“We’re putting the band back together.”

This memorable line in the 1980 comedy The Blues Brothers is one of the most classic in this beloved movie filmed in Chicago. Like Jake and Elwood Blues, we at the Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) are reassembling the world’s adhesive and sealant industries in Chicago for a grand event—the 2022 World Adhesive and Sealant Conference (WAC).

Few experiences are richer for adhesive and sealant professionals than attending a WAC. The event offers the complete package: networking, education, exhibition, repeat. On an international level. Like the Olympics, the conference occurs once every four years and rotates between Asia, Europe, and North America. The host association is responsible for organizing and delivering a world-class educational and networking event.

The last WAC held in North America was 14 years ago in Miami. The 2020 conference, hosted by ASC, had to be postponed to 2022 because of the pandemic.

Each WAC is a unique celebration of its location—planned and unplanned. When I attended the last one, in 2016, an earthquake struck Tokyo during the opening ceremonies. I was on the stage in a hotel ballroom, eyeing the giant crystal chandeliers gently swaying over the heads of hundreds of conference-goers. Thankfully, it was only a minor quake, barely registering on the Richter scale. The conference continued uninterrupted, but what a memory—and a good story—it left.

When the next WAC occurs in Chicago April 25-27, unique experiences characteristic of its destination will be on display as well. More on that in a moment.

WAC 2022

So, what’s special about WAC 2022? First and foremost, the global adhesive and sealant industry will come together for the first time in six years, in one place, over three days. Networking and educational sessions pack the schedule, allowing for maximum opportunity to reconnect yourself and your teams with your customers, suppliers, peers, and colleagues.

Nowhere else will you find so many of the industry’s top leaders in one place. Keynotes will include: Jim Owens, president and CEO of H.B. Fuller; Vincent Legros, chairman and CEO of Bostik; Nicolas Krauss, regional head of Americas at Henkel Adhesive Technologies; and Jayshree Seth, corporate scientist and chief science advocate at 3M.

More than 90 speakers will join them over two full days of educational sessions featuring the latest hot topics and trends in the global adhesive and sealant industry. In addition to the unique speaker lineup, the WAC EXPO will feature more than 125 international adhesive and sealant manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and service providers.

One of the greatest memories of the Tokyo WAC—besides the quake—was how well our Japanese hosts featured some of the best of their ancient cultural heritage. To the world, Chicago is a quintessential American city. It, too, is rich in history and cuisine, and both will be prominently featured during WAC. As an attendee, you will not only experience it but also be a part of it. By the end of the conference, we will leave our international participants—and our fellow North Americans, too—with a greater appreciation of what the Windy City is known for.

Valuable Experience

“We’re on a mission from God,” is another comical line from The Blues Brothers, as Jake and Elwood work to convince their former band members to get together again. At ASC, we are on a mission to deliver the very best World Adhesive and Sealant Conference ever. The excitement is high, and I am fully confident you will find your participation not only memorable but, more importantly, highly valuable. See you in Chicago this April 25-27!

To learn more, visit www.wac2022.org.

Note: Opening image courtesy of pawel.gaul via E+ Collection via gettyimages.com.