PLAST 2026: Inspiring Beyond Boundaries
The twentieth edition of PLAST, the international exhibition dedicated to the plastics and rubber industry, successfully ended on June 12th at Fiera Milano, Rho. Four intense days of exhibition confirmed the event’s role as a benchmark for the sector, decisively overcoming the cautious outlook of the eve in a global geopolitical and macroeconomic
context marked by severe uncertainties, trade tensions, and instability in international markets. The final figures certify the success of the event: 35,000 attendees – with a significant share of foreign visitors equal to 25%, coming from 110 countries – and over 1,000 exhibiting companies, 44% of which were international. The entire event spanned an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters: an impactful result for a market undergoing a phase of profound transformation.
A complete supply chain: from specialized halls to startup innovation
The strength of PLAST 2026 certainly lay in its ability to capture a snapshot of the entire supply chain. Great interest was generated by the satellite shows and thematic areas: RUBBER, the meeting point for the elastomer industry, organized in collaboration with Assogomma; 3D PLAST LAB, developed with Indexlab – Politecnico di Milano, focusing on the frontiers of additive manufacturing; and PLAST MAT,
the showcase dedicated to polymeric materials. A fundamental added value in terms of new content was brought by the innovation ecosystem, thanks to the presence of around twenty Italian startups that presented cutting-edge solutions ready to be integrated into the manufacturing fabric to visitors.
A qualified audience and internationalization
Among the most encouraging signs, the extremely high professional profile of the visitors stands out. Thanks to the enhancement of the strategic incoming project developed in collaboration with ICE Agency, among the approximately 9,000 international operators visiting, the presence of over 350 selected foreign delegates must be highlighted, who confirmed the strong attractiveness and commercial centrality of the fair.
Drawing the balance of this edition is Mario Maggiani, Managing Director of Promaplast: “We do not hide that our forecasts on the eve were marked by the utmost prudence. We feared far heavier repercussions of the global geopolitical situation on PLAST, which instead confirmed itself as a European point of reference for the plastics and rubber industry, restoring confidence to many of the exhibitors we met. The reality is that today the exhibition world, more than other sectors, is suffering the backlash of a diversification in ways of doing business, especially in the B2B field; this is why we are diversifying the format of PLAST, not only through the addition of satellite shows but also by providing a conference program capable of covering all facets of the supply chain and responding to the updating needs of a rapidly evolving sector.”
He is echoed by Alessio Fineo, Head of the Exhibition Department at Promaplast: “From the
opinions gathered at the fair, many have noted the quality of the visitors and the delegations of foreign companies that showed interest in the products on display. The efforts of the entire team to promote PLAST generated results that went beyond expectations.”
A top-tier program of conferences and seminars
Confirming the dynamism of the event was the success of the program of seminars and
institutional conferences, which in some cases registered a full house. The rich educational and debate palimpsest was made possible thanks to the fundamental synergy with the main stakeholders and industrial partners of the sector.
Meetings saw the close collaboration of leading trade associations and research entities – including Corepla, IPPR Plastica Seconda Vita, PlasticsEurope Italia-Federchimica, Unionplast, The European House Ambrosetti, TMP, Assorimap, Assogomma, Ipack-Ima, Largo Consumo, PVC Forum/VinylPlus Italia, and Made Competence Center I4.0 – who chaired the discussion tables, offering concrete answers to the regulatory and technological challenges of the future.
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