70 years of K in Düsseldorf – a world career made in Germany

The same year that saw Queen Elizabeth II ascend to the throne, the first artificial heart valve implanted in the USA and the musical “Singin’ in the Rain” inspire millions at the cinema, history was also made in Germany with the inaugural edition of K, hosted in Düsseldorf from 11 to 19 October 1952. At that time nobody suspected 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 success story of 70 years. It is the most relevant information and business platform of 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. On no other platform is the internationality as high as in Düsseldorf. For K 2022 from 19 to 26 October around 3,000 exhibitors from 61 nations are expected and the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre is completely booked.

How it all started

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

At the premiere 165,000 visitors marvelled especially at the colourful 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 layman or 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. 2019 saw over 220,000 trade visitors from almost 170 nations travel to K on the Rhine River.

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 they find 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: immerse yourself in 70 years of K in Düsseldorf 

Before K 2022 even opens its doors, there is already an opportunity to get in the mood for the trade show's anniversary. We are celebrating K with its own microsite, inviting you to delve into seven decades of K history and to smile and marvel at historical photos and stories. Embark on a travel through time with us at https://70years.k-online.de/en

And if you like to share your own personal K story with us, anecdotes, encounters, funny or astonishing things, please feel free! This is possible any time via LinkedIn or simply get in touch with our press team.