Coatings+ 2019 Is in the Books

SSPC successfully kicked off 2019 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida with the debut of its newly rebranded Coatings+ Annual Conference. More than 2,500 attendees walked the exhibit hall floor, attended technical sessions and committee meetings, and took part in training and certification programs at the event, held February 11-14, 2019.

The buzz was noticeable in the convention center, attributable to the 7% increase in registration, the 48% increase in first-time exhibiting companies and a record total number of vendors (152). The activity-packed week started Sunday with the Phil Calvo Memorial Golf Tournament and continued with the excitement of the SSPC Awards Luncheon on Monday where we celebrated the winners of SSPC Individual and Structure Awards, and especially honored Keane Award Winner Mark Schultz and Honorary Life Member Bill Shoup. The Awards were once again live-streamed for audiences at home with social media activity being higher than ever. Social sharing was made possible throughout the week with facility-wide Wi-Fi sponsored by IUPAT & FTI. Monday night was capped off by the traditional Welcome Reception sponsored by Carboline.

Tuesday kicked off with the new Keynote Session sponsored by Elcometer, where speaker Ken Gronbach enlightened delegates with an honest look at the future workforce and how it will be affected by changing demographics and data. Tuesday evening was highlighted by the ribbon-cutting ceremony and opening of the Coatings+ Exhibit Hall with a reception sponsored by The Sherwin-Williams Company. Of particular interest to exhibit hall visitors was the return of the Outdoor Exhibit area where they were treated to demonstrations of the latest equipment and techniques in surface preparation, including the first live demos of the SSPC Mobile Training Unit. 

Wednesday was anchored by the technical sessions and key committee meetings, including the always impactful PCCP Advisory Committee. Also notable were the Leadership Session sponsored by the Women in Coatings group and the PCS/Young Professionals Happy Hour sponsored by PPG. Everything wrapped up on Valentine’s Day which featured SSPC’s first Spanish-language session and concluded at the Closing Blast where Jeff Theo from Vulcan Painters won a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in a drawing sponsored by LiUNA.

Overall, it was a jam-packed week full of new connections, shared knowledge and exciting ideas. From the packed rooms of the technical sessions to the lively floor of the exhibit hall to the laughter and conversation at the networking events, Coatings+ provided an engaging insight to the latest and greatest in the protective coatings industry.

The technical proceedings from Coatings+ 2019 can be viewed here.