David Savastano, Contributing Editor05.22.25
One of the interesting developments in the post-pandemic business world is the interest in smaller regional shows. The major conferences and trade shows are still faring quite well, while maintaining attendance numbers at local shows has been challenging.
This is certainly the case in the paint and coatings field. The European Coatings Show, American Coatings Show and CHINACOAT are all doing well, while some regional gatherings, notably the Eastern Coatings Show and Western Coatings Show, are remaining strong.
A great example is the 2025 Eastern Coatings Show, which was held May 13-15 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. Organized by the Eastern Coatings Federation and hosted by the Philadelphia Society for Coatings Technology, the New England Society for Coatings Technology and the Metropolitan New York Coatings Association, this year’s show was attended by 1,200 industry professionals, and featured more than 120 exhibitors and 42 technical presentations.
“We continued to have strong attendance this year with 1,200 attendees,” said Chuck Jones, president of the Eastern Coatings Show, after the show. “The high energy was evident from the opening reception to the close of the exhibit hall. The talks that were selected for the technical program were high quality, and from the opening networking events to the end, we have had a good crowd of engaged attendees.”
The Keynote talk was given by Sully Sullivan, president of DayGlo Color Corporation, who discussed “Manufacturing in the Age of Social Media: Why Making Stuff Matters.”
There also was a panel discussion, moderated by Coatings World’s Dale Pritchett, which covered “Investing Financial and Intellectual Capital in an Ever-Changing Market.” The panel fatured George Pilcher of ChemQuest, Dan Pickard at Buchanan, and David Witker from Benjamin Moore.
Pilcher spoke about the problems with tariffs.
“Tariffs have no value,” said Pilcher. “Tariffs come and they go, and by the time they take strategic action, it burns them.
“I do see more on-shoring and near-shoring and ally-shoring coming,” Pilcher added. “We need to be bringing some of these industries not just back to the US but to our friends and to countries that are closer to us, instead of getting it where it is cheapest. It is time to learn from our mistakes and create actual partnerships rather than just talking about it.”
“Tariffs could lead to reducing the debt, but tariffs do increase prices, which has an inflationary pressure,” Pickard observed. “The administration believes we have hollowed out our manufacturing, have become too reliant on China for national security concerns, and that we have to align our policies with democratic nations. The administration wants all non-trade tariff barriers removed. Strategic decoupling from China is going to be the most significant move in the next five years.”
Witker noted the impact of regulations on formulation.
“Restrictions are banning things that work really well,” Witker said. “PFAS performs really well and it is a problem to replace because if there are any substitutes, they are really expensive.”
The Businesswomen in Coatings networking session brought technical and marketing professionals together to meet and exchange ideas.
Awards are also an important part of the Eastern Coatings Show. Dave White of Pan Technologies was honored with the Rick Mazzariello Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of service to the industry.
The Pflaumer Brothers Most Outstanding Paper Award was presented to Mike Praw, TS&D manager at Indorama Ventures, for his talk on “Can Simulation Tools and Physicochemical Properties Guide the Selection of Additives?”
The Outstanding Paper Award was given to Michelle Gallagher, senior research scientist at Dow, for her presentation on “Detailed Assessment of Performance, Bulk Volatile Organic Compounds, and Emission Analysis of Acrylic Bio-based Polymers and Paints as Benchmarked against Fossil Feedstock Based Controls.”
The 2027 Eastern Coatings Show will take place May 4-6, 2027, in Atlantic City, NJ.
The feedback for the show, from exhibitors and show officials alike, was excellent.
Robert Ruckle, global marketing and sales director, Siltech Corporation, noted tyat the first day of the show was “amazing.”
“Many of the people who attended were local chemists and formulators, and that’s our target audience,” Ruckle added.
Micro Powders VP Rich Czarnecki said that the Eastern Coatings Show is a great show. “We are seeing lots of interest in our PTFE replacement products,” Czarnecki noted.
“I noted quite a bit of B-to-B discussion,” said David Wawer, executive director of the Color Pigments Manufacturers Association (CPMA). There’s a high level of participation here, and the mood here is upbeat and positive.’
Thomas Penny, senior R&D group manager, Interior Professional Coatings and Color Development Laboratory at Benjamin Moore & Co., noted that the ECS was well attended and was impressed with the talks.
“Everyone I spoke with has said that there are a lot of younger people attending,” Penny said. “The ECS is a really good opportunity to reconnect.”
“I think this was the best Eastern Coatings Show ever,” said Bruce Schimmel of Superior Materials. “The keynote talk by Frank Sullivan III was excellent. We’re getting a lot of good feedback on the presentations and seeing great traffic in the exhibition hall. The Women in Business networking reception was the largest it has ever been.”
