Plastex 2008, the 11th International African-Arabian Exhibition for Plastics Industries, is poised to top the Euro230 million ($309.6million) achieved by the previous year's edition in terms of business deals.

Event organiser ACG-ITF has confirmed that the fair, which will run from October 23 to 26, 2008, at the Cairo Fair Ground in Egypt, will receive 550 exhibitors from 29 countries and about 24,000 trade visitors from 18 countries to explore the 25,000 square metres of exhibition space featured in this year's edition.

The premier plastic products machinery and equipment show in the Mena region will be held under the auspices of Dr Ahmed Gowaily, secretary general of the Council of Arab Economic Union.

It will include Egyplast 2, a sub-event focusing on the Egyptian plastics product manufacturers and exporters that Plastex hosted for the first time in 2007.

Plastex 2008 will be held in Halls 4, 5, 6 and 7 while Egyplast 2 will take place at Halls 2 and 3 of the Cairo Fair Ground.

Exhibitors from France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Australia, Sweden,  United States of America, Belgium, Canada, China, Greece, Brazil, India, Hong Kong, Korea, Holland, Hungary, Portugal, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE as well as Egypt, will display key solutions intended to augment the high demand for plastics products in the Mena area; volume consumption in the Gulf alone is expected to climb to 3.2 million tonnes in the next few years from the current 2.3 million.
 
Yosry Abdel Maksoud, GM and operations director, ACG-ITF, said: "Since its inception in 1993, Plastex has become the focal point for regional and international plastics production machinery and equipment manufacturers.

"This year's fair has lined up several new and improved technologies and processes that can significantly boost productivity and quality.

"For our part, we have prepared excellent travel and accommodation options to make the stay of our visitors both highly productive and pleasurable."

"An open visitor's track with buses at the entrance will be available throughout the show’s run. Passengers will be shuttled to either Hall 2, the starting area of Egyplast, or Hall 7, the starting area of Plastex.

"Guests can easily move between both shows through a one-registration track unit located at the main entrance gate. A Business Centre and Organisers Office will be placed between Halls 5 and 6 near the visitor's track. Catering service outlets will be distributed throughout the exhibition areas," he added.

Plastex, held in Cairo every 18 months, showcases machinery and equipment, raw materials and auxiliaries, technical parts, reinforced plastics, and plastics industry services.

The trade fair posted a 30 per cent increase in exhibition space and a 15 per cent rise in the number of visitors during its 2007 edition.

Qatar Petrochemical Company will act as Plastex 2008's main sponsor. - TradeArabia News Service