InformEx Celebrates 30 Years Of Success
By Ed Miseta, Chief Editor, Clinical Leader
Thirty years of taking care of customers is a very long time, especially in the trade show business. So it is no small accomplishment that InformEx recently celebrated its 30th year of bringing together clients and manufacturers in the specialty chemical industry. Industry leaders first came together in 1984 to address the demand for a show to foster better partnering opportunities between specialty chemical manufacturers and users. In Atlanta just one year later, the first InformEx show was held. The event, a small tabletop conference, hardly resembles the much larger show we know today with the education sessions, featured speakers, mobile app, and hundreds of chemical exhibitors from around the world.
According to Nancy Largay, InformEx brand director, the show has changed and evolved along with changes in the industry. Even as the Internet has helped manufacturers to better reach and interact with buyers, the relevance of InformEx continued to grow as the industry saw and appreciated the importance of face-to-face contact. "Today, even as the InformEx community stays connected all year long via LinkedIn and other online avenues, our annual event remains unique in its ability to forge lasting connections that lead to new business and smarter decision-making," says Largay.
There was also a number of “firsts” at this year’s show. Member requests for sessions relating to currents trends in the industry led to the new education lineup. Recognizing that many attendees come to InformEx for the on-floor networking experience, the education sessions were incorporated right onto the show floor. In an effort to make the sessions a little more entertaining, the show brought in organic chemistry professor Donna Nelson to discuss her role as science advisor for the award-winning cable TV series Breaking Bad (don't worry...Nelson assured the audience she has never produced nor used the methamphetamines produced by the show's lead.)
In speaking with a large number of chemical manufacturers at the show, including Cambridge Major, Neuland Labs, Cedarburg Hauser, DSM, AMRI, Ash Stevens, and more, a main theme that seemed to emerge is the importance of investment in infrastructure, particularly in the U.S., to increase efficiency, competency, and yields. To continue to grow and succeed, manufacturers know they need to provide the right products at the right price to the right clients. Only with the right combination of people, technology, and infrastructure, plus in-person meetings at shows such as InformEx, will API and Excipient manufacturers continue to bring success to pharma and the food industries.
Congratulations on 30 great years, InformEx. We look forward to 2015 in New Orleans.