This is certainly the case in the paint and coatings field. The European Coatings Show, American Coatings Show and CHINACOAT are all doing well, while some regional gatherings, notably the Eastern Coatings Show and Western Coatings Show, are remaining strong.
A great example is the 2025 Eastern Coatings Show, which was held May 13-15 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. Organized by the Eastern Coatings Federation and hosted by the Philadelphia Society for Coatings Technology, the New England Society for Coatings Technology and the Metropolitan New York Coatings Association, this year’s show was attended by 1,200 industry professionals, and featured more than 120 exhibitors and 42 technical presentations.
“We continued to have strong attendance this year with 1,200 attendees,” said Chuck Jones, president of the Eastern Coatings Show, after the show. “The high energy was evident from the opening reception to the close of the exhibit hall. The talks that were selected for the technical program were high quality, and from the opening networking events to the end, we have had a good crowd of engaged attendees.”
The Keynote talk was given by Sully Sullivan, president of DayGlo Color Corporation, who discussed “Manufacturing in the Age of Social Media: Why Making Stuff Matters.”
There also was a panel discussion, moderated by Coatings World’s Dale Pritchett, which covered “Investing Financial and Intellectual Capital in an Ever-Changing Market.” The panel fatured George Pilcher of ChemQuest, Dan Pickard at Buchanan, and David Witker from Benjamin Moore.
Pilcher spoke about the problems with tariffs.
“Tariffs have no value,” said Pilcher. “Tariffs come and they go, and by the time they take strategic action, it burns them.
“I do see more on-shoring and near-shoring and ally-shoring coming,” Pilcher added. “We need to be bringing some of these industries not just back to the US but to our friends and to countries that are closer to us, instead of getting it where it is cheapest. It is time to learn from our mistakes and create actual partnerships rather than just talking about it.”
“Tariffs could lead to reducing the debt, but tariffs do increase prices, which has an inflationary pressure,” Pickard observed. “The administration believes we have hollowed out our manufacturing, have become too reliant on China for national security concerns, and that we have to align our policies with democratic nations. The administration wants all non-trade tariff barriers removed. Strategic decoupling from China is going to be the most significant move in the next five years.”
Witker noted the impact of regulations on formulation.
“Restrictions are banning things that work really well,” Witker said. “PFAS performs really well and it is a problem to replace because if there are any substitutes, they are really expensive.”
The Businesswomen in Coatings networking session brought technical and marketing professionals together to meet and exchange ideas.
Awards are also an important part of the Eastern Coatings Show. Dave White of Pan Technologies was honored with the Rick Mazzariello Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of service to the industry.
The Pflaumer Brothers Most Outstanding Paper Award was presented to Mike Praw, TS&D manager at Indorama Ventures, for his talk on “Can Simulation Tools and Physicochemical Properties Guide the Selection of Additives?”
The Outstanding Paper Award was given to Michelle Gallagher, senior research scientist at Dow, for her presentation on “Detailed Assessment of Performance, Bulk Volatile Organic Compounds, and Emission Analysis of Acrylic Bio-based Polymers and Paints as Benchmarked against Fossil Feedstock Based Controls.”
The 2027 Eastern Coatings Show will take place May 4-6, 2027, in Atlantic City, NJ.
The feedback for the show, from exhibitors and show officials alike, was excellent.
Robert Ruckle, global marketing and sales director, Siltech Corporation, noted tyat the first day of the show was “amazing.”
“Many of the people who attended were local chemists and formulators, and that’s our target audience,” Ruckle added.
Micro Powders VP Rich Czarnecki said that the Eastern Coatings Show is a great show. “We are seeing lots of interest in our PTFE replacement products,” Czarnecki noted.
“I noted quite a bit of B-to-B discussion,” said David Wawer, executive director of the Color Pigments Manufacturers Association (CPMA). There’s a high level of participation here, and the mood here is upbeat and positive.’
Thomas Penny, senior R&D group manager, Interior Professional Coatings and Color Development Laboratory at Benjamin Moore & Co., noted that the ECS was well attended and was impressed with the talks.
“Everyone I spoke with has said that there are a lot of younger people attending,” Penny said. “The ECS is a really good opportunity to reconnect.”
“I think this was the best Eastern Coatings Show ever,” said Bruce Schimmel of Superior Materials. “The keynote talk by Frank Sullivan III was excellent. We’re getting a lot of good feedback on the presentations and seeing great traffic in the exhibition hall. The Women in Business networking reception was the largest it has ever been.”
