New Horizons Conference Is Oct. 19-22 in Colorado

Industry professionals will gather in academic environment to learn more about the latest technologies and discuss the challenges of emerging issues in household cleaning at the The New Horizons Conference, which will be held Oct. 19-22 at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in Englewood, CO. Sponsored by the Cleaning Products Division of the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) and held once every three years, this year’s location will facilitate close interaction with speakers and colleagues, which include staff from leading global household care companies.
   
Events kick off on Sunday, Oct. 19 with a welcome reception followed by a dinner and keynote speech by Stanley F. Slater, a Charles and Gwen Lillis Professor of Business Administration, College of Business Colorado State University. Prof. Slater’s topic is “Creating Superior Customer Value: The Foundation for Customer Adoption of New Technologies.”
   
The conference has been structured into five sessions. Session I is titled  “New Application Environments and Substrates.” Chaired by Hedieh Modaressi of Rhodia, it will cover new developments in cleaning products and surface design. Presentations will include “Consumer Acceptable Surface Modification and Hard Surface Cleaners–Hydrophilic or Hydrophobic,” by David Scherying of Clorox and “Nonwoven Wipes,” by Rory Holmes of the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA). Session II, which  will cover global regulatory framework, will be chaired by Diane Boesenberg of Reckitt Benckiser. Topics will cover REACH, GHS, “green” regulations and the Biocidal Products Directive (BPD).
   
Session III will explore “Academic Research: Natural Materials and Green Chemistry.”  Edgar Acosta and Steve Bolkan from the Surfactant and Detergent Division of American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) will serve as chairmen. Presentations will include “Recent Advances and Trends in Surface Cleaning: Mean to Green?” by Dr. Steve Bolkan of Church & Dwight.
   
Session IV will address marketing trends and will be chaired by Mark Ventura of Church & Dwight. The session will cover emerging marketing trends, gaps in consumer needs and new business opportunities that will shape the market tomorrow. Presentations will include “Marketing Trends in I&I Products” by Dr. Steven Lentsch of Ecolab Inc.
   
The final session will cover cleaning for healthcare and new issues in the public domain. Scheduled presenters include Dianne Falbo of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. who will address “Infection Prevention in the Household Setting: Current Issues and Practice,” and Kay Bixler of JohnsonDiversey Inc., who will present “Current Trends in Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection in Health Care Facilities.
   
Registration is $695 for CSPA and AOCS members or $745 after Sept. 19; non-members are $795 and $890, respectively.  Rooms are available at the CSPA group rate of $189. Reservations should be made directly with the hotel (303) 799-5800 by Sept. 28 to receive the group rate; registrants should mention CSPA when making reservations.
   
More info: Jane Wishneff, (202) 833-7303, [email protected] or Ann Wheeler (202) 833-7324, [email protected]; website: www.cspa.org

Will HBA Consumers Trade Down in Sluggish Economy?

According to Euromonitor International’s new global strategy briefing, “25 Global Consumer Trends for 2008,” the current state of the world’s economy is causing the development of a consumer concept called “My Economy.”
   
Troubled by a cloud of uncertainty, consumers in 2008 are filled with a sense of anxiety and gloom. To combat this, they are focusing on ways to stay financially stable during times of economic instability.
   
According to Euromonitor, along with food and clothing, the HBA market may see changes in consumer shopping habits as economic pressure takes its toll.  “With food, drinks and personal care products, the chances are that people will trade down particularly in areas that are less important to them,” said Gina Westbrook, research manager at Euromonitor International.

More info: www.euromonitor.com