Editor's Memo<br>ASC Fall Convention Makes the Grade
The Adhesive and Sealant Council's fall convention and exposition took place in Rosemont, IL, this past September. The ASC convention drew 337 attendees, and the Tuesday afternoon exhibition was home to more than 40 booths. New to the exhibition was a suppliers' spotlight, which took place on the show floor. This event drew a number of attendees to listen to over 10 15-minute presentations. Forty-four speakers gave presentations in the 10 sessions that ran concurrently during the three-day conference.
The conference's kickoff breakfast speaker was Richard Paullin, executive director of the International Trade Association of Greater Chicago. His talk, "The Global Trade Outlook," discussed the dramatic changes that the United States has made since September 11, and how these changes will impact importers and exporters. He also examined the outcomes of the recently concluded fifth World Trade Organization Ministerial. His words touched on a growing trend that was mentioned over and over by attendees to the convention - industries are moving overseas. No longer are U.S.-based companies primarily manufacturing their products locally; instead they are moving production facilities to China and other international areas due to lower labor costs.