Automotive Composites Conference dates and theme are announced.

Press Release Summary:



Taking place in Troy, MI from September 15-16, Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition (ACCE) will feature theme of Composites: Shaping New Vehicles. It provides environment dedicated to discussing and networking concerning advances in automotive composites industry. Those interested in speaking at this event should submit abstracts by March 26, and full papers or presentations are due May 28. ACCE typically draws 400+ speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees.



Original Press Release:



SPE® Announces Details for Tenth-Annual Autimotive Composites Conference & Exhibition



Conference Organizers Issue Call for Papers for September Conference, Abstracts Due March 26, 2010 and Papers / Presentations Due May 28, 2010

TROY (DETROIT), MICH. - The organizing committee for the SPE Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE) today announced the dates, theme, and location for this year's show and issued its annual Call for Papers. Now in its 10th year, the ACCE has become the world's leading forum for automotive composites and draws exhibitors, speakers, and attendees from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia / Pacific as well as North America. The event returns September 15-16, 2010 at the MSU Management Education Center in Troy, Mich., U.S.A.

Cedric Ball, marketing projects leader, Ashland Performance Materials and the 2009 and 2010 SPE ACCE conference chair noted, "This year's conference theme is Composites: Shaping New Vehicles. Our industry is in the middle of a tremendous shift toward a new generation of vehicles. We're clearly seeing greater interest in and the business case being made for using composite materials. With tremendous pressures to improve fuel economy and lower production costs, we're really in the midst of a "perfect storm" of market pressures and industry trends that make composites more attractive for automakers than ever before."

Added returning technical program co-chair, Dev Barpanda, leader - Design & Engineering, Materials Engineering Center, at the Dow Chemical Co., "With the current market trends toward "greener" vehicles, this is an opportune time for the automotive industry to exploit technology developments in composite materials for vehicle engineering. Our SPE ACCE show provides a great platform that allows industry leaders to discuss challenges as well as opportunities in using composites to address issues like lightweighting and fuel efficiency while still meeting stringent performance requirements and providing trendy styling for discerning customers."

Creig Bowland, technical leader/research associate - Long Fiber Thermoplastics at PPG Industries as well as long-time SPE ACCE presenter and sponsor and the 2010 technical program co-chair, continued, "The automotive industry needs composites now more than ever before. The low build rates and need for fast development of energy-efficient vehicles means that composites are really the solution. The ACCE offers speakers, exhibitors, and attendees unfettered access to the engineers and decision makers who are tasked with solving these pressing issues. The ACCE's uniquely "cozy" atmosphere fosters networking and productive, one-on-one meetings."

Those interested in speaking at this year's event should submit abstracts by March 26, 2010 to the review committee via ACCEpapers@speautomotive.com. Full papers or presentations are due May 28, 2010.

Authors who submit papers (not presentations) in the proper format by the due date will automatically be eligible for consideration for the conference's Best Paper Awards, which will be presented during the event's opening ceremony.

The ACCE typically draws over 400 speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees from 14 countries on four continents with fully one-third indicating they work for an OEM involved in ground transportation or aerospace/aviation. Interestingly, over the past few years, the types of transportation OEMs represented at the show have continued to broaden beyond traditional automotive and light truck, to include agriculture, truck & bus, heavy truck, and aviation. This trend may indicate greater interest in technology sharing among transportation OEMs and suppliers.

Held annually in suburban Detroit, the ACCE provides an environment dedicated solely to discussion and networking about advances in the automotive composites industry. Its global appeal is evident in the diversity of exhibitors, speakers, and attendees who come to the conference from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia / Pacific as well as North America and who represent transportation OEMs and tier suppliers; composite materials, processing equipment, additives, and reinforcement suppliers; trade associations, consultants, university and government labs; media; and investment bankers. The show is sponsored jointly by the SPE Automotive and Composites Divisions.

The mission of SPE is to promote scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plastics. SPE's Automotive and Composites Divisions work to advance plastics and plastic-based composites technologies worldwide and to educate industry, academia, and the public about these advances. Both divisions are dedicated to educating, promoting, recognizing, and communicating technical accomplishments for all phases of plastics and plastic-based composite developments, including materials, processing, equipment, tooling, design and testing, and application development.

For more information about the SPE Automotive Composites Conference, visit the Automotive Division's website at www.speautomotive.com/comp.htm, or the Composites' Division website at www.4spe.org/communities/divisions/d39.php, or contact the group at +1.248.244.8993, or write SPE Automotive Division, 1800 Crooks Road, Suite A, Troy, MI 48084, USA. For more information on the Society of Plastics Engineers International or other SPE events, visit the SPE website at www.4spe.org, or call +1.203.775.0471.

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