When this issue mails from the printer, Coatings Trends & Technologies (CTT) will be just five weeks away. CTT is produced by our magazine in partnership with the Chicago Society for Coatings Technology (CSCT). This annual event continues to grow every year, in both numbers and the quality of the content presented. I want to share with you a few CAN’T MISS features at this year’s conference. And if you read through to the end, you will be rewarded with an incentive to register.

Can’t Miss 1:

The Keynote Speaker – Dr. Crystal Morrison is the Founder & CEO of EverRise, and is a Director at ChemQuest. A highly regarded scientist, Dr. Morrison has extensive experience across industry, academia and national labs. Her presentation is titled, “Leading in the Lab”. You don’t require the word “manager”, “director” or “supervisor” in your title to demonstrate leadership behaviors and promote innovation. Her presentation will teach the difference between controlling, traditional leadership and empowering, high-performance leadership. Attendees will receive four specific actions to use to foster empowering leadership and innovation in their organizations.

Can’t Miss 2:

Panel Discussion on Sustainability – This year we have assembled a panel of five experts from across the value chain to discuss sustainability. A 100%-sustainable coatings industry is an ambitious goal, but what would it look like, and what are the obstacles preventing us from reaching it?

Our panelists include Laureen Blissard, Principal of LTLB Envirotecture, Technical Director of the GreenBuilder^® Coalition, and USGBC LEED Faculty Member; John Griffin, AkzoNobel Aerospace Business Director and Regional Director for North America; Aaron Lockhart, Technical Market Development Director, Covestro; Mark Nichols, Ph.D., Technical Leader – Paint Research, Ford Motor Company; and Gary Spilman, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Resinate Materials Group Inc. They will be discussing sustainability from their realm of influence, and will open up the discussion to all members of the audience. Be a part of the conversation!

Can’t Miss 3:

Our Conference Program – We have selected 45 technical presentations from over 70 high-quality submissions. The program is organized into three tracks, and topics include Architectural Coatings, Industrial Coatings, Color Technology, Additive Advancements, Resin Developments, Bio-Based/Sustainable Technology, UV/EB Technology, Corrosion Control, Low-VOC/Waterborne Technology, Business Strategies, High-Performance Coatings, Green Chemistry, Formulating Strategies, and Measuring/Testing/Application Equipment.

Can’t Miss 4:

Our Exhibit Hall – We have sold out our 100 tabletop exhibits. These exhibitors will be sharing the latest in additive, resin, pigment, equipment and distribution technology available to coatings formulators and manufacturers. Exhibit hours don’t interfere with the technical presentations, so attendees can enjoy dedicated time for each.

PCI and the CSCT would love to have you join us this September 10-11 at the Loews O’Hare Chicago Hotel in Rosemont, IL. Visit the CTT website at www.pcimag.com/coatings-conference to see the full conference agenda, who is attending, a list of exhibitors and registration information. Our early-bird pricing has expired, but as a thank you for reading up to this point, I am extending the early bird rate ($150 off the current rate) to coatings formulators/manufacturers/or other representatives from coatings manufacturing companies. Just e-mail your name, title and company to kristin@pcimag.com to get your code. I hope to see you in Rosemont this September!