The paint and coatings industry always has its fair share of trade shows and technical conferences, but 2019 is a particularly busy year. The Coatings World teams’ schedule is chock full of conferences and shows in the coming months.

First on the calendar is the Coatings Summit. Held in a different global location every other year, this year’s Summit will take place Jan. 29-Feb. 1 in Paris and feature presentations from CEOs from top companies including AkzoNobel, DuluxGroup, Nippon Group and Teknos Group. This is a rare opportunity to meet with leaders from some of the top paint and coatings companies under one roof to talk about the key trends shaping the industry.

The European Coatings Show and Conference is also high on the list of major shows in the first half of 2019. Held every other year in Nuremberg, Germany, this year’s show will occur March 18-21.

Held in conjunction with Vincentz Network and the American Coatings Association, ECS gives attendees the opportunity to meet leaders and discuss the latest developments in pigments, additives, adhesive and raw materials, intermediates for construction chemicals as well as laboratory and production equipment, testing and measuring equipment, application and environmental protection and safety work.

Another biennial event being held this year is the CoatingsTech Conference. This event, which is held on alternate years with the American Coatings Conference, provides coatings professionals with information on technologies and applications shaping the industry, as well as regulatory trends and networking opportunities. This year’s conference will be held April 8-10 in Cleveland, Ohio. I am particularly looking forward to the keynote “Coatings 2.0: Changing the Palette of the Blue Planet.” Dr. Klaas Kruithof, chief technology officer of AkzoNobel Paints & Coatings, will deliver the keynote address and highlight several new developments in coatings technology which help industry tackle today’s environmental concerns: Air pollution, waste, water scarcity, as well as the presence of substances of concern in some paint and coatings formulations that can limit the scope for recycling. According to Kruithof, these challenges offer unique opportunities for innovation and help develop industry business, for example, by incorporating recycled and/or bio-based materials in products.

We will be racking up those frequent flyer miles and know that a lot of our readers will be too. For those that are not planning on attending these events, you can follow us on social media for live updates, as well as read about it in our post-show wrap-ups online and in our print magazine. I’m looking forward to a prosperous and productive 2019.