ACS 2012 Reports Growth in All Aspects

With 427 exhibitors and more than 7,500 overall participants from 69 countries (2010: 328/6,700), the third American Coatings Show and Conference (ACS) exceeded previous numbers for visitors, exhibitors and net exhibit space. Overall, the ACS had 12% more attendees and 30% more exhibitors than in previous years. Meanwhile, the American Coatings Conference, held May 7–9, featured more than 96 presentations and attracted more than 1,000 attendees from all over the world.

The organizers, the American Coatings Association (ACA) and Vincentz Network, reported that the biennial event has increased in attendance thanks to a simple formula: connecting the world’s leading suppliers with the decision-makers in the American coatings industry. The presentation of three important industry awards rounded off the event.

Exhibitors from 19 countries (2010: 17) displayed a comprehensive range of products on more than 91,000 net square feet of exhibit space (2010: 68,100 square feet) during the show, which was held May 8–10, 2012 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. Companies from abroad accounted for 35% of the exhibitors.

The ACS is an attractive event for leaders in the coatings industry. Business owners, managing directors and department heads accounted for 67% of the visitors, representing companies from several industry categories: manufacturers of coatings and paints (45%), suppliers of raw materials (32%), service providers (10%), and manufacturers of adhesives and sealants (7%). Nine out of every 10 visitors reported having influence on purchasing decisions at their companies; and 44% of visitors negotiated one or more business deals at the Show 2012. According to the visitors surveyed, 97% were satisfied with the range of products and services that the exhibitors presented.

ACS visitors traveled to Indianapolis from all over the world. Of the 7,500 attendees, 79% were from the U.S., while 4% came from Canada. The remaining 17% were from other countries and regions in Europe (6%), South and Central America (5%) as well as Asia (4%) and Australia (2%).

This year’s American Coatings Award, presented by the ACA and Vincentz Network, honored Dr. Antony van Dyk, of Dow Coating Materials, and Dr. Alan Nakatani, from The Dow Chemical Company, for their technical Conference paper, “Shear Rate Dependent Structure of Polymer Stabilized TiO2 Dispersions.“

The first place recipient of the Roon Award, sponsored by the Coatings Industry Education Foundation (CIEF), was Marshall Ming, Georgia Southern University, for “Smart Coatings for Self-Healing Corrosion Protection.” The second place recipient was Thomas Nelson, North Dakota State University, for “Catalyzed Crosslinking of Highly-Functional Bio-Based Resins.”

Dr. Stuart G. Croll, chair of the Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials at North Dakota State University, was recognized with the Joseph J. Mattiello Memorial Lecture Award for his outstanding contributions to science, technology, and engineering related to the coatings industry.

The next American Coatings Show and Conference will take place April 7–10, 2014 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA.