WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., June 19, 2013: A new, broad-based industry event called the Global Plastics Summit will convene decision makers and experts from every phase of the supply chain to address the opportunities and challenges of a coming renaissance in North American plastics, one caused by the shale gas boom, the “re-shoring” of business from overseas, and other transformational developments, it was announced today by SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association.
Co-produced by SPI and IHS Chemical, a provider of global market and economic information, the first Global Plastics Summit will take place November 4-6, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago.
“The abundant feedstock of shale gas is changing the global landscape of plastics manufacturing,” said William R. (Bill) Carteaux, president and CEO of SPI. “Plastics manufacturers must understand the implications of plentiful feedstock, along with other pivotal developments that are on the Global Plastics Summit agenda, in order to capture new opportunities in domestic and international markets.”
The North American plastics industry is on the cusp of a new wave of expansion, according to Nick Vafiadis, senior director of global plastics at IHS Chemical. “Manufacturers here are positioned to become global suppliers at a level we’ve not seen before,” he said. “These are exciting times for the industry, and the Global Plastics Summit will be an unparalleled collaborative experience.”
Concurrent workshops on commodity, engineering, and bio-based resins will take place on the first day of the Global Plastics Summit, followed by two days of presentations and discussions on upstream and downstream expansions in the industry, shifting regional competitive advantages, emergence of new technologies, demand for greener manufacturing, and the price, supply, and demand outlook for the major polymers in key producing regions.
Information and registration are available at www.GlobalPlasticsSummit.com. Workshop agendas are currently posted at the site, and a conference agenda will be available shortly.
