KPA 2026: Plastics Trade Fair Launches at Three Locations

<p>The plastics industry is getting a third regional home in 2026: The KPA – specialist trade fair for design, development and procurement of plastic products – is expanding its portfolio and will henceforth take place at three locations in Germany. Organizer Easyfairs is consistently pursuing the concept of regional trade fairs and bringing decision-makers from development, procurement and design even closer to plastic processors on site.</p>

<h2>Three locations, three dates – KPA 2026 at a glance</h2> <p>Following successful establishment in Ulm and Bad Salzuflen, Leipzig joins as a new location in 2026. Here's an overview of the dates:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Ulm:</strong> February 25 and 26, 2026, Ulm-Messe</li> <li><strong>Bad Salzuflen:</strong> June 9 to 11, 2026, Messezentrum Bad Salzuflen</li> <li><strong>Leipzig/Schkeuditz:</strong> September 16 and 17, 2026, Globana Eventcampus</li> </ul> <p>This triples the geographic reach of the KPA within a few years – from southern German Ulm via East Westphalian Bad Salzuflen to the central German region around Leipzig.</p>

<h2>Leipzig: Premiere for the plastics industry in central Germany</h2> <p>Particular focus is on the location premiere in Leipzig or Schkeuditz. On September 16 and 17, 2026, the KPA opens its doors for the first time at Globana Eventcampus, thus closing a gap in the eastern German market. According to the organizer, the new location is to take place annually in the future – a clear signal that Easyfairs is investing long-term in the region. For plastic processors, material suppliers and service providers from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, this creates a specialized regional platform for design, development and procurement of plastic products for the first time, without having to accept long journeys to southern Germany.</p>

<h3>Innovations in Ulm: KPA Tool World opens new perspectives</h3> <p>Things are also happening at the established Ulm location. With the <strong>KPA Tool World</strong>, the trade fair is introducing for the first time in 2026 a dedicated theme area exclusively for tool and mold making. The target audience includes companies that design, program, manufacture or assemble tools and molds for industrial users and plastic processors. According to the organizer, the new program item is intended to serve as an additional "stage" for this specialized sector of the industry and expand the Ulm trade fair by three halls – an expansion that underscores the growing importance of mold and tool making for the entire value chain of plastic processing.</p>

<h2>Bad Salzuflen: Synergies with KUTENO</h2> <p>At Bad Salzuflen, KPA 2026 once again relies on proven cooperation with KUTENO. From June 9 to 11, 2026, the joint event takes place at Messezentrum Bad Salzuflen. This combination of two established industry formats is intended to offer visitors an even broader range of topics – from plastic products via processing technology to adjacent services.</p>

<h2>The KPA as a working trade fair: Focus on concrete projects</h2> <p>Regardless of location, the KPA pursues a clear concept: it sees itself as a regional trade fair where decision-makers from different user industries – including healthcare, furniture industry and automotive – can specifically find new partners, experts and capable suppliers for their concrete projects. The focus is on direct professional exchange at eye level between designers, technical buyers and exhibiting plastic processors. The complete spectrum of the industry is presented: from raw materials and semi-finished products via industrial services and material testing to product development, industrial design and tool making.</p>

<h2>Conclusion and outlook</h2> <p>With the expansion to three locations and the introduction of new formats such as KPA Tool World, the KPA clearly positions itself as a decentralized yet technically focused answer to the needs of the plastics industry. The location premiere in Leipzig/Schkeuditz is likely to be particularly anticipated, as it creates a specialized platform in central Germany for the first time. The fact that dates for 2027 are already set – Ulm on February 24 and 25, Bad Salzuflen from June 1 to 3, and Leipzig/Schkeuditz on September 22 and 23 – shows that the organizer wants to establish the three-location model long-term as a permanent fixture in the German trade fair calendar. For the plastics industry, this means: more regional proximity, more specialized meeting spaces and more opportunities to advance concrete projects directly with the right partners.</p>