Achema 2009 prepares for take off.

More than 3100 exhibitors from 50 countries have already booked exhibition space at ACHEMA 2009--the leading international event for chemical engineering, environmental protection and biotechnology. It takes place at the Frankfurt Messe in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from 11-15 May and runs alongside an international congress comprising 900 lectures focused on state-of-the-art developments.

"ACHEMA 2009 continues to be the world's largest industry event and, once again, looks to be on course to attract more than 150,000 visitors from 100 different countries," explained Mike Day, UK and Ireland representative for ACHEMA. "The event is truly a global showcase for manufacturers and distributors alike because it attracts large numbers of buyers and senior executives from around the world." Already, more than 600 suppliers have taken exhibition space, with three halls now fully booked. The British contingent, currently 66 exhibitors, is easily the largest international group, followed by Italy, the US, Switzerland, China and France. ACHEMA 2009 is also receiving support from a number of UK-based professional bodies and government agencies, including the Institution of Chemical Engineers, GAMBICA and UKTI. Jacqui Cressey, Marketing Manager, IChemE Publications, which is the hub for chemical, biochemical and process engineering professionals worldwide, said: "IChemE views ACHEMA's delegates as a key audience to engage with about communicating all aspects of chemical, process, biochemical and related engineering. As well as promoting the advancement of both the science and practice of chemical engineering within the profession, IChemE aims to increase the public recognition of chemical engineering, both in terms of what chemical and process engineers do and the benefits that their work brings to society."

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GAMBICA, the trade association that represents the interests of companies in the instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology industry in the UK, will once again--with assistance from UK Trade and Investment--continue to support British companies exhibiting at ACHEMA 2009. Tim Collins, GAMBICA's director of the laboratory technology sector commented: "The benefits of exhibiting at ACHEMA are enormous; if you are looking for new business partners or to meet existing ones, the show is a must." Visit www.achema.de for more information.