More than 800 delegates from the global adhesives and sealants community will gather September 18-21 at the Marriott Paris Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center in Paris for the 8th World Adhesive & Sealant Conference and Expo (WAC).  Industry leaders will work together to address current challenges, propose new solutions and discuss recent industry developments. The event, which is held every four years, is managed by FEICA, the Association of European Adhesive and Sealant Industry.

 

Ramón Bacardit, senior vice president of Adhesives Technologies research at Henkel and FEICA president, will give the opening talk to kick off the conference on September 19. Sessions will run daily through September 21. All four sessions will be divided into segments with themes reflecting crucial issues affecting the adhesives and sealants industry. Each segment will be further divided into topical tracks so that visitors can attend the talks most relevant to their interests. 

 

The first session, Towards a Sustainable Future, will take place the morning of September 19. This session will address such issues as nonrenewable resources, green technology development and environmental regulations. The session will be further broken down into several pertinent tracks: Adhesives and Sealants Industry Challenges, Technologies for Sustainability, The Green Performance of Adhesives and Sealants, and Outlook on Sustainable Global Regulations. Jean Fayolle, corporate senior vice president of Adhesive Technologies at Henkel, will present the keynote address. 

 

During the afternoon of September 19, The Technology Revolution session will begin with a keynote speech by Bernard Pinatel, chairman and CEO of Bostik. Tracks in this session will include State-of-the-Art Silane Terminated Systems, The Edge of Hotmelt Technology, New Building Blocks for Reactive Systems, and Advanced Technologies for Improved PSA Properties.

 

On September 20, Sika CTO Urs Maeder, Ph.D., will lead the Securing Raw Material Sourcing session with the keynote address. The session will be further divided into the following tracks: Strategic Outlook, Ways to Bio-Based Materials, Innovative Alternatives for Raw Materials under Pressure, and Innovation in Design and Performance. This session will be immediately followed by the WAC Exhibition. 

 

The final session, which will take place on September 21, will be introduced by Jim Owens, director, president and CEO of H.B. Fuller. The keynote address, “Creating Value—Entrepreneurship … Design … Innovation,” will touch upon creative customer services and product innovation. Tracks will include Innovative Solutions for Adhesives and Sealants, Challenges and Opportunities to Management, Progressive Problem Solving, Adhesives as Enabler for Lightweight Design, and BRICS Countries Alliance Forum. 

 

Companies from every sector of the global adhesives and sealants industry will have the opportunity to promote new products, forge industry connections, and grow their business at the WAC 2012 Exhibition. The exhibition will be held in the Conference Center Hall on the afternoon of September 20 (immediately after the Securing Raw Material Session) from 12:30-5:00 p.m. No conference sessions will be held concurrently. 

 

WAC 2012’s official slogan, “Creating the Future,” encompasses everything the conference hopes to achieve. The conference talks and exhibition will provide opportunities for industry professionals to examine current challenges, such as government regulation changes and raw material shortages, as well as future developments, such as cutting-edge technologies and major market changes, in the world of adhesives and sealants. 

 

Other events that will take place during the World Adhesives Conference will include the Welcome Cocktail Boat Cruise on the Seine, the International Associations Heads Meeting and FEICA General Assembly, and the WAC 2012 Dinner (“A Magical Evening in Paris”).  

 

For more information, visit www.wac2012.org.