About this event

K 2028 (K - International Trade Fair for Plastics & Rubber) — Deep Research Buyer/Attendee Profile

Event Snapshot (from the official source)

• Event title: K 2028 (International Trade Fair for Plastics & Rubber)
• Official tagline: “Shaping the Future of the Plastics and Rubber Industry”
• Dates (official): 18–25 October 2028
• Venue / city / country (official): Düsseldorf, Germany
• Event type (industry nature): International trade fair for plastics, polymers, rubber, materials, processing, machinery, production technology, innovation and industry decision-makers

We focus on what matters for buyer identification: who attends, where attendees come from, what level the audience reaches (local/national/global), which organizations are the highest-fit buyer targets, which job roles are decision-relevant, and how to align targeting to your specific client requirements.

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1️⃣ Who attends (BUYERS / ATTENDEES)

The K 2028 format is built to bring industry innovation, sector expertise, and international decision-makers together (as stated on the official website). Because this is a large category-defining fair in plastics and rubber, the attendee mix typically spans the full value chain:

Main attendee groups we should expect to find

• Industry buyers / decision-makers from plastics and rubber manufacturers, converters, processors, compounders, and brand-owners using polymer solutions in end-products.
• Technology & equipment buyers for machinery, automation, peripherals, tooling, processing lines, quality systems, and plant modernization.
• Materials & supply chain professionals sourcing resins, compounds, additives, reinforcement materials, and rubber inputs.
• Engineering, R&D, and technical specialists attending to evaluate innovations, testing approaches, and production improvements.
• Industry associations, research/science ecosystem representatives, and educators participating through forums, special areas, and science programs.
• Exhibitor-led business audiences (sales, account managers, solution engineers) engaging prospects and collecting qualified opportunities.

Buyer types that usually convert well for this event

• Strategic sourcing / procurement for plastics, rubber, compounds, and production inputs (and related services).
• Head of Production / Plant Manager and manufacturing leadership evaluating modernization and performance improvements.
• Technical Director / R&D lead focused on material development, product innovation, and sustainability performance.
• Quality / Compliance leadership for standards, traceability approaches, and process control.
• Commercial leadership (sales directors, key account directors) assessing market direction and partner solutions.

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2️⃣ Where the show is happening + attendee geographic origin

Where the show happens: Düsseldorf, Germany (officially stated on the event page snippet provided).

Attendee geographic origin (how we should frame it for targeting)

Because the official description positions K as a leading international fair and explicitly mentions “international decision-makers,” the attendee origin should be treated as global. Practically, that means we expect a mix of:

• Europe-wide attendance (Germany and surrounding industrial hubs, plus major regional plastics/rubber markets).
• North America and Asia participation (industry technology buyers, global suppliers, and material innovators).
• Cross-border buyer presence from countries with large plastics processing, automotive production supply chains, packaging manufacturing, and industrial goods ecosystems.

For research-led attendee profiling, we recommend targeting geography at two layers:

• Core: Germany + major European manufacturing corridors
• Expansion: Global buyer markets aligned with plastics/rubber supply chains (Americas + Asia-Pacific)

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3️⃣ Audience reach (Local / National / Global)

The official positioning describes K as the “international leading” plastics trade fair that brings “international decision-makers” together. Therefore, audience reach should be treated as:

• Primary reach level: Global
• Secondary reach: Strong European concentration (given the host city in Germany and the event’s industry leadership role)

In other words, K 2028 is not just a local event; it functions as a major global industry gathering for plastics and rubber stakeholders.

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4️⃣ Sample buyer company names (BUYERS ONLY) + Websites

Below are buyer-oriented organizations we would typically target for plastics & rubber fair outreach (manufacturers, processors, converters, brand/industrial product companies, and large industrial end-users with ongoing material/process needs). These are example buyer targets; your final buyer list should be filtered based on your product category and the job/function you need to reach.

Important: To make the list perfectly aligned, please share your client website (product overview page). Then we can rank buyer fit based on exact product relevance (materials, machinery, recycling, automation, rubber components, etc.).

Sample buyer table (15–20 organizations)

Priority	Company	Website	Best Title to Target	Why This is a Good Buyer Fit
1	BASF	https://www.basf.com	Head of Procurement / Strategic Sourcing Manager (Plastics & Chemicals)	Large polymer/material ecosystem buyer and partner for resins, feedstocks, and specialty materials used across plastics and rubber value chains.
2	Bayer (Polymer-related operations & life sciences plastics ecosystem)	https://www.bayer.com	Director of Supply Chain / Procurement Manager (Materials)	Strong industrial procurement structure; plastics and compliance-driven material decisions align with fair topics like innovation and industry direction.
3	SABIC	https://www.sabic.com	Senior Category Manager, Plastics & Materials Sourcing	Major plastics industry participant with extensive procurement and technology collaboration needs across downstream applications.
4	DOW	https://www.dow.com	Procurement Director / Global Sourcing Lead (Materials & Process Inputs)	Deep plastics materials footprint; procurement and supply-chain decision-makers are highly relevant for production inputs and innovation evaluation.
5	Continental	https://www.continental.com	Head of Procurement (Rubber/Components) / Supplier Development Lead	Automotive supplier with large rubber/plastics component scope—fit for buyers evaluating materials, compounds, and performance solutions.
6	Michelin	https://www.michelin.com	Materials Procurement Manager (Rubber & Chemicals)	Rubber-centric operations require continuous input sourcing and technology engagement; aligns strongly with plastics/rubber innovation themes.
7	Goodyear	https://www.goodyear.com	Strategic Procurement Manager (Rubber Materials)	Global rubber buyer profile with significant materials sourcing and supply strategy needs.
8	Ford	https://www.ford.com	Director of Materials Strategy / Procurement Leadership (Plastics Components)	Large-scale plastics usage and supplier network; technology and material performance decisions align with the event ecosystem.
9	BMW Group	https://www.bmwgroup.com	Head of Purchasing / Commodity Manager (Plastics & Polymers)	Strong automotive polymer strategy and commodity management; relevant for sourcing and supplier technology discussions.
10	Volkswagen Group	https://www.volkswagenag.com	Commodity Manager / Procurement Director (Plastics & Rubber Components)	Large automotive manufacturing base; ongoing component material requirements and performance optimization needs.
11	Johnson Controls	https://www.johnsoncontrols.com	Director of Supply Chain / Procurement Manager (Manufacturing Materials)	Industrial manufacturing buyer with plastics/rubber demand in components and systems; aligns with technology and materials sourcing.
12	Henkel	https://www.henkel.com	Procurement Director (Raw Materials & Packaging Inputs)	Major materials and manufacturing input buyer; adhesives/coatings and plastics-adjacent material demands create strong relevance.
13	Tetra Pak	https://www.tetrapak.com	Head of Procurement / Category Manager (Packaging Materials)	Packaging buyer with plastic-focused packaging systems; strong procurement decision-making relevant to fair innovation topics.
14	Nestlé	https://www.nestle.com	Procurement Lead (Packaging & Materials)	Large global packaging and materials procurement; plastics circularity and performance solutions are often central to decision cycles.
15	ArcelorMittal (industrial supply chain + polymer composites adjacency)	https://corporate.arcelormittal.com	Strategic Sourcing Manager (Industrial Materials)	Large industrial buyer; while primarily metals, it often purchases polymer-based industrial applications and protective material systems—good for broader industrial solutions fit.
16	Sumitomo Rubber Industries	https://www.srigroup.co.jp	Materials Procurement Manager / Supply Chain Lead (Rubber Inputs)	Specialized rubber-focused procurement; high relevance if your client sells rubber compounds, additives, processing systems, or related inputs.
17	Bridgestone	https://www.bridgestone.com	Procurement Director (Rubber & Materials) / Supplier Strategy Lead	Rubber materials strategy and supplier collaboration—strong alignment with plastics & rubber ecosystem themes.
18	3M (industry materials & polymer applications ecosystem)	https://www.3m.com	Procurement / Global Sourcing Manager (Manufacturing Materials)	Large manufacturing footprint with polymer and rubber-adjacent product lines; relevant for production input sourcing and technology engagement.

Best buyer-fit quick shortlist (top 5 to start outreach): Continental, Michelin, BASF, SABIC, DOW.
These cover rubber/material ecosystems and large procurement decision-making centers.

