Informex news - Exhibition continues to evolve

Although the number of companies exhibiting at Informex 2005 was virtually unchanged from last year at 478, and visitor numbers were again expected to be around 4,100, the exhibition is continuing to evolve and branch out in new directions, according to Informex chairman Nick Shackley.

Expressing satisfaction with the numbers in the light of the economic situation and a difficult business year, he pointed out that a recent study conducted by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research had found a decline in attendance of manufacturing shows over the past three years.

Of the 478 exhibitors, 172 were international companies - a sign, Shackley said, that Informex was now a 'must' for global chemical companies and was no longer viewed as a US-centric event. Countries represented included China, India, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK and Ukraine. Furthermore, 28% of attendees came from outside the US, compared with 25% last year.

He also pointed out that more than 100 exhibitors were present at Informex for the first time, an increase of 25% compared with 2004. It demonstrated that the show was heading in new directions, he claimed, with a diverse range of products and services on show.