Exhibition News

Plastic pipes conference bucks trend and expands scope
The Plastic Pipes XV Conference (PPXV), to be held from 20-22 September in Vancouver, Canada, is set to offer more despite the Centre for Exhibition Industry Research Index that the exhibition industry declined 12.5% last year.

The organiser, Plastic Pipes Conference Association (PPCA), says PPXV is experiencing renewed interest from presenters, sponsors and exhibitors. This has resulted in an increase to 3 days of concurrent session presentations, from the previous 2.5 days.   

"Our continued success is due to the original concept developed by the founders of the PPCA to keep our event directed at topics that are influencing our industry," stated David Walton, who is with Borouge as the Marketing Manager for Pipe Resins. "This year, for example, there will be an emphasis on no-dig technologies and sustaining our natural resources."

More than 500 delegates representing 45 countries are anticipated to attend this bi-annual event, held in the US every four years.  Sessions will be held in a concurrent format giving attendees a choice of topics.  More than 100 speakers are expected to present on topics ranging from energy and irrigation to installation practices and material advancements.

The organiser also says the appeal of the conference for attendees has been its dual seminar track that allows them to pick and choose between topics of personal greatest interest from a comprehensive agenda.  “Plus, it is a conference for the industry organised by industry, so participants know they will hear experts who are coming from the front lines and can engage peers in discussion about the most current or controversial of developments," said Stephen Boros, PPXV organising committee chairman. Boros is also the Technical Director for The Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI), which is a Texas-based non-profit trade association representing all segments of the plastic piping industry dedicated to expanding awareness and promoting plastics as the material of choice for pipe applications.
Boros also stated that the PPCA consists of the Plastics Pipe Institute, PE100+ and PVC4Pipes associations.

With 110 papers slated to be presented as well as more than 20 poster presentations, subjects to be covered include all applications in which differing plastics and pipe materials are being utilised and explored including water, natural gas, plumbing, drainage, mining and an array of industrial applications.  Use of plastic piping materials such as PE, PVC, crosslinked polyethylene (PEX), PA and others, as well as thermoplastic composite piping for high pressure applications, will be analysed  during conference events.          

The organiser also expects what it says will be “a fairly large” delegation from Asian countries to attend with the China Plastic Pipe Association to present a few papers.

The conference will be supplemented with an exhibit hall that will contain displays with details about the advancements in plastic pipe testing, design and manufacturing.  PPXV will be held in conjunction with the American Gas Association’s Plastics Materials Committee meeting.

Additional information can be found at: www.PPXV.org