiser. The international events organiser Easyfairs is taking over the management of KPA with effect from 30 November 2021. “With its focus as a platform for the plastics processing industry and its user sectors, the KPA is an excellent fit for us. Regional trade shows are more than product exhibitions. Instead, they are networking and communication platforms for our target groups. In combination with the all-in concept, they become smart, focused events that are attractive for visitors and exhibitors and, above all, deliver results,” emphasises Roland Brand, Managing Director Easyfairs DACH. The fourth edition of KPA will now take place in March 2023 at the Messezentrum Ulm.

Acquisition of KPA starts with a drum roll
Easyfairs has pulled off quite a coup with the acquisition, because with Horst Rudolph in the team, the Munich-based company is securing competent support from the former co-founder of KPA for its restart. “The concept behind the KPA trade fair, which I developed and launched on the market together with Carl Hanser Verlag, is very important to me personally. I am looking forward to working with Easyfairs to make KPA the platform it was a few years ago: a relevant and very practical event for plastic products, and new trends and developments in plastics and the associated raw materials,” Horst Rudolph says, keen to take action.

Easyfairs is growing with its regional focus and efficiency
The acquisition strengthens Easyfairs’ portfolio of industrial technology events and underscores the group’s growth path and the expansion of its business in the DACH region. In 2019 Easyfairs acquired the two FMB events, which are focused on mechanical engineering, and the “all about automation” trade fair series, which also have a clear regional focus. Easyfairs currently organises more than 20 B2B events in the DACH region.