The conference will get under way on Oct. 28 with a keynote address by Kevin Butt, assistant general manager of Body Engineering for Toyota Motor Manufacturing's North American plants. Butt will discuss trends in automotive-coating processes and how Toyota's manufacturing efficiency has led to improvements in the company's paint and finishing processes.

The conference program will offer a range of presentations on coating processes, systems and materials, including powder coating; electrocoating; enameling; liquid coating; zinc plating; spray coating; conversion coatings; UV and EB curing; in-mold coating of plastics; pretreatment; emerging technologies; and others. Also planned are presentations on environmental and regulatory issues including a Clean Air Act update and a review of new surface-coating emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants.

Also planned is a series of plant tours on Oct. 30, following the conclusion of the show and conference program. The tours will include facilities that employ powder coating, electrocoating, powder and liquid coating, and a plating process.

More than 225 companies are expected to participate in the exhibition, including suppliers of paint and coatings, application systems, and other products and services.

Complete details on conference sessions, a current list of exhibitors and information on fees and registration can be found on the COATING 2003 website, located at www.thecoatingshow.com. Additional questions can be directed to Goyer Management, the conference and show manager, by phone at 513/624.9988.

The conference and show is sponsored by 10 industry trade associations, including the National Paint & Coatings Association and the Powder Coating Institute.