NPE 2003 Sponsor Offers Visa Help to Intl. Visitors - National Plastics Exposition, Society of the Plastics Industry - Brief Article

WASHINGTON, DC - Organizers of NPE 2003, scheduled for June 23-27 at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, are urging international attendees to obtain a US visa as soon as possible.

The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), sponsor of the triennial event, is offering assistance in this task. At the Web site npe.org, you will find visa information and a number of links that can help facilitate the process.

Explains Jordan L. Morgenstern, SPI VP of trade shows, "Since the [Sept. 11, 2001] terrorist attacks in the US, the time required for processing visa applications from many parts of the world has increased to three or four months, and delays may lengthen during the transition period if responsibility for processing visa applications is transferred from the US State Department to the Department of Homeland Security. We are advising prospective international visitors to start the visa process now, even if they are only considering attendance at NPE 2003."