Education and Networking at the WCS

Many of us in the coatings industry recently returned from the Western Coatings Symposium and Show. This biennial event, held at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Convention Center, is organized by the Los Angeles Society for Coatings Technology (LASCT), the Pacific Northwest Society for Coatings Technology (PNWSCT), the Golden Gate Society for Coatings Technology (GGSCT), and the Arizona Society for Coatings Technology (ASCT). The primary mandate of these four organizations is to provide educational and networking opportunities for its members, and award scholarships/grants to students and academic institutions predominantly focused on coatings research or related fields of study.

The educational and networking opportunities at this event do not disappoint. With five concurrent tracks of technical presentations, the WCS offers attendees a variety of learning opportunities on topics ranging from emerging trends, prolonging the life cycle of paint, high-touch coatings with anti-microbial functionality, optimizing the performance and carbon footprint of powder coatings, AI and machine learning, and dozens more.

Attendees were also treated to two keynote addresses and a leadership panel discussion. The first keynote was given by Denise Hartmann, Senior Vice President Dispersions, Resins & Additives, Americas, BASF Corporation, who spoke on “Partnership and Trust in the Coatings Industry: A Look Forward with a View of the Past.” The second was offered by Stuart Hayes, VP Regional Development, Evonik Corporation. He discussed “Sustainability – Leading Beyond Chemistry.”

Hartmann participated in the leadership panel discussion as well, which also included Eva O’Keefe, Vice President of Principal Development, Azelis Americas CASE; Muge Tamkan, Americas Vice President, IMCD Coatings & Construction; Dr. Allen Bulick, Technical Director of Product Development, Dunn-Edwards Corporation (A Nippon Paint Company); and Gary Leroux, President & CEO, Canadian Paint and Coatings Association. These industry veterans spent 60 minutes discussing leading through change in the chemical and coatings landscape.

Networking opportunities took place during the always-fun welcome reception at the Drais rooftop nightclub at the Cromwell, the coffee break lounge, an open bar during the afternoon sessions on the final day of the conference, and several hours of exhibit hall activities. This year, 100 exhibitors showcased their latest technology and services for coatings manufacturers. PCI features a handful of these new products in this issue.

I spoke with several exhibitors about their impressions of this year’s WCS. Overall, the feedback was positive. Below are a few of their comments.

“I was impressed with the high-level sustainability discussions at the show, as well as the multiple new innovations that will help the industry better prepare for future regulations – specifically making products without PFAS or benzophenone. My colleagues and I also found value in many of the non-technical presentations covering topics like the post-COVID workplace, and the growing importance of AI and machine learning in the lab. Overall, we thought the show was successful, and enjoyed meeting with everyone in Las Vegas.” — Eric Dumain, Global Marketing Director, Coatings, Arkema

“The heightened focus on AI, digitalization, and sustainability was exciting to see at this year's WCS conference. Albert is delighted to be an active participant and contributor in this vital journey for our industry.“ — Nick Talken, CEO and Co-Founder, Albert Invent

"The Western Coating Symposium and Expo is a must-do event, as it provides a great mix of showcasing informative, technical talks and allowing plenty of time for networking and meeting customers face-to-face, which is so critical to highlight our products for formulating or supply solutions." — Katherine Hacek-Catlett, Market Manager, Colonial Chemical, Inc.

Many thanks to the Western Coatings Societies for an educational, helpful, fun, and well-organized event. We’ll see you back in 2025!