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SPI URGES INTERNATIONAL REGISTRANTS FOR NPE2009 TO TAKE EARLY ACTION ON APPLYING FOR A VISA TO ENTER THE U.S.
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., December 10, 2008: Individuals in many countries who plan to visit the United States to attend NPE2009 should start the process of obtaining a visa well in advance of the event, it was announced today by The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI), which produces the triennial NPE international exposition and conference. NPE2009 will take place June 22-26 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
Most travelers to the United States must obtain a visa in a process that can take anywhere from one to three months and sometimes longer. The process involves 1) making an appointment for an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in one’s home country; 2) submitting an application, passport, and supporting documents at the interview; and 3) allowing for a period of time after the interview for one’s application to be reviewed and processed. One of the required documents is an official letter of invitation to attend NPE2009 from SPI, which can be requested as part of registering in advance for the event.
The U.S. government has posted extensive information on the visa process at http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/index.html. This website includes a page with links to the sites of U.S. embassies and consulates throughout the world, typically providing local visa information in the host-country language as well as English. Registrants for NPE2009 can obtain additional visa information and assistance by clicking on the “International” button at the NPE2009 website, www.npe.org.
“Some international registrants for our last NPE in 2006 were unable to attend because they did not obtain visas in time, and we have since seen similar problems for other events in the United States,” said Gene Sanders, SPI’s vice president in charge of trade shows. “SPI urges all registrants from countries subject to U.S. visa requirements not to wait until the last minute to apply for their visas, or they will miss out on the greatest plastics event on earth.”
NPE2009 will consist of the NPE international trade show with 2,000 exhibiting companies; the “Business of Plastics” educational program on matters of strategic importance to business management; the first International Plastics Design Competition; and pavilions and programs focusing on emerging technologies and special industry sectors. In addition, NPE2009 will be co-located with ANTEC™ 2009, the world’s largest plastics technical conference; the MoldMaking Expo trade show and conference; and “Coatings for Plastics,” a conference produced by the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology.
Currently citizens of only 27 countries do not need a visa to enter the United States.
Even travelers from these “Visa Waiver Program (VWP)” countries, however, are facing increased requirements for entering the U.S. Since 2006, VWP travelers have needed machine-readable “e-passports”; and as of January 2009, all VWP travelers will be required to complete ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) applications detailing their travel plans prior to travel to the U.S. If the application is rejected, then the traveler will need to apply for a visa. Information on countries participating in the VWP is available at http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html.
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The NPE2009 international plastics exposition will take place June 22-26, 2009 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. A total of 2,000 companies will exhibit on 1,000,000 sq.ft. (93,000 sq.m), more than a third of them coming directly from outside the U.S. About 75,000 plastics professionals from 120 countries are expected to register. The event is produced by the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI). Co-located with NPE2009 will be the Society of Plastics Engineers’ ANTEC™ 2009, the world’s largest plastics technical conference, and Gardner Publications’ MoldMaking Expo™ 2009 show and conference. Visit www.npe.org.
Founded in 1937, SPI is the plastics industry trade association representing the third largest manufacturing industry in the United States. SPI's member companies represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw materials suppliers. The U.S. plastics industry employs 1.1 million workers and provides nearly $379 billion in annual shipments
