The specialist trade fair Composites Europe and the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) are to further strengthen their cooperation with an international conference programme to continuing education on the web.

Trade show organiser Reed Exhibitions and ACMA, said to be the world's largest industry association, plan to cooperate in developing a lecture programme and a series of Internet seminars (webinars). Both projects are to advance the exchange between the European and the American market.

The conference programme starting in 2013 with the ACMA Composites trade show in Orlando Florida, January 29-31, aims at providing US companies with an overview of the European market.

The interactive webinars will further assist in this, as well as supply information for European companies regarding their opportunities in the US market. ACMA says that with 550,000 employees and annual sales of 70 billion US dollars, the USA is the world's largest market for composites.

Assistance for exhibitors from US

In order to promote exchange between the markets, the US Commercial Service, a unit of the US Department of Commerce, has included Composites Europe in its assistance programme. Companies from the USA exhibiting at Composites Europe are supported by an expert from the industry in their preparations for the trade show, advertising and during the trade show.

A larger number of exhibitors from the US have already registered to participate in Composites Europe2012, which will be held in Düsseldorf from 9 - 11 October. These include composite materials specialist Fiberforge, the McClean Anderson mechanical engineering company, prepreg manufacturer TCR Composites, cutting specialist Robbjack and software expert VISTAGY.

ACMA

Representing more than 3,000 companies, the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) is the world's largest industry association and has been a cooperation partner of Composites Europe since 2011.

In the US, ACMA has also been organising its own annual trade show, the Composites Show, since 2010, and a similar event for more than 30 years. The second edition of this event was attended by 3,500 visitors and 200 international exhibitors this year.

Composites Europe

Approximately 400 exhibitors from 25 countries are expected at Composites Europe in Düsseldorf from 9 to 11 October 2012. The specialist trade fair shows the entire composites process chain from raw materials to semi-finished products and processing through to the latest technologies, machinery and services.

Composites Europe is organised by Reed Exhibitions in cooperation with the European industry association EuCIA, the VDMA Forum Composite Technology, the American association ACMA, the international trade magazine Reinforced Plastics, and AVK. With 350 exhibitors and more than 7,000 visitors in 2011, Composites Europe is the leading show of the industry in Germany.

In combination with the ALUMINIUM World Fair held in parallel, Composites Europe offers one of the biggest platforms for lightweight construction this year. A total of more than 1,300 exhibitors from 50 countries are expected at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre in October.