Hundreds of coatings manufacturers, suppliers and distributors will convene in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Sept. 13-14 to attend Coatings Trends & Technologies (CTT). Now in its sixth year, CTT has grown to become one of our industry’s most-recognized and respected annual events. Presented by Paint & Coatings Industry magazine and the Chicago Society for Coatings Technology (CSCT)/SYMCO, CTT offers chemists, formulators and R&D personnel the opportunity to meet with over 80 suppliers to industry and attend 36 technical presentations that will discuss the latest technology to help them find solutions to their formulation challenges.

Two excellent keynote speakers are on the agenda. On September 13, Johan Landfors, President of AkzoNobel North America and Managing Director of AkzoNobel Polymer Chemistry, will be speaking on the challenges and opportunities to deliver sustainable solutions for the future. AkzoNobel is known as a sustainability pioneer in our industry, and it will be exciting to hear Landfors’ comments on how coatings manufacturers can lead the way in creating more value with fewer resources. If you can’t attend CTT but would still like to hear Landfors’ keynote address, it will be broadcast live (free) from the event and archived at www.pcimag.com for 12 months. You can learn more about this and other CTT sessions that will be broadcast live (and archived) on page 31 of this issue.

The keynote presentation on the second day follows the theme of innovation, with a talk by Lawrence Gasman, Principal Analyst at n-tech Research. Gasman will identify new opportunities in smart and multifunctional coatings, and will discuss what leading-edge coatings will look like in the next five years. He will point out where the market gaps are, and the appropriate market and product strategies for success.

The conference will be presented in two concurrent tracks and will include presentations on architectural coatings, industrial/OEM coatings, additive innovations, resin developments, sustainable solutions, UV/EB technology, pigments and dispersants, equipment and software, environment-friendly technology, and formulating strategies.

You can see a full list of this year’s exhibitors, as well as brief descriptions about what many companies will be featuring, on pages 32-35. I look forward to two days of learning about solutions for the changing trends and demands of the coatings industry, as well as networking with coatings professionals. It promises to be a great event – I hope to see you there!