• Organizers report approximately 35,000 thousand attendees
• The trade fair brought together 400 exhibitors, over a thousand brands, and visitors from 25 Brazilian states and 35 countries.
• It is expected to generate approximately R$ 600 million in business — both during the event and over the following 12 months.

August 28, 2026 - Interplast 2026 – The Plastics Technology Trade Fair and Congress (www.interplast.com.br) concluded its 13th edition this Friday (August, 26) in Joinville (Santa Catarina, Brazil), cementing its status as a key meeting point for the plastics industry in Brazil. Over the course of four days, the fair brought together 400 exhibitors and more than a thousand brands. The organizers says that the 4-days event received around 35,000 visitors, including industry professionals, buyers, business owners, specialists, and representatives from various segments of the value chain. This edition is expected to generate approximately R$ 600 million in business, taking into account negotiations initiated during the fair and those projected for the subsequent 12 months, the organizers say.

Interplast 2026's metrics demonstrate the event's strength and reach. Beyond the sheer volume of visitors, the breakdown of the figures is particularly notable: over 40% of attendees came from outside Santa Catarina, with professionals participating from 25 Brazilian states and 35 countries.

Santa Catarina accounted for 58.93% of visitors, followed by Paraná (13.91%), São Paulo (11.52%), and Rio Grande do Sul (7%). Together, these states represent 32.43% of the total audience. On the international front, the fair welcomed visitors from countries such as China, Argentina, the United States, Paraguay, Chile, Germany, Uruguay, Italy, India, Spain, Poland, Mexico, and Portugal.

For Juliano Fontes Fornasaro, CEO of Tradestar, the presence of international visitors and partners was a standout feature of this edition. "In addition to clients and representatives, we welcomed a distinguished international audience, including partners from Egypt, Colombia, and Russia. The whole world is looking at Interplast," he highlights.

Exhibitor Elton Belomi, Sales Manager at Imerys, also highlights the event's national and international scope. "The trade show now has both national and international reach. We welcome visitors from South America and other regions, as well as exhibitors from abroad. Interplast is firmly established on the plastics industry calendar, and we simply cannot afford to miss it," he states.

Another highlight was the evolution of attendance throughout the event. The third day saw nearly double the number of unique visitors compared to the first, demonstrating growing interest in the event and Interplast's ability to maintain a steady flow of qualified professionals throughout its duration.

Theo Eduardo Cansi, Executive Advisor at APTA Resinas—who has been participating in the show for 22 years—comments on the growing audience and the event's importance to the sector. "Interplast is a benchmark event for the industry. The first day, which is usually quieter, exceeded expectations, and attendance numbers rose steadily each day. We are confident that the show will yield positive results for us," he says.

Qualified audience with significant influence on purchasing decisions

Visitor profile data underscores the importance of Interplast. Nearly 77% of attendees reported being involved in some stage of the purchasing process at their respective companies. Of this group, 29.55% participate in the final decision, while 16.54% are involved in recommendations, 14.79% in planning, and 16.05% in research.

Professional profiles also highlight the presence of key decision-makers. Directors make up 14.23% of the audience, managers 12.77%, partners, owners, and CEOs 11.67%, and coordinators 7.29%. Combined, leadership and management roles account for approximately 46% of visitors.

The size of participating companies is also noteworthy, as 40.61% of the audience is affiliated with companies employing more than 100 people. The figures show that 20.62% of visitors work at companies with more than 500 employees, 19.99% at organizations with 101 to 500 employees, and 11.67% at companies with 51 to 100 employees.

According to Richard Spirandelli, Director of Messe Brasil, the figures demonstrate that the trade fair delivers much more than just visitor traffic. "Interplast concludes by confirming its importance to the Brazilian plastics industry, attracting a high volume of attendees who, above all, possess a qualified profile," he highlights.

Connecting suppliers, technology, and the entire plastics supply chain

Among the primary objectives stated by visitors were meeting new suppliers (31.05%), discovering new products (29.76%), developing partnerships (19.67%), and strengthening business ties (8.04%). In total, 60.81% attended Interplast specifically looking for new suppliers or products, while 88.52% had objectives related to discovery, relationship-building, or business development.

The composition of the audience also confirms the fair's broad scope. The plastics industry represents 31.67% of the visitors' business sectors, followed by packaging, automotive, construction, engineering, electrical/electronics, and petrochemicals/chemicals, as well as trade, distribution, logistics, and other sectors.

Visitor interest aligned with the key technological pillars presented by exhibitors, notably machinery and equipment, raw materials and inputs, plastic products and processes, industry services, automation and process control, modeling and tooling, molds and components, and professional training.

Content, knowledge, and business meetings

Interplast 2026 featured an extensive technical and networking program, reinforcing the event as a platform for knowledge, innovation, and connection within the plastics industry.

The 6th Brazilian Plastics Congress was held within Interplast for the first time, featuring debates on artificial intelligence, the circular economy, material innovation, and competitiveness. The Technical Meeting on Plastics Recycling and Sustainability, organized by *Plástico Sul América* magazine, focused on the circular economy. Seminars hosted by ABIMAQ and ABIPET addressed quality control and metrology, and circularity and competitiveness, respectively. Exhibitor workshops totaled 35 presentations covering technologies, automation, recycling, sustainability, raw materials, and industrial processes. The event program also fostered connections between suppliers and major buyers through the Business Matchmaking sessions, which brought together 12 purchasing companies and resulted in 390 meetings, spanning sectors such as automotive, agribusiness, packaging, and civil construction.

Next edition confirmed

For the organizers, the results of Interplast 2026 reinforce Joinville's position as an industrial hub and a city capable of hosting an event with both national and international reach.

"For Joinville and Santa Catarina, Interplast once again demonstrates the strength of our industry and the city's capacity to host an industrial event of this magnitude. We conclude this edition by thanking the exhibitors, visitors, organizations, sponsors, partners, and all the teams that made Interplast happen," says Spirandelli.

The date for the next edition of Interplast has already been set: it will take place from August 15 to 18, 2028. "We wrap up the 2026 edition already looking ahead to the next one, with the challenge of delivering an even higher-quality Interplast," adds the director of Messe Brasil.