The American Coatings Show will be held May 8-10 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. The American Coatings Conference will also take place at the convention center May 7-9. The American Coatings Association and Vincentz Network hope to replicate the success of the 2010 show, which drew nearly 6,700 attendees and 328 exhibitors.

Conference Highlights

Nine pre-conference tutorials are scheduled to take place before the main conference begins. Renowned academic and industry experts will lead the tutorials in order to provide attendees with summaries on recent industry developments.

A plenary session will kick off the conference after lunch on May 7. During the session, the welcome address and keynote presentations will be given. Kent Young of Sherwin-Williams Co. will begin by presenting “Bio-Based Coatings Technology: Collaborative Research with Supply Chain Partners.” Afterward, Kesh Narayanan from the National Science Foundation will follow up with “Accelerating Discovery to Innovation.”

At the conclusion of the plenary session, the Roon Award and American Coatings Award will be presented during a special ceremony. The Roon Award, which is sponsored by the Coatings Industry Education Foundation, recognizes technical papers exemplifying cutting-edge scientific research related to the protective coatings industry. The prestigious American Coatings Award will be given for the best conference paper; the recipient of this award will receive $2,500 and a commemorative sculpture.

Conference sessions will consist of 96 technical paper presentations broken up into 16 themed segments, including Measuring & Testing, Radiation Curing, Pigments, and more. Crucial topics to be addressed during the conference sessions will include architectural coatings, protective coatings and bio-based systems.

The American Coatings Conference Reception will be held at the end of the first day. The reception will provide attendees with a chance to network and peruse the concurrent poster display session. Music and refreshments will be furnished.

The annual Mattiello Award and Lecture will take place on Wednesday, May 9. This award is presented to someone who has made exceptional contributions to the areas of science, technology and engineering related to the coatings industry. This year’s Mattiello Lecture will be given by Stuart Croll, chair of Coatings and Polymeric Materials at North Dakota State University.

A Comprehensive Show

During the American Coatings Show from May 8-10, exhibitors and visitors will have the opportunity to make new business contacts, share recent research and technological advancements, and gain insight into the latest trends in the coatings industry. On the show floor, select exhibitors will make 15-min product presentations according to a predetermined schedule. Admission is free, and all presentations will be available online immediately after the show.

A new product showcase will feature exhibitor highlights from all categories. University Village and the International Buyers Lounge will be set up for additional networking opportunities.

Event tools like the AC Market Navigator (www.american-coatings-show.com/marketnavigator) and the American Coatings Show iPhone/iPad app will allow visitors to locate booth numbers, exhibitors, products or technologies. The show app, which is new for 2012, provides background information on exhibitors, floor plans and more. App users can create a personal agenda or favorites list, and presentation abstracts will be available for viewing. Trade show newspapers and the AC Show Daily will also be on hand to supply attendees with show information.

For more information, visit www.american-coatings-show.com.