First SPE ANTEC? in the Middle East a success

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) ANTEC Dubai 2014 technical conference concluded last week on a note of optimism for SPE’s strategy of taking its plastics educational program global.

Co-organised by SPE’s Middle East Section and supported by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), ANTEC Dubai attracted 170 attendees to a program that included more than 60 original peer-reviewed technical presentations as well as workshops on injection molding and thermoforming. Keynote speakers who delivered plenary addresses included Dr. Hoshiar Molod of Tasnee Petrochemicals; Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, secretary general of the GPCA; Mr. Geert Haentjens, director at Mattex Dubai, LLC; and William R. (Bill) Carteaux, president and CEO of U.S.-based SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association.

 The event was the first SPE ANTEC to take place in the region, noted Dr. Raed Al-Zu’bi, chairman of the conference and president of SPE’s Middle East Section. “Holding this inaugural conference in Dubai underscores not only the importance of the Gulf States region for our industry but also SPE’s commitment to bring qualified knowledge and networking opportunities to the plastics community around the globe.”

SPE will continue to expand its conference brand internationally, according to SPE CEO Willem (Wim) De Vos. “In December we will hold our second ANTEC Mumbai in India, extending it to three days after our successful 2012 event there and anticipating more than 500 attendees,” said Mr. De Vos. “And there are plans to take the ANTEC conference to Latin America and China in subsequent years.”

SPE will continue to produce its annual ANTEC conference in the U.S.—the largest plastics technical conference in the world. The next conference takes place April 28-30, 2014 in Las Vegas, with 600 confirmed speakers and 2,000 anticipated attendees.