In October, the 33rd Western Coatings Symposium & Show once again proved to be one of the “hottest tickets” on the Las Vegas strip. Breaking all records in attendance, the biennial event attracted 1416 participants to the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Convention Centre from October 15-18. The popular event offered a robust program of technical presentations, as well as tabletop exhibits, student participation, and numerous networking opportunities.
The WCS began with a lively welcome reception on Sunday, October 15, at Drai’s Nightclub, sponsored by BASF and Azelis. In addition to the opportunity to connect with coatings colleagues, more than 900 attendees enjoyed the rooftop views, lively music, and Las-Vegas-style entertainment,
Breaking all records for attendance, the biennial event attracted 1416 participants to the Paris Las Vegas
On Monday morning, the technical symposium drew a standing-room only crowd to its Opening Session. A keynote address by Dr. John Gilbert of Behr Process Corp. provided an insightful take on the “Ever-Changing World of Architectural Coatings” that captured the attention of attendees. He tracked the evolution of architectural coatings, citing such advances as paint-and-primer-in-one coatings, deck restoration coatings, and new hiding technologies. He also addressed the impact of regulations on the development of architectural coatings. At the session, a 2016 Samson Adler Distinguished Service Award was presented to John Berghuis, longtime member of the Pacific Northwest Society for Coatings Technology’s board of directors, who also served for many years on the WCS board, the FSCT board of directors, and who was instrumental in the successful revamp of the WCS.
A multi-tracked technical program followed the session, featuring 110 presentations over the course of three days. One highlight was the panel discussion held on Monday afternoon. Entitled “Creating Opportunities by Game-Changing Transformation in an Increasingly Competitive World,” the panel included Mario Pschaidt, Behr, Masco Coatings Group; Sheryl Southwell, Specialty Polymers; Dr. Horst Suzback, BYK-Chemie GmbH; and Jason Woods, The Sherwin-Williams Company.
On Tuesday, the program began with a Keynote presentation by James Ray, senior consultant for ICIS. Ray provided valuable tips on “Working Smarter . . . to Optimize the Bottom Line.” According to the speaker, “Understanding the market price drivers and how to leverage them, is the first step to working smarter. Granted, we cannot control the market, but we can understand it better, predict it, and be prepared.” His presentation outlined ways to understand market drivers with the goal of reducing raw material cost, and thereby improve the bottom line and competitive position in the marketplace. At this session, the 2017 Samson Adler Distinguished Service Award was presented to Joseph King. King was an active employee of Pacific Coast Chemicals for over 25 years until his retirement in 2015 at 94 years old. He was acknowledged for contributing nearly 70 years to the paint and coatings industry and is still active in offering his knowledge and leadership to the industry.
In addition to the educational opportunities afforded by attendance at the technical sessions, the WCS tabletop displays provided attendees with valuable information on the products and services of suppliers to the industry. The sold-out exhibit floor featured over 130 exhibitors.
Student posters and presentations once again proved to be another highlight of the program. Winners of the 2017 Student Poster competition included first-place winner Emily Oreste ($1200). Second place was awarded to Jeremy Armas ($600), and third place was given to Kyle Aidukas ($300). All three students attend Cal Poly SLO.
Plans are underway for the 2019 event. Visit https://westerncoatings.org for updates.
Academic research posters winners and advisors included (from left): Jeremy Armas, Dr. Erik Sapper, Emily Oreste, Dr. Ray Fernando, and Kyle Aidukas, all from Cal Poly SLO.