With the CleanRooms Contamination Control Technology (CCT) Conference and Exhibition coming to Boston on March 15 and 16, it should be a busy and exciting month for all of us at CleanRooms and, hopefully, for many others in the contamination-control profession as well. We’re certainly looking forward to a gangbusters event this year. Now, permanently sited in Boston, the CleanRooms CCT is the premier educational and business event for anyone involved in contamination control, including: product purity and yield, facility design and maintenance, process engineering, and personnel safety.

Last year’s professional conference attendance nearly doubled that of the event in 2003 (the last time the show was in Boston), and all indications are that this year’s program will attract an even greater audience. Surprisingly, however, the number of visitors taking advantage of the event’s other cost-free exhibition activities was down somewhat last year from the event of two years earlier. Given the tremendous benefit the exhibition provides visitors through exposure to its expertise-packed exhibition hall filled with the latest technology, as well as other special exhibition floor events and featured keynote address-all at no cost-this was both unexpected and disturbing, especially since an even greater marketing and promotion effort was made to advise the community of the event.

Many explanations can be offered, such as lack of available time, other trade shows, Internet resources, etc., but none can adequately justify why anyone whose job responsibilities involve contamination control could not, and should not, devote a minimum of a few hours to keeping current with the latest technology, products, and expertise available to them-technology and practical expertise that they can apply immediately to their daily jobs. It is particularly difficult to understand when the opportunity is free of charge and is right in their own backyard.

This year, in addition to the over 70 expected contamination-control companies exhibiting the latest technologies, services, and product offerings, CleanRooms CCT will also feature a full slate of educational and informational activities on the exhibit floor, including the entertaining, but also highly practical, CleanRooms Fashion Show. And, this year’s keynote speaker couldn’t be of more interest or import to contamination-control professionals across a host of user industries. Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will address the critical role of contamination-control technology in providing for the safe advancement of nanotechnology and in the safe and efficient manufacture of nanotechnology-based products. Dr. Howard’s presentation is also open free to exhibition visitors with their on-line, exhibits-only registration pass.

So, mark the dates and get on-line now to print your free show pass. Encourage your colleagues to do the same. On the pass, just write the name and booth number of one exhibitor you plan to visit (the exhibitor list is posted), and you’re in. You’ll indeed be putting your time to good use if you do, and you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t.

More information about the CleanRooms CCT can be found in the Events section of the CleanRooms Web site at www.cleanrooms.com.

John Haystead
Editor in Chief