TROY, MI – The Detroit Society for Coatings Technology hosted the 36th annual FOCUS Conference May 5, 2011. The theme this year was “The Fusion of Technology and Design.” Several technical papers were presented, which focused primarily on interior and exterior coatings for the automotive industry. The highlight of the event was an hour-long Design Panel, which featured a distinguished group of automotive designers and coatings suppliers that discussed how designers work with available technologies to create cars that meet the needs and requirements of the consumer.