CPCA Canadian Coatings Conference Program LineUp

The Canadian Paint and Coatings Association (CPCA) will host the Canadian Coatings Conference in the William Gray Hotel in Montreal on May 22-23, 2024. CPCA is pleased to announce the conference program includes presenters providing valuable insight on various topics of interest to the CASE industry in Canada.  Darrin Noble, CPCA Chair and President & COO of Cloverdale Paint will welcome attendees and set the stage for the day’s proceedings.

Dan Murad, President & CEO of the ChemQuest Group will provide valuable insights on the CASE industry in North America with a focus on Canada and the drivers of change in the industry across the board.  Adrian Krygsman of Arxada will provide fresh insight on the continuing challenges related to the assessment of biocides in Canada and the impact it will continue to have on Canada’s productivity and the need for more regulatory alignment with Canada’s largest trading partner, the United States. Jeremy Pinto is the Senior Applied Research Scientist at MILA, the globally renowned Quebec AI Institute addressing how generative AI will have profound implications for the industry.

CPCA’s President & CEO, Gary LeRoux will update conference attendees on the ongoing regulatory changes in Canada, which are arguably the most significant changes ever impacting the industry in Canada. President of SamMorell.com, Sam Morell, will provide a unique perspective on the fundamental concepts in chemistry theory and mathematical equations and how these help formulators gain insights into underlying principles for coatings performance. Heidi McAuliffe, VP, Government Affairs at the American Coatings Association will shed light on how ACA continues to address regulatory issues south of the border related to VOCs, chemical risk-assessment under TSCA, biocide regulations for paint preservation under the US EPA and other issues also being addressed here in Canada.

Stephanie Vanslambrouck, Ph.D., is EMCO-Inortech’s Chief Scientist and will address one of the industry’s big success stories related to VOC emissions reduction for water-based coatings in Canada, revealing the important role water-based coatings still plays in film formation for coatings exposed to harsh conditions, such as automotive, industrial machinery, flooring, and marine applications.

Keynote Speaker, Dr. Joe Schwarz, Director, Office of Science and Society McGill University is widely known for his teaching at McGill and many appearances on the Discovery Channel and national networks including the CTV, CBC, TV Ontario, and Global. He has also received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and interpreting science for the public and was the first non-American ever to win the American Chemical Society’s prestigious Grady-Stack Award for demystifying chemistry.

New this year CPCA will be giving the floor to industry as the CASE Industry Speaks. From 3:45 – 4:30 in the afternoon those attending can raise concerns or share thoughts around the current state of the CASE industry in Canada whether related to public policy and regulations, raw material supply, and other supply chain challenges. What might the future hold and are we ready in Canada? What are the things executives in the CASE industry worry about most? Are better times ahead in the CASE industry in Canada, if not why not? This will be a highly interactive session to hear what industry has to say.