Aug. 28, 2003 — Organizers of a new nano conference promise to make this one stand out from the others by emphasizing business and products, rather than research and theory.
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NanoCommerce 2003, scheduled for Dec. 8-11 at Chicago’s Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and Conference Center, will gather together business leaders from a wide range of industries to talk about how to sell their nanotechnology-enabled products.
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“We think there’s an opportunity in the conference space to focus on commercialization, the growing business of nanotech,” said Steve Crosby, president and publisher of Small Times Media, which is presenting the conference with California-based conference firm Infocast Inc.
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“There are many good conferences out there that stress research, academia and the government side of it. We’re trying to create something that’s the next generation of conferences — evolve it from where conferences (are now).”
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Crosby said the industry is now mature enough for big companies to think about incorporating nanotech in existing products or using it to create new ones. Some larger corporations, such as General Electric Co., have launched their own nanotech-related research programs. At the same time, many small companies are finished with the research phase and are ready to launch commercial products. Companies large and small now need to talk to one another to create partnerships.
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NanoCommerce will feature an expo for companies to showcase their products and forums for leaders to compare notes about how they have dealt with the challenges of commercialization.
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The event will feature a keynote address by Phil Bond, undersecretary for technology at the U.S. Commerce Department, a conference co-sponsor. NanoCommerce also will include a forum and presentation on the role of nanotech in the environment.
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Small Times included conferences as part of its initial business plan when it launched in early 2001, but its inaugural trade show planned for Washington, D.C., was canceled and became a Web-based event after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. “NanoCommerce doesn’t signal any change. I see this more as an extension of getting information out to people but in a different way, and doing so by partnering with a responsible, successful conference company,” Crosby said.
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William Meyer, Infocast’s owner and president, said elements like the expo were added at the suggestion of the conference’s advisory board, which includes officials from GE, Dow Corning, Motorola, and Procter & Gamble.
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“They said, ‘We want to know about nanotech, commercial applications of nanotech, and also have an opportunity to meet, greet and potentially do deals with companies that have products we want to use,” Meyer said. “Real deals that are going to make real money. That’s the focus.”
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Sean Murdock is a NanoCommerce advisory board member and executive director of Chicago-based AtomWorks, a public-private nanotech advocacy group and a founding sponsor of the conference.
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“It’s important to bring the buyers together with the suppliers of the technology,” he said.
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“Our belief is the industry is reaching a point that this kind of approach will be very successful and bring a lot more value to all of the participants.”