I'll admit, there was a bit of trepidation in attending the ACS Rubber Division's International Elastomer Conference in Pittsburgh.
After all, besides commuting locally to the association's Spring Technical Meeting, and a few visits to companies in Northeast Ohio, this was my first foray to a full-fledged industry conference and expo since before the coronavirus pandemic took hold. My wife and I took a vacation in early September, so that had me back in the mental state to travel.
But this was another major step forward, and I want to commend the Rubber Division staff on a job well done. The division was in a difficult position on whether to go forward with an in-person event or conduct another virtual IEC, which it did last fall. It decided to put on the in-person IEC, with a remote option for some of the events—such as the keynote address and technical presentations—for those not yet ready or able to travel to the site.
The Rubber Division was hurt a bit by timing. Between the time division leaders made the call to go forward and the time the IEC convened Oct. 4-7, a flare-up of COVID-19 cases and the Delta variant likely caused some people to stay home and a few exhibitors to cancel their booths. The fact that restrictions on international travelers coming to the U.S. won't be lifted until Nov. 1 also helped to keep others away.
But it was clear the Rubber Division made the right call. The IEC is the biggest event on its calendar each year, and most of the attendees with whom I spoke were glad to be back meeting their friends, colleagues and customers in person.
For Rubber News, it was important for some of our newer staff members to get to know the industry and its people better. Of the four editorial staff we had in Pittsburgh, it was the first IEC for two of them. And as our sales staff was reorganized last year, it was their first chance to have in-person meetings with many of their clients.
There's no doubt the pandemic still had an impact. The footprint on the expo floor was noticeably smaller. Some exhibitors talked of slow traffic. Others said attendance in the technical sessions was down. And most of the Science and Technology Award winners accepted remotely.
But all of that was to be expected. And as Division Marketing Manager Gretchen Cermak pointed out, there also was much discussion from exhibitors of how the "quality" of those coming by booths was high, making their trip to the IEC worthwhile.
And in case you didn't hear the news, it seemed almost appropriate that 10 minutes before the expo was to end, a fire alarm at the convention center caused everyone to evacuate. The Rubber Division staff, of course, handled that in stride as well, making sure all attendees calmly and safely exited the premises until given the all-clear signal from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire.
As for my nerves, I stayed cautious for the most part, but as the event moved forward, everything seemed more natural, that "business as usual" is somewhere not too far out on the horizon.
Meyer is editor of Rubber News. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @bmeyerRPN.