This year’s CPhI Worldwide event is set to take place at the Feria de Madrid in Spain, October 9–12, with expectations for more than 30,000 visitors and 2200 exhibitors from 140 countries. Despite the continuing troubled economic times, the show continues to boast growth; 108 new companies are preparing to join the many returning exhibitors, while the number of exhibitors in the ICSE logistics and supply chain zone will double compared with 2011. Indeed, this year will see the highest number of exhibitors compared with any previous year.

Recently, the organisers of CPhI, UBM, have been introducing a zoning structure to many of their events and this format will be present in Madrid to help facilitate navigation. The zones featured will be:

• CPhI Worldwide: APIs; Generic APIs; Custom Manufacturing; Fine Chemicals; Intermediates; Excipients/Formulations; Biopharmaceuticals; General
• ICSE: Logistics and Supply Chain; BioServices; Analytical & Lab Services; Pre Clinical Trials, Clinical Trials Stages 1-4, CRO, Clinical Data Management Zone; Trial Stages; New Exhibitors; North America Zone; General Floor
• P-MEC Europe: LABWorld
• InnoPack: Labelling

In addition, the events will be divided into global pavilions to help visitors quickly locate suppliers from specific regions. The pavilions will feature Argentina, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, Ireland, Korea, Morocco, North America, Portugal, Scotland and the UK. Madrid will also see the introduction of pavilions for Russia and Malaysia.

The 2012 event will also see an expansion of the CPhI Innovation Awards, which are being rebranded as the CPhI Pharma Awards for 2012. In addition, the Innovation award category has been expanded to look at showcasing exhibitors with groundbreaking innovations in formulation, drug delivery, chemical manufacturing of APIs and intermediates, and biomanufacturing of biopharmaceuticals and intermediates. You can find out more about the awards here.

The Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmaceutical Technology Europe teams will be in attendance at the show in Hall 10, Stand A23. We look forward to meeting with you and hearing your thoughts about the show.

You can read all of CPhI news here.

CPhI was held in Madrid for the first time in 2009. Did you attend? What did you think of the location? And are you happy that the show is returning to Madrid? Let me know your thoughts in a comment!