SHOW REVIEW By Tamsyn Cox
News in Brief
A number of companies used Pittcon as a platform to address the press regarding recent acquisitions and start-up announcements and mark key anniversaries…
Pittcon 2010 recognised Waters Corporation for achieving a significant milestone as a 50-Year Pittcon exhibitor and for their continued commitment to Pittcon and the scientific community. A presntation plaque was made to Waters in the Pittcon press conference.
Agilent Technologies, Inc are in the process of their Varian, Inc acquisition, which will be the largest acquisition in Agilent’s history, and Agilent used their press conference at Pittcon to provide more details to the press. The acquisition will broaden Agilent’s product portfolio into atomic and molecular spectroscopy; establishes a