70 years of K in Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf, Germany – The same year that saw Queen Elizabeth II ascend to the throne, the first artificial heart valve implanted in the U.S. and the musical “Singin’ in the Rain” inspire millions at the movies, history was also made in Germany with the inaugural edition of K, hosted in Düsseldorf from October 11 – 19, 1952. At that time nobody expected this event only just taking off would develop into the world’s leading trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry.

Today, K in Düsseldorf can look back on a 70 year success story. It is the most relevant information and business platform for the plastics and rubber industry worldwide. Its position as the leading trade show for the entire industry, where theme leadership and innovation go hand in hand to pave the way for visions for the future, is undisputed. No other platform has such a high internationality as K. For K 2022 from October 19 – 26, around 3,000 exhibitors from 61 nations are expected and the Düsseldorf Exhibition Center is completely booked.

How it all started
However, K in Düsseldorf also started small: the debut event “Wunder der Kunststoffe” (Miracles of Plastics) in 1952 registered 270 exhibiting companies – exclusively from Germany. They occupied approximately 14,000 square meters of net exhibition space.

At the premiere, 165,000 visitors admired especially the colorful consumer goods exhibited by plastics processors. Because from 1952 to 1959, K Düsseldorf was purely a showcase of the German industry. Any interested visitor, be it a layperson or a specialist, was admitted to visit the trade fair. Major attractions on show were products designed to make life more beautiful and convenient. Today, we smile at the advertising of that time, which was also aimed at the “modern housewife” and introduced her to such post-war achievements as trendy PVC raincoats or sheer nylon stockings – aesthetic epitomes of the economic miracle.

The more the plastics industry specialized and high-tech plastics for special solutions in electronics, medicine, automotive or aerospace attracted attention beyond standard polymers, the more specialists visited the trade fair. In 1963 the break was made: K in Düsseldorf became a special-interest only trade fair of international standing. Since then it has maintained its position as a leading global trade fair for the entire industry. In 2019, over 220,000 trade visitors from almost 170 nations traveled to K.

The international origin and composition of exhibitors will also guarantee the completeness of the product ranges and a comprehensive overview of the world market at the upcoming K in autumn. Nowhere else will there be such a wealth of innovations and no other trade show will provide such a variety of impulses for the future of the global plastics and rubber industry.

Event’s own microsite: experience 70 years of K in Düsseldorf
Before K 2022 even opens its doors, Messe Düsseldorf is celebrating K’s anniversary with its own microsite, inviting everyone to delve into seven decades of K history and to marvel at historical photos and stories. Embark on a travel through time at https://70years.k-online.de/en

Anyone who would like to share their personal K story, anecdotes, encounters, funny or amazing experiences, please use LinkedIn or get in touch with our press team.

For information on visiting or exhibiting at K 2022, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; Telephone: (312) 781-5180; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit www.k-online.com and www.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/mdnachicago