These past couple months, I've had the opportunity to attend a number of adhesives and sealants conferences and exhibits, all of which met or exceeded my expectations.
The Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC)'s Tape University 101: Fundamentals of Pressure Sensitive Tapes took place Sept. 13-14 at the Holiday Inn O'Hare in Chicago, and was a hit. The conference program was excellent, focusing on the basics of design, testing and manufacturing of pressure-sensitive tapes.
Look for the PSTC Week of Learning next year to include the Tech VIII Technical Conference, Tape University 102, a new Tape University 100 class and more, all in Baltimore.
LabelExpo Americas took place across the street at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Sept. 13-16. The Tarsus Group reports that over 400 industry suppliers exhibited to nearly 13,000 visitors, with nearly 20% of visitors traveling from outside the United States, including big delegations from Brazil, Mexico, Japan, China and Australia. The show's attendance was up 5% compared to the 2002 exhibit.
Assembly Tech Expo took place Sept. 27-30 in Chicago and did not disappoint. The conference program was quite good, including sessions on adhesives and sealants organized by the Adhesive and Sealant Council, Inc. (ASC) and ASI Magazine. Attendance was 11,507, compared to 11,397 in 2003. One of the best-attended talks was the keynote address, given by Karl Eberle, vice president and general manager of the Harley-Davidson Motor Co.'s 358,000-square-foot plant in Kansas City, MO. Eberle's presentation was a motivational discussion on how both salaried and hourly workers work side-by-side in an atmosphere designed to empower them to run the business. The 2005 event is scheduled for Sept. 26-29 in Rosemont (Chicago), IL.
Finally, I attended the ASC's fall conference in Pittsburgh. The conference was a success, with several of the sessions standing-room only. I found the session "Inside the Eight Ball" to be very informative, with Dave Nick of DPNA International in his "Competing in the Global Marketplace" discussion. It was announced at the conference that Richard Barry is retiring as president of the ASC, and Larry Sloan (currently senior director, Membership and Strategic Initiatives) will be taking the helm. Watch for a profile article on Larry and his visions for the future of the organization in an upcoming issue of ASI.
Teresa McPherson is Editor of Adhesives & Sealants Industry magazine. If you wish to send a letter to the editor, please address it to the editor, ASI Magazine, PO Box 936, Lapeer, MI 48446, or e-mail mcphersont@bnpmedia.com . Letters must include the sender's address, phone number and e-mail address, when possible. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.
