As businesses innovate and adjust to meet the evolving needs of the marketplace, speakers at the Polyurethanes 2011 Technical Conference will offer their expert insights into the state of the economy and the polyurethanes industry.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As businesses innovate and adjust to meet the evolving needs of the marketplace, speakers at the Polyurethanes 2011 Technical Conference will offer their expert insights into the state of the economy and the polyurethanes industry. Hosted by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), this year’s conference will take place Sept. 26-28 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.

“We are very pleased to have a strong roster of speakers at this year’s Polyurethanes Technical Conference to help us understand where the industry has been, where it is going and how dynamic companies are innovating and responding to the times,” said Lee Salamone, senior director of CPI. “Attendees will gain valuable insight throughout the conference into how the industry is rising to meet the future demands of the marketplace, as well as see how it has changed during the last few years during a presentation on the findings of CPI’s biennial end-use market survey.”

As part of the conference’s opening session, trends and innovation expert Jim Carroll will deliver this year’s keynote address. A leading international futurist, Carroll is widely recognized as a thought leader and authority on global trends, rapid business model change, business transformation during economic uncertainty and the necessity for fast-paced innovation. He is an author, columnist, media commentator and consultant with a focus on linking future trends to innovation and creativity. He has previously spoken at events for the Professional Golf Association (PGA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), among others.

On the final day of the conference, the closing session will feature Kevin Swift, ACC’s chief staff economist, who will focus on the future of the polyurethanes industry and the broader U.S. and global economies. Swift will explain how larger macroeconomic trends could impact the polyurethanes industry, with a focus on specific end-use markets for polyurethanes. The business of polyurethanes directly generates nearly $22 billion in output and is a key element of the U.S. economy. Employing nearly 220,000 people and operating in more than 650 locations in the country, the industry helps create nearly four indirect jobs for each direct job in the polyurethanes industry. Each year, the industry directly pays approximately $2 billion is wages to U.S. workers.

This year’s closing session will unveil the findings from CPI’s biennial end-use market survey. The 2010 End-Use Survey presents historic trends by market segment and identifies new applications and uses. In addition, the survey presents data on product use, opinions on market drivers regulatory and other issues that affect the industry on both a domestic and global scale. IAL Consultants, which collects the data and prepares the report, will present the survey’s findings.

Featuring more than 60 technical presentations, the Polyurethanes 2011 Technical Conference will provide industry leaders and professionals with an opportunity to hear about the latest technical innovations and issues affecting the global polyurethanes industry. Throughout the conference, attendees will learn more about the current state of the industry, from regulatory and environmental issues to advances in technology and chemistry.

Registration for the Polyurethanes 2011 Technical Conference is now open. For more information on the conference, including the conference program and sponsorship opportunities, or to register, visit www.americanchemistry.com/polyurethane.