AMI Plastics World Expos has announced the full conference program for its 2026 event, taking place on November 11–12 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Spread across four free-to-attend conference theaters, the program will deliver two days of technical insights, industry debates and practical solutions across the plastics value chain.
The event brings together the Plastics Recycling World Expo, Plastics Extrusion World Expo, Compounding World Expo and Polymer Testing World Expo under one roof, providing attendees with access to a comprehensive mix of presentations, keynote sessions and panel discussions covering the most important issues facing the industry today.
More than 90 Speakers will take to the stage throughout the two-day event, representing leading organizations including Americhem, Dura-Line, Emerald Packaging, Farrel Pomini, Hubron, KW Plastics, LG Electronics, Mosaic Colors, Plastic Pipes Institute, Plastics Industry Association, Pregis, Revolution, Saco AEI Polymers, Schneider Electric, 3M, Teknor Apex, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Westlake, and many more.
Conference sessions will explore a wide range of topics including: innovations in polymer materials and additives; advances in compounding, recycling and extrusion technologies; developments in AI for the plastics industry; ground-breaking circular economy and sustainability initiatives; the changing regulatory environment; plus, analysis of market trends and investment opportunities.
New for 2026 is Powering Plastics: Skills, People & the Future, a special initiative focused on one of the industry’s most important assets – its people. The initiative will feature dedicated panel discussions exploring workforce development, recruitment, skills shortages and the future talent pipeline. Highlights include “The Class of 2030: Plastics’ Next Chapter”, where young professionals share their experiences of entering the industry, and “How do we close the plastics industry skills gap?”, a discussion bringing together perspectives from industry and education.
Powering Plastics will also introduce a new Mentor Pin Badge Program, enabling experienced industry professionals to identify themselves as approachable mentors, encouraging knowledge-sharing and helping students and early-career attendees build valuable industry connections.
“The conference program has always been a key part of the value visitors receive from AMI Plastics World Expos, and this year’s line-up is one of our strongest ever,” said Kelly DeFino, Expos Business Manager at AMI. “Alongside outstanding technical content, we’re incredibly excited to launch Powering Plastics. The conversations around skills, workforce development and knowledge transfer are becoming increasingly important, and we believe the expo provides a unique platform to bring industry and education together to address these challenges.”
The announcement comes as exhibitor demand continues to grow, with more than 330 exhibitors confirmed for the 2026 event. Attendees will have the opportunity to combine conference learning with face-to-face access to suppliers, technologies and services from across the plastics industry.
Visitor registration is free and includes access to all four exhibitions and conference theaters.