A really big show

• By Mel Zimmerman, PhD
• Nov 01, 1999

Thousands of chemical professionals are expected to attend this year's Chem Show, Nov. 16-18, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. With more than 90 percent of the 185,000 square feet exhibit space sold out since last November, 85 hours of seminars, four different education tracks and three special showcases, the 48th biennial show promises to be a huge event.

"Based on this enthusiastic response so far in advance of the show, we are convinced we will set a record for the number of exhibitors and total exhibit space," said Mark Stevens, Chem Show's associate manager. More than 16,000 visitors and 10,000 exhibitors are predicted to attend what has become the premiere event for the chemical professional industry (CPI). Visitor profiles include management and engineering professionals from manufacturing and processing plants, municipal facilities and public utilities; industries ranging from chemicals and pharmaceuticals to petroleum refining are represented.

The oldest show in the CPI, Chem Show is focusing on the future with its theme, "The CPI in the Next Millennium," and four specially developed education tracks to help industry progress. "Our comprehensive educational program has been specifically designed to address the needs of industry professionals who want to stay at the leading edge of the trends and technologies driving the marketplace," said Clay Stevens, the show's manager. The tracks' seminars include:

• Instrumentation, control and data, such as process control standard developments, networking and intelligent systems, and new technologies and strategies for a variety of applications;
• Environmental and energy issues, such as volatile organic compounds, cogeneration, designing and optimizing gas/liquid reactions for environmental processes, and using biological and chemical agents to eliminate pollutants;
• Process design and applications, including liquid/liquid extraction and separation technologies to liquid filtrations, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical powders and the demand for novel drug delivery applications, and vacuum technologies and heat transfer fluid systems; and
• Plant engineering and management, such as selecting and specifying the best elastomer, managing corrosion in chemical processing with fluoropolymers, and using the Internet for e-commerce, including a seminar on the challenges of starting a consulting business in the 21st century.

To further help conference attendees focus on areas of special interest, the '99 Chem Show includes three product showcase areas in the exhibit hall. The showcases highlight powder processing, process control and automation; maintenance, feature products and services grouped by type. "These three pavilions provide attendees with dedicated areas where they can focus exclusively on specific products and discuss unique challenges with the leading industry suppliers," Stevens said.

The Powder Processing Showcase, which debuted at the '97 Chem Show, has been enlarged to include more suppliers this year. Products highlighted at this pavilion include filtration equipment; mixers; controls; analyzers; dispersers; heat exchangers; testing; measurement and monitoring equipment; scales and checkweighers; dryers; control software; and more.

A staple of the Chem Show since 1993, the Process Control and Automation Center has also been expanded, and includes advanced software systems for a variety of applications to process control, measurement and analytical equipment.

The Maintenance Showcase is making its Chem Show debut this year, in recognition of the increasingly important role of preventive maintenance. These products' goals are to reduce downtime, meet stringent regulatory requirements, improve performance and increase reliability. They include computerized maintenance management programs, outsourced services, paints and coatings, hoses, inspection instruments and pollution control devices.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16 and Wednesday Nov. 17, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday Nov. 18. On-site registration is $20 per person. Anyone pre-registered who has not received their visitor badges may pick them up at the Lost Badge/Badge Correction counter.

The '99 Chem Show is sponsored by several organizations, including the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; the American Institute of Chemists; the Association of Consulting Chemists and Chemical Engineers; the Chemical Education Foundation; the Society for Protective Coatings; the Society of the Chemical Industry; and the Valve Manufacturers Association of America. The conference, a CPI tradition since 1915, is held every two years in New York City.

Attendees should take advantage of the many restaurants, theaters and museums the city offers. First-time visitors should call the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 692-8474, or see their Web page at www.nycvisit.com. A guide of activities, hotels, restaurants and important numbers is also available on the New York City official Web page, at www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/culture/html/tourist.html.

Additional show information, including an area map, housing information, an exhibitor list and an on-line registration form can be found on the Chem Show Web page at www.chemshow.com. Any other questions or comments should be directed to Mark Stevens at (203) 221-9232, or fax (203) 221-9260.

To see special products featured at the 1999 Chem Show, click
here.



Photo courtesy of New York Convention & Visitor's Bureau This article originally appeared in the November 1999 issue of Environmental Protection magazine, Vol. 10, Number 11, pp. 44.

This article originally appeared in the 11/01/1999 issue of Environmental Protection.