WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014
CINCINNATI—Anticipating new markets, new technologies, new customers and new members, the building community’s best and brightest gathered Tuesday to kick off the premiere Durability + Design Conference and Expo.
Sponsors, hosts and exhibitors worked all day assembling booths and materials and finalizing sessions for the three-day, two-track technical program, which begins today (May 21) in Cincinnati, OH. The conference, which also includes a Student Design Competition, runs through Thursday.
|
|
| Hilton Hotels |
|
The inaugural D+D conference was held at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel, a restored French Art Deco masterpiece of the 1930s. The venue's restoration will be the topic of a conference session. |
The Exhibit Hall opened Tuesday evening to participants in The Pavilion Ballroom of the historic Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel. The opener also featured a Welcome Reception, sponsored by Sherwin-Williams.
New Technology and Historic Structures
Deep-green and burgundy-draped booths in the French Art Deco hotel backdropped the first-ever gathering of specifiers, architects, facility managers, researchers and other professionals from the communities of building performance and aesthetics.
The new conference and exhibition sports a unique focus: materials and technical practices that assure buildings perform well—and look good doing so.
Thus, the eclectic gathering featured everything from environmental cleaning technology, to surface preparation for historical structures, to high-performance raw materials and coatings, to building envelope solutions and decorative finishes.
Envisioning 'Big Things'
The show was the first for D+D Magazine, which was launched in 2010 by Technology Publishing Co. of Pittsburgh, PA.
 |
| Photos unless indicated: Technology Publishing Co. |
|
Jeff Wells (right) of premier sponsor Sherwin-Williams stops by the Uniflex booth, helmed by William Lavender (left) and Jeffrey Hung, as the Exhibit Hall opened at D+D 2014. |
D+D Editor-in-Chief Gina R. Johnson expressed appreciation for all of the participants and exhibitors, as well as premier sponsor Sherwin-Williams; official sponsors Bayer and Dow; and sponsors Dow Corning, PPG and Trimaco.—
"This is just our first year, gathering the emerging technical community in our shared interest in advances in protective and aesthetic technologies for buildings," Johnson said.
"But we envision big things for this national conference."
National association partners Air Barrier Association of America, PDA, RRCI, SSPC, SWR Institute and the Concrete Polishing Association of America were on hand, joined by media partners Coatings Pro, Concrete Decor, EDC and RCI, as well as local association partners from the American Institute of Architecs and the Building Enclosure Council
Curiosity in the Crowd
Exhibitors were excited and curious, as befitting the new event.
 |
|
John J. Petroci III, president and CEO of Dumond Chemicals, sets up for D+D 2014 on Tuesday before the Exhibit Hall opened. He was hoping for "an inquisitive crowd." |
"We're hoping it's an inquisitive crowd, so we can demonstrate some new solutions for them," said John J. Petroci III, president and CEO of Dumond Chemicals, which provides a range of paint removers, stone and masonry repair, lead abatement, graffiti control, restoration and protection products for architectural structures.
"We've been with D+D since the very beginning. We're looking forward to lots of specifiers and architects."
Petroci said Dumond's environmentally friendly portfolio had kept it "ahead of the curve" in the architectural protection industry worldwide.
'Business, Business, Business!'
Over at Metzger/McGuire of Concord, NH, president Scott Metzger was hoping to beef up the decorative side of his industrial concrete business.
 |
|
Metzger/McGuire president Scott Metzger, setting up his booth Tuesday, was eyeing opportunities for the architectural side of his company's business. |
"I think it's a different crowd than I'm used to seeing," said Metzger, who was expecting to draw traffic (and "lots of money") for his firm's stained and polished concrete products.
It was also a newer crowd for Pete Mitchell, vice president of sales and marketing for GMA Garnet Group. The company started making silica-free, recyclable, fine and super-fine abrasives in 2013 "and they're fantastic for stone restoration and graffiti removal," said Mitchell, whose company just completed a project at the Vatican.
Cincinnati's abundant historic sandstone and granite building stock had Mitchell and Robert G. Langhans, president of Ibix North America, optimistic over the opportunities for their companies' new partnership.
"Business, business, business!" enthused Langhans, who was building a booth to showcase his firm's Vortex system for the U.S. historic restoration market. The compact, aluminum system, developed in Italy for the historic restoration market, was launched recently in the U.S.
 |
|
Robert G. Langhans, president of Ibix North America, believes his company can make inroads in the U.S. historic restoration market. |
Langhans was hoping to reach contractors for the system, stressing its light weight, green blast media and portability.
Cleaner, Greener Solutions
Green was also the word over at sponsor Trimaco, where business manager Darrell Owens was simultaneously assembling a monitor and talking about EnviroWash Solutions' EnviroWash System. The new water-based treatment system turns paint wash-out from brushes and rollers into clean water and inert solid waste, allowing for easier and safer disposal.
Owens said his firm wanted to exhibit because of the quality sales leads and technical information it had received through D+D Magazine. He hoped to raise awareness among contractors, facility managers and others "that there's a solution to the problem" of paint disposal.
 |
|
Evonik's Todd Mittelstadt had his eye on the company's building protection business. |
Exhibitor Evonik Industries, one of the world's leading chemical companies, was also on the lookout for architects, specifiers and engineers, said Midwest regional manager Todd Mittelstadt, CSI, CDT, CCCM. The company was hoping its architectural remediation and restoration business would get a bump from the conference.
Other exhibitors included VaproShield, Tnemec, Shepherd Color, Carlisle Coatings and Waterproofing, Prep and Polish Consultants LLC, Tremco, Pecora Corp. Momentive Performance Materials and Uniflex.
Keynote and Contest
The technical program opens at 9 a.m. today with a keynote address by Dr. Joseph Lstiburek, of Building Science Corp. and the dean of North American building science. His topic: "Don't Do Stupid Things."
 |
| CPAA |
|
D+D 2014's national association partners included the Concrete Polishing Association of America, the Air Barrier Association of America and PDA. |
Two tracks of technical sessions will follow. Track 1 will focus on Materials Technology and Performance; Track 2, on Good Technical Practice.
The dozens of presenters will include some of the nation's leading names in building performance and aesthetics.
Follow the conference and exhibit on Twitter at #dandd2014 and @danddjournal and on Facebook.
Tagged categories: Abrasive blasting; Bayer; Conferences; D+D 2014; Dow Corning; Evonik; Good Technical Practice; Green blast media; Historic Preservation; Historic Structures; Maintenance programs; Renovation; Sherwin-Williams; Trimaco
