Canon Communications and CPIA Team Up on Canadian Plastics Trade Shows

    
    Canadian Plastics Industry Association exhibition to anchor major new
    Canon co-located event in Toronto in 2011
    

LOS ANGELES and TORONTO , Oct. 5 /CNW/ - Canon Communications LLC (Canon) and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) announced today that they have entered into an agreement under which Canon will acquire CPIA's Plast-Ex and Expoplast trade shows. Plast-Ex has been a staple of the Canadian events calendar for more than half a century. The Toronto- based international exposition featured 500 suppliers from 13 countries, and 8,000 attendees in its last edition in 2007 while Expoplast, the regional event for Quebec province showcases some 200 exhibitors. Canon and CPIA will work together in developing and promoting these acquired shows in a new co-located event format. This arrangement combines the resources of the world's leading communication firm in the advanced manufacturing sector, and Canada's national plastics trade association.

Canon is known throughout the world for its comprehensive support of the advanced manufacturing sector, delivered through a highly coordinated suite of trade shows, conferences, publications, websites, e-newsletters, databases and other e-media. Canon's media products play leading, business critical roles in the markets they cover. Reflecting the global reach of the advanced manufacturing sector, Canon produces 62 trade shows, 16 publications, and over 50 e-media offerings throughout North America , Europe , and Asia.

CPIA's President and CEO, Mark Badger , commented on the partnership with Canon saying "It is a winning proposition for the Canadian plastics industry. Members of CPIA will continue to be offered discounted exhibition space at the Plast-Ex and Expoplast shows, and will benefit from Plast-Ex being co-located with other highly synergistic successful trade shows serving the packaging, automation, processing and design and manufacturing sectors. They will also enjoy discounts on other Canon shows and media products. Importantly, this arrangement also frees up CPIA to focus its resources on promoting and protecting plastics through communication, lobbying activities and enhancement of industry competitiveness through innovation, while at the same time enhancing industry visibility through a stronger trade show presence."

Canon CEO Charles McCurdy echoed Mr. Badger 's remarks, noting that "co-locating several other closely related shows with Plast-Ex will create a powerful attraction to Canada's advanced manufacturing sector and deliver an impressive return on investment to exhibitors. The model is a proven winner in major events around the US and Europe and we look forward to applying the same results to Plast-ex and CPIA's membership."

Canon intends to shift the presently scheduled May 2010 Plast-Ex show to May 2011 , in order to make arrangements for the much larger, major co-located event. Canon has entered into an agreement with the Toronto Congress Centre to host the next event May 10-12th, 2011 when Plast-ex will join the newly acquired PACKEX show, Canada's packaging industry exposition, as well as automation, design and manufacturing, Green Manufacturing and processing events. The overall exhibition will include 1,100 exhibiting companies encompassing 150,000' of net space.

Under the terms of the agreements, CPIA staff will continue to work with Canon on the arrangement and management of the two trade shows. In addition, Canon and CPIA intend to maintain the existing Canadian show committees, composed of representatives from the industry to help with arrangement of the shows.

Alain Sutton, Chairman and CEO of The Toronto Congress Centre (TCC), one of North America's top exhibition venues, commented on the upcoming Canon co-located events saying, "The Toronto Congress Centre and Canon share the same passion for excellence in customer experience, and we are very much looking forward to working with Canon to make its new major combined event the premiere advanced manufacturing industry show in Canada ."

About Canon Communications

Canon Communications LLC, a portfolio company of Apprise Media LLC, is the leading producer of trade events, publications, and electronic media for the $3 trillion advanced technology-based manufacturing industry, including medical device, packaging, design engineering, process technology, automated assembly, electronics, quality control, and plastics processing.

Further information about Canon's business-to-business publications, trade shows, and digital media is available at www.cancom.com.

About the Canadian Plastics Industry Association

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association represents plastic fabricators, recyclers, resin and compound manufacturers, and machine and tool makers throughout Canada . Its mandate is to promote the plastics industry through public and government communication programs, as well as through programs that encourage the reuse of plastic materials. Further information about CPIA's activities is available at www.CPIA.ca.

For further information: Media Contacts: Dan Cutrone, Director of Marketing, Canon Communications LLC, [phone], [email protected]; Mark Badger, President and CEO, Canadian Plastics Industry Association, [phone] x229; Business Contact: Joshua Dome, Director Tradeshow Sales, Canon Communications LLC, [phone], [email protected]