The ACS National Meeting: Increased Attendance Spells Success.

Walking through the aisles at the American Chemical Society's (ACS) 219th National Meeting held in San Francisco, California from March 26th through 30th, one could not help but feel the energy within the Moscone Convention Center. The stage was set by the brisk weather in the city by the

Sponsored by the ACS's thirty-three divisions, three committees and four secretariats, the ACS meeting generated its highest attendance in recent years with approximately 18,500 attendees. Previous meetings attracted considerably less people with 13,500 in attendance at the 217th meeting and 11,900 at the 218th meeting. According to an ACS official, due to the weather, a meeting in San Francisco at the end of March generally will attract more conferees than a show in New Orleans at the end of August, which was the home of the 218th ACS National Meeting.

Covering over 8,000 papers and 775 technical sessions, the ACS meeting encompassed a considerable portion of the market for analytical instrumentation. The nearly 480 booths represented more than 280 companies, including many of the major players of the industry, who showcased their newest products and services for the chemical laboratory. Events included a discussion of genetically modified foods and a discussion of the partnership between education, industry, the media, and science policy in the twenty-first century. The technical program consisted of a variety of topics ranging from the agriculture of food chemistry to colloid and surface chemistry. The ACS meeting is committed to establishing a strong foundation within the chemicals laboratory, which is represented in the large number of technical sessions from the Division of Chemical Education, Division of Inorganic Chemistry and Division of Organic Chemistry.

Many of the exhibitor booths were minimal in size, offering an equal opportunity for vendors to gain visibility and exposure. Due to the broad spectrum of attendees, companies opted to display a sampling of their involvement in the analytical industry, flaunt their capabilities, and emphasize their dedication. Interestingly, there was an increased presence of computer-related vendors, including Internet, database services, software, and hardware manufacturers. For a company like SciQuest.com, which aims to streamline the traditionally inefficient, time consuming, and expensive process of buying and selling laboratory products, the ACS meeting is an ideal event for increasing the companies popularity within the on-line chemical community.

Among the instrument manufacturers, Biotage, a division of Dyax Corp., exhibited the FLASH chromatography system, which the company claims to be a faster, easier and safer method to purify compounds. Emphasizing the systems scalability from R&D to production, the company's display attracted a variety of attendees at the ACS Meeting. Exhibitors were more than happy to speak with attendees, entertain any questions, and send information via mail as product literature was minimal. Although badge swiping may deter some clients, it is an advantage to potential customers, who otherwise would have to carry mounds of literature.

As fast as information moves and the numerous ways colleagues keep in contact, it was fitting for conferees to have free Internet access at the show's forty five terminals. ACS officials realize the importance of information exchange among the chemistry community, including the availability of information resources and computer software. These mediums for information transfer have enhanced the chemistry field in every aspect. One exhibitor commented that the software is as important as the instrument itself, emphasizing software's ability to control the primary instrument as well as complementary instrumentation, which offers many advantages.

With the attendance the ACS National Meeting generates, and considering the success reported by this year's and past year's exhibitors, the ACS meeting is an event companies cannot afford to miss. The meeting provides a great opportunity for vendors to gain exposure, leads and sales. The next ACS meeting will be held August 20th through 24th in Washington, DC.