Plast 2026 presents itself to the international press

In the run-up to the twentieth edition of Plast, which will take place at the Fiera Milano exhibition centre in Rho (Milan) from 9 to 12 June, a press tour was held from 24 to 26 February to introduce the event to specialist journalists from Italy and abroad. The tour included a press conference by the organiser and visits to Bandera in Busto Arsizio (Varese), Moretto in Massanzago (Padua) and BMB in Brescia, with the participation of around forty journalists from across the world.

The Milan exhibition will be the leading European trade fair of 2026 for the plastics and rubber industry and, despite the complex international economic and geopolitical landscape – marked by trade tensions and decisions as well as instability and uncertainty on global markets – it is demonstrating remarkable resilience with one telling figure: to date, more than 160 new exhibitors have registered compared to the previous 2023 edition, around 30% of whom are international companies. This is a particularly significant result in the light of a decidedly uncertain market environment in which companies throughout the supply chain are operating, all feeling the effects of the profound transformation and adaptation currently under way in several strategic sectors — the automotive industry above all.

Yet this figure is all the more meaningful because it confirms the Milan show's ability to attract exhibitors and, through the growing number of new ones, to remain a solid platform and a triennial reference point in which plastics and rubber industry operators from around the world place increasing trust to present their solutions, showcase their innovations and develop partnerships and commercial relationships. Another important aspect to emerge from the press conference – one that goes hand in hand, in a sense, with the rise in new exhibitors – is the organisation's objective of significantly increasing the presence of international visitors. To this end, free online pre-registration to visit Plast 2026 opens on 2 March.

Plast 2026 will also serve as the stage for the debut of MaTec, a project bringing together three Italian manufacturing trade fairs: Plast itself, alongside Xylexpo, the fair dedicated to the wood technology industry, and Composites Future, the event organised by Assocompositi for composite materials. In this framework, Plast 2026 will occupy six halls as usual (9, 11, 13, 15, 22 and 24), while Xylexpo and Composites Future will be hosted in Hall 14 and, jointly, in Hall 18 respectively. Plast's offering will also be structured for the 2026 edition around three satellite shows: Rubber, dedicated to the rubber sector from materials to industrial applications; 3D Plast, focused on 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies; and PlastMat, showcasing innovations in technical materials. The conference programme scheduled across the four days of the fair is equally noteworthy, featuring sessions on packaging (9 June), "The Plastic Industry In Italy" (10 June), "Mechanical Recycling of Plastics – Report 2025: Protection to Regenerate the System" (Assorimap) and a MADE session on artificial intelligence (11 June).

These are the premises that herald the twentieth edition of Plast as an exclusive showcase for the most advanced solutions for the plastics and rubber industry, in keeping with a tradition of excellence that has characterised the Milan show for decades, responding to the sector's growing demands for technological innovation and environmental sustainability. The "Made in Europe" machinery segment is strongly export-oriented, including towards emerging markets with an increasing propensity for investment, and maintains a strategic role in the global landscape. Access to these markets represents a fundamental lever for consolidating the excellence of European companies, particularly manufacturers of plastics and rubber processing machinery. Plast 2026 will therefore act as a facilitator in achieving these objectives, offering opportunities for information, networking and exhibition at the highest levels within the international trade fair landscape.