The American Coatings Show and Conference (ACS) will take place April 8-10 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The event is organized by the American Coatings Association (ACA) in conjunction with Vincentz Network. This year’s theme will be “Designing the Future: Innovative Solutions for Coatings;” major topics will include volatile organic compound (VOC) reduction and sustainability in coatings.

In 2012, the biennial show drew 427 exhibitors and over 7,500 participants from 69 countries. The event is expected to expand even more this year. “The 2014 American Coatings Show is sizing up to be the event you won’t want to miss for the coatings industry,” said Andy Doyle, president of the American Coatings Association. “With the increasingly positive global economic outlook, the paint and coatings industry is poised to move forward with new technologies and innovative products that will be showcased at the ACS.”

Explore the Exhibits

The show floor will encompass 95,500 sq ft of coatings exhibits covering a variety of products and services, including raw materials, laboratory equipment, testing and measuring equipment, software, hardware, consultancy, and more (see a list of exhibitors). Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest technologies in 15-min exhibitor presentations followed by brief Q&A sessions. Presentations will be combined by topics and made available online after the show. A special University Village section will focus on young professionals in the industry, while an International Pavilion will showcase the latest developments from around the world.

Hear from Conference Speakers

A keynote address from Charles F. Kahle II, Ph.D., will launch the 2014 American Coatings Conference (ACC) schedule. Kahle, chief technology officer and vice president, Coatings R&D, at PPG, will discuss “Energy as a Driver for Coatings: Innovation in the 21st Century.” The keynote will review current coatings technology in relation to energy costs and availability.

Nearly 100 presentations were selected for the conference sessions, which will take place April 7-9 in conjunction with the show. Leading industry representatives will present on a variety of relevant topics, including university research, architectural coatings, nanotechnology and more. Presentations will be divided into 16 sessions. Each talk will be about 20-25 min in length, followed by a short Q&A discussion.

Other educational opportunities will include a poster session and the Mattiello Memorial Lecture. Posters will be displayed in the conference area from 5:30-7:00 p.m. on April 7 during the conference reception. The Mattiello Memorial Lecture, which will take place in the morning on April 9, will be delivered by John Hook, Ph.D., retired senior research fellow at Dow Coatings Materials (previously Rohm & Haas). Hook’s presentation will be “Modeling White Hiding Power Helps Deliver Decades of Innovation.”

Award Highlights

The conference session chairpersons and the ACS program committee will again honor the best paper with the American Coatings Award during the opening ceremony of the conference on April 7. The American Coatings Association and Vincentz Network will bestow the recipient with a commemorative keepsake and a $2,500 cash prize. In 2012, the American Coatings Award went to Antony van Dyk, Ph.D., of Dow Coating Materials and Alan Nakatani, Ph.D., of Dow Chemical Co. in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for research pertaining to the measurement and distribution of titanium dioxide in grinds and slurries.

Stay in the Loop

On April 7, 11 pre-conference tutorials will provide attendees with foundational insights and updates on major issues in the coatings industry. Academic experts and industry professionals will give 90-min lectures on topics such as antimicrobial surfaces, high-performance coatings, and more. 

Exhibition newspapers will help attendees stay on top of the preponderance of information at the event. The AC Show Preview and AC Show Daily will contain news about products, exhibits, markets, and more. In addition, the ACS website and ACS 2014 app (available for iOS and Android) will make it simple to find booth locations, abstracts, and product details.

A shuttle bus will also be available to transport visitors to and from the ACS hotels several times per hour.

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