Plastic Pipes Conference Association

What Plastic Pipes Conference Association does

The Plastic Pipes Conference Association (PPCA) is a Brussels-headquartered, Belgium-domiciled non-profit industry association formed to organize and run the international Plastic Pipes Conference series on behalf of the global plastic pipes industry. The association originated with the first conference held in Southampton, UK in 1970 and has continued with biennial international events since then, including the most recent conference in Lake Buena Vista, USA in 2023 and the upcoming PPXXIII scheduled for Houston, TX in September 2027. PPCA's core products are the biennial conference and exhibition series, regional spin-off conferences (including confirmed events in Nanjing, China in 2026 and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027), and an online papers database containing over 1,000 technical and commercial papers from 1970 through 2023 accessible via the PPCA website.

The association is collectively owned and governed by three member trade associations — PE100+ Association (13 PE manufacturers, founded 1999), Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI, the North American trade association), and The European Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association (TEPPFA, founded 1991, representing 350 companies and 40,000 employees across Europe with €12 billion combined annual sales). Voting board seats are held by David Fink (Chairman, representing PE100+), Andrew Wedgner (Secretary, representing PPI), Ludo Debever (Managing Director/Treasurer, representing TEPPFA), with Zoran Davidovski (Wienerberger) as a non-voting member and Technical Program Chair. Peter Balassa of Evacon Ltd serves as the external conference organizer.

PPCA's business model is event-driven: each conference is intended to be self-financing, with registration fees and exhibition fees funding the event and any profits reinvested into future conferences, educational tools, or spin-off events rather than distributed. The target customer segment is plastic pipe industry professionals — engineers, researchers, manufacturers, and industry participants — served through a horizontal segmentation approach with no publicly disclosed pricing. The association does not develop technology products and has no software, API, or AI capability disclosed; its primary intangible asset is the 50+ year archive of conference papers that functions as the global reference repository for the industry.

Name

Plastic Pipes Conference Association

Legal name

Plastic Pipes Conference Association

Website

https://plasticpipesconference.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Plastic Pipes Conference Association is a Brussels-based non-profit industry association that organizes the biennial international Plastic Pipes Conference series and regional spin-off events for engineers, researchers, and manufacturers in the global plastic pipes industry, and maintains a 1,000+ paper historical database from 1970 onward.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Conferences and Events

NAICS

Plastics Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (326122)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMANADAF

Industrial Process & Chemical-Resistant Pipe Systems (CPVC/PVDF/PP)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing/Plastic Pipe, Fittings & Conduit Manufacturing

Keywords

• Plastic pipe conferences
• Industry association events
• Technical conference papers
• Polymer pipe research
• Plastics industry networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Conference and Exhibition Fees: Revenue is generated through registration and exhibition fees for the Plastic Pipes Conferences and Spin-Off events. Each conference is intended to be self-financing, with profits reinvested into future conferences, educational tools, or spin-off events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

PPCA organizes and runs the biennial international Plastic Pipes Conference series and regional Spin-Off conferences on behalf of the global plastic pipes industry, providing a forum for technical education, research sharing, and industry networking. It also maintains the world's most comprehensive online database of plastic pipe conference papers from 1970 to 2023, offering over 1,000 technical and commercial papers as an ongoing educational resource. Each conference is self-financing, with profits reinvested into future events and educational tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plastic Pipes Conference Papers Database Online database containing all conference papers from the first convention in 1970 in Southampton (UK) through the most recent event in Lake Buena Vista in 2023. Includes over 1,000 technical and commercial papers representing a major source of information from the world of plastic pipe technology, accessible via the PPCA website with email-based login.
• Plastic Pipes Conference Series (Biennial International Conference) Series of international conferences organized by PPCA on behalf of the international plastics pipes industry, bringing together engineers, researchers, manufacturers, and industry professionals to share technical knowledge, innovations, and best practices in plastic pipe systems. Each conference is self-financing with profits reinvested into future events.
• Spin-Off Conferences (Regional Events) Regional events held in various locations worldwide that complement the main biennial conference series, providing opportunities to exchange knowledge, explore innovations, and strengthen partnerships within the plastic pipe community. Confirmed events include China, Nanjing (25-27 October 2026) and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh (18-19 January 2027).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PE 100+ AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal industry organization of PE manufacturers (13 members) promoting consistent quality at the highest level in PE100 pipe material production and use. Founded in 1999. David Fink serves as Chairman on the PPCA Board representing this partner.
• Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor trade association in North America representing all segments of the plastics piping industry. PPI provides platform for industry information sharing, research, and technical/educational content development. Andrew Wedgner serves as Secretary on the PPCA Board.
• The European Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association (TEPPFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean association founded in 1991 with 15 national associations and 10 company members. Represents 350 companies manufacturing plastic pipes and fittings, employing 40,000 people with €12 billion combined annual sales. Ludo Debever serves as Managing Director/Treasurer on the PPCA Board.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• ASTM International: Global standards organization, including Committee F17 on Plastic Piping Systems, that hosts symposia, workshops, and technical events. Comparable to PPCA in being a central authority that curates and distributes technical knowledge about plastic pipe materials, testing, and applications.
• Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS): The largest US trade association for the entire plastics industry, hosting NPE and other major conferences and events. Like PPCA, it serves as an industry convener and knowledge distributor, but at a much broader plastics-industry scope rather than a focused plastic-pipes niche.
• American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE): International organization for plumbing engineers that runs biennial conventions, technical symposia, and publishes engineering education content. Comparable to PPCA in targeting engineering professionals who design plastic pipe systems and in operating a biennial conference-driven engagement model.
• International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO): International association that develops plumbing and mechanical codes and runs industry conferences and educational events. Comparable to PPCA in the role of organizing technical conferences and being a centralized knowledge body for pipe-related infrastructure.
• American Water Works Association (AWWA): Major international non-profit that organizes the annual AWWA ACE Conference and Exposition, the premier water utility industry event covering pipe materials, standards, and infrastructure. Comparable to PPCA in being a member-supported association that runs recurring technical conferences serving the pipe and water infrastructure industry.

Emerging players

• European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM): European Council within the broader vinyl value chain that represents PVC resin producers, including those supplying the pipe industry. Adjacent peer to PPCA as a sector association supporting the PVC pipe value chain with technical communication and industry events.
• Plastics Recyclers Europe: European trade association representing plastics recycling industry stakeholders, including pipe recyclers. Adjacent peer to PPCA in being an industry association that organizes events and disseminates technical knowledge around the plastics materials lifecycle.
• European Plasticisers: European sector group representing plasticiser manufacturers whose products are used to make flexible PVC pipe and fittings. Adjacent to PPCA in serving as a specialized industry association that produces technical content and educational events for plastics industry professionals.

Direct peers

• Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association: North American non-profit trade association specifically representing PVC pipe manufacturers and producers. Closely comparable to PPCA in serving the plastic pipe manufacturing sector with educational resources, technical content, and industry advocacy.
• Vinyl Institute: US trade association serving the vinyl/PVC industry value chain, including pipe applications. Comparable to PPCA as a niche industry association that distributes technical and commercial information about vinyl-based piping materials to manufacturers, engineers, and end-users.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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