On 30 December 2020, Messe Düsseldorf and Corferias (the International Business and Exhibition Center of Bogota) signed an agreement with Acoplasticos (Asociación Colombiana de Industrias Plásticas) to purchase a share of and jointly organise Colombiaplast, one of the most important international trade fairs for the plastics, rubber, petrochemical and packaging industry in the LatAm region. Accordingly, Messe Düsseldorf – through its subsidiary Messe Düsseldorf North America (Chicago, USA) – acquires an equal share in Colombiaplast and becomes involved in organising the event.
Messe Düsseldorf is renowned as the organizer of K – “The World’s No.1 Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber”, held every three years in Düsseldorf, Germany. With this agreement, Messe Düsseldorf adds Colombiaplast to its “Global Gate” portfolio of plastics and rubber trade fairs. Messe Düsseldorf’s expertise in organising plastics and rubber trade fairs around the world together with its extensive network of sales offices and subsidiaries in 141 countries will increase international participation at Colombiaplast and help to grow the trade show. The next edition is scheduled for 22 – 25 June 2021 at Corferias in Bogota, Colombia.
“We are excited to welcome Colombiaplast into our “Global Gate” portfolio. Colombia is one of the fastest growing markets for plastics technology in Latin America and Colombiaplast is the most important trade fair here. It is vital for us to show our commitment in this market, and with this acquisition we take on our first venture in plastics and rubber in South America” stated Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director Messe Düsseldorf.
Daniel Mitchell, President of Acoplasticos, added: “We are very pleased to announce this partnership. With the global know-how and experience of Messe Düsseldorf and the regional leadership of Corferias, we are convinced that Colombiaplast will substantially strengthen its position as a leading plastics and rubber trade fair in Latin America – a region with great potential.”
“Corferias is convinced that with the valuable support and knowledge of Messe Düsseldorf we will achieve our great objective of making Colombiaplast the first HUB trade fair of the sector in Latin America and allow entrepreneurs in the region to find in Colombia a strengthened business platform with access and coverage of the emerging market, discovering technological innovations and industry trends. May this be a new opportunity to continue strengthening our international alliances,” said Andrés Lopez Valderrama, President of Corferias.
With nearly 50 million inhabitants Colombia is the world’s third largest Spanish-speaking country and the region’s fourth largest economy measured by GDP. Colombia imports machinery, parts and moulds for plastics processing worth about USD 100 million and the plastics sector represents 15 % of the country’s manufacturing GDP. The consumption of plastics in the country exceeds 1.3 million t annually. When last held in 2018, Colombiaplast featured 172 national and international exhibitors on 4,900 m2 net exhibition space and attracted over 43,000 visitors (includes attendees at the concurrently held FIB – International Industrial Trade Fair of Bogota). In addition to companies from Colombia and the surrounding region, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain and the USA, exhibitors from Brazil, China, Taiwan and Qatar participated for the first time.