Meyer: Despite pandemic, industry has crowded fall travel season

The fall convention and association annual meeting season is set to be crowded this year, as a number of events were rescheduled into this time period because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. And just as the meetings are getting ready to kick off, the resurgence of COVID-19 cases will make it interesting to see just how willing people in the industry are to get out there and resume networking.

Two tire-related events previously made the decision against holding in-person events in 2021. The Clemson University Global Tire Industry Conference canceled its event for the year, citing the low vaccination rate in South Carolina coupled with the upward trend in hospitalizations caused by newer COVID-19 variants.

The Tire Society is planning to resume its annual in-person conference in September 2022, but did hold a virtual event the week of Aug. 30, and reported strong participation by its members.

The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers also now has its Annual General Meeting, originally scheduled for Thailand, listed on its website as a virtual event for Nov. 1-5.

But there is still a wide variety of gatherings planned as in-person events for fall. The next one is the NIBA annual meeting, set for Sept. 21-24 in Palm Springs, Calif. The belting association said the event may look different than prior years, but has a list of more than 125 manufacturers and distributors planning to attend.

The ACS Rubber Division is holding its International Elastomer Conference the week of Oct. 4, and Executive Director Lakisha Miller-Barclay said the IEC is a definite go. For those who still aren't ready to travel, though, the technical sessions can be accessed virtually—live or on demand.

Rubber News' Hose and Belting Manufacturers Conference was postponed until spring of 2022 because of the impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant and the resulting increase in corporate travel restrictions. It had been scheduled for Oct. 13-14 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

As of press time, these events are among those still scheduled:

• Gasket Fabricators Association, semi-annual meeting, Sept. 28-30, in Dallas;
• Center for the Polyurethanes Industry, technical conference, Oct. 5-7, in Denver;
• Power Transmission Distributors Association Industry Summit, Oct. 20-23, in Atlanta;
• Rubber Roller Group, Oct. 24-25, in New Orleans;
• Adhesive and Sealing Council Convention & Expo, Oct. 25-27, in Orlando;
• Polyurethane Foam Association, fall meeting, Nov. 3-4, relocated from Toronto to Charlotte, N.C.;
• Fluid Sealing Association, annual meeting, Nov. 16-18, in Phoenix; and
• Medical Design & Manufacturing East show, Dec. 7-9, in New York City.

The Rubber News staff will be on-site at the Rubber Division IEC, and we hope to see you there. For those venturing out, follow all safety precautions. And if you're not ready to travel just yet, there will be future opportunities as the world continues to find its way through this pandemic to a "new normal."

Meyer is editor of Rubber News. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @bmeyerRPN.