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5️⃣ Job profiles, industries & event type

Best job profiles to target

• Head of Procurement / Strategic Sourcing Director (plastics, polymers, rubber materials, and processing-related inputs)
• Commodity Manager (polymers, rubber components, compounds, industrial materials)
• Plant Manager / Production Director (process efficiency, modernization, output quality)
• Director of Technical Development / R&D Manager (material performance, formulation, innovation)
• Quality Director / Quality Assurance Lead (standards, testing, traceability, process control)
• Supply Chain Director / VP Supply Chain (continuity of supply, resilience, sourcing strategies)
• Supplier Development / Strategic Partnerships Lead (collaboration with technology and materials providers)
• Regional Purchasing Manager (EU/EMEA purchasing operations relevant to Düsseldorf)
• Operations Excellence Manager (cycle time reduction, waste reduction, productivity improvements)

Event type classification (practical targeting)

• Trade fair / industry conference style event (exhibitors + buyer engagement + technical content)
• Innovation & technology showcase across plastics and rubber
• Industry knowledge ecosystem (forums/special areas that connect science, innovation, and industrial decision-makers)

Industries to map (from the provided industry taxonomy)

We map this event to multiple industry filters that match plastics/rubber buyer organizations, including material science, industrial manufacturing, and engineering-heavy buyers.

• Chemicals
• Plastics
• Rubber-adjacent manufacturing often still lands in: Machinery, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, Industrial Automation
• Automotive (rubber and plastics components in vehicle systems)
• Building Materials (plastic building products, coatings, insulation systems)
• Packaging & Containers
• Industrial Automation (processing lines, controls, quality systems)
• Renewables & Environment (circular economy themes and sustainability-driven processing innovations)
• Environmental Services (recycling and waste management solutions, where applicable to your client)

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6️⃣ Estimated attendance (expected total footfall)

The official excerpt provided does not include attendance or total footfall figures. To avoid giving unreliable numbers, we leave this field empty until we receive the relevant official “Daten & Fakten” attendance line or you share it.

Estimated attendance / expected total footfall:

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7️⃣ Key focus areas & buyer engagement

The official page text states K 2028 is about bringing “innovation, industry knowledge, and international decision-makers” together. We translate that into the buyer engagement topics that typically drive meetings at this fair:

Key focus areas likely to resonate with buyers

• Shaping the future of plastics and rubber via innovation, materials development, and process improvements
• Technology upgrades for production (performance, automation, quality consistency, operational efficiency)
• Circularity and sustainability direction as a core industry driver (materials and process innovation for lower impact)
• International supply chain collaboration (sourcing, supplier strategy, cross-border technology adoption)
• Science & applied industrial innovation through knowledge platforms (forums/special zones mentioned on the site navigation)

Best buyer engagement angles we recommend

• Decision-maker relevance statement: Position the outreach around how the client solution supports production modernization, material performance, quality and compliance, or circular innovation.
• Use-case framing: Tailor message by end-industry impact: automotive components, packaging systems, industrial parts, rubber performance needs, and polymer material requirements.
• Regional urgency: Emphasize EU-based sourcing/production optimization for Düsseldorf and broader DACH/Europe buyer presence.

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8️⃣ Client-product fit note + request for your client website (required)

We can only determine the “best buyers” with high accuracy if we review your client’s offering. Please share the client website URL (or product/service landing page).

What we will do after you share the website

• We will categorize your solution into plastics/rubber value chain fit (materials, additives, machinery, automation, quality testing, recycling/circularity, tooling, or components).
• We will then refine job titles to the exact buyer function (procurement vs technical development vs plant leadership vs quality/compliance).
• We will rank the most relevant buyer types and the best industries using your product constraints.
• We will update the sample table into a final buyer list targeting the highest likelihood of conversion for K 2028 attendee profiling.

Please send: your client website link and a 2–3 sentence description of the product category (e.g., “industrial extrusion equipment for plastics,” “rubber compound additives,” “recycling technology,” “quality testing software,” etc.).

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9️⃣ Final recommendation (buyer-list suitability)

K 2028 is a highly relevant event for any solution tied to plastics and rubber production, materials, supply chain, processing innovation, or circular/sustainability direction. Based on the official positioning, we expect a strong concentration of international industry decision-makers and a buyer mix spanning procurement, operations, technical leadership, and quality/compliance functions.

Best-fit buyer segments to prioritize (before we refine with your client site)

• Plastics & rubber upstream and compounders (materials sourcing and formulation teams)
• Rubber component manufacturers (automotive, industrial goods, tires and components)
• Plastics converters & processors (production modernization and quality consistency)
• Packaging-focused organizations (containers, film, molded packaging systems)
• Automotive supply chain buyers (commodity management and supplier development)

Quality rating for buyer-focused attendee profiling (directional)

8/10 for buyer relevance potential due to the event’s international decision-maker orientation. The accuracy improves further once we align to your client product category and required buyer function.

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Next step

Please paste your client website, and we will return:
1) the best-matched industries from the provided taxonomy, 2) the most relevant job titles, and 3) an expanded buyer-only sample list (15–20+) customized to your product fit for K 2028.