Thursday, Dec. 16 was the final day of Coatings+ 2021, and as we finish up the last day, we are reminded of the many years that this conference has brought together friends and peers alike. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in March 2022 at the first AMPP Conference + Expo in San Antonio, Texas, where we will be bringing together the best of Coatings+ and the annual CORROSION conference.
This year, the 1,000 attendees have shared memories of Coatings+ past and outlooks for the future. It has been amazing to shake hands, see smiling faces, and give hugs; celebrating Coatings+ has been the cherry on top of a wonderful reunion after many months apart.
The week-long event, which took place in sunny (and sometimes windy) Phoenix, included a variety of coatings-related content. The show featured 50 technical papers or workshop presentations. Session highlights included the SSPC awards luncheon, several round robins with AMPP CEO Bob Chalker, a workshop on surface prep method standards, and inspector training and certification opportunities.
In addition to 84 exhibitors using 16,400 square feet of exhibit space, the show floor this year included the coating experience, as well as a panel of experts talking to the next generation of craftworkers. There was lunch on the show floor, a friendly (to some) golf outing, and many other networking opportunities throughout the week.
Another highlight this year was the keynote speaker — Lisa Bodell, an award-wining author and CEO of FutureThink — who presented to a roomful of attendees on Tuesday, Dec. 14. Her messages about how to look for workplace complexity and ways to simplify — even just with emailing and meetings — resonated with attendees.
It has been a wonderful week full of friendship and continued relationship building within the coatings community. Thank you to all of this year’s event sponsors; exhibitors on the show floor; dedicated speakers and presenters; attendees who’ve come from near and far; and to everyone behind the scenes who has helped to put on such a great event, as well as to any and all other legacy SSPC and, now, AMPP supporters.
We look forward to meeting again in just a few months in a bigger way in San Antonio, Texas. As always, happy coating!