ChinaCoat[R] 2006: as China's coatings industry continues its rapid pace of growth, so too does Asia's largest exhibition for coatings.

As the fourth largest economy in the world, the Chinese economy is undoubtedly the fastest growing. According to Sinostar International, organizers of ChinaCoat 2006, China's economy has grown 9.5 percent annually for 25 years. Between 1980 and 2000, China's GDP quadrupled, now standing at approximately $1,600 billion. At the same time, the country is the world's second largest recipient of foreign direct investment. Keeping pace with this rapid growth, China's coatings industry has grown to where it currently stands as the world's second largest paint producer.

Building on the major success of ChinaCoat 2005, which saw an 11.4 percent increase in registered visitors from 2004 to 21,273 from 47 countries and regions, and where 658 companies were represented, ChinaCoat 2006 is expected to be even bigger, furthering its reputation as a truly prominent event in the global coatings industry.

From Nov. 7-9 ChinaCoat returns to Guangzhou, the provincial capital city of Guangdong Province, China's industrial hot spot and hub, known as the "Factory of the World." With more than 600 companies exhibiting including leading suppliers, producers and end-users of coatings, inks and adhesives, ChinaCoat 2006 will be the place to discuss the diverse opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the global coatings industry.

As this issue goes to press, ChinaCoat 2006 confirmed over 428 direct exhibitors, representing 607 companies, from 25 countries and regions, according to Sinostar. In addition, 149 direct exhibitors will exhibit for the first time and driven by the strong demand for exhibit space, ChinaCoat 2006 has expanded to include three halls in total.

The show will be staged at Halls 1B, 1C and 1D at the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center (GICEC). Companies will be grouped into four exhibiting zones including Zone 1: International Zone--Raw Materials; Zone 2: International Zone--Instruments, Machinery and Others; Zone 3: China Zone--Instruments, Machinery and Others; Zone 4: China Zone--Raw Materials.

Chinacoat Conference

This year, two ChinaCoat Conferences will be held at the China Hotel by Marriot on Nov. 6, one day prior to the opening of the exhibition.

The first conference, "Powder Coatings: The Way Forward," will present papers on different aspects of powder coatings. The second conference, "Printing the Future: Status Quo and the Future of Printing & Ink Technologies," will present papers on printing technology (conventional and digital); ink formulations; high value-added applications of printing technology; reprographic science and technology; color measurement and color management; and lastly, print workflow management.

Two special workshops, "Design of Formulation-Fundamental Principles" and "Optimization of Formulation" will be held on Nov. 7-8 respectively at the Hua Cheng meeting room in the exhibition venue. Both workshops will be conducted in Chinese (Putonghua) only. Capacity for each session is approximately 100 people.

For more information, please contact Sinostar, (852) 2865-0062; Fax: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail]; Web site: www.chinacoat.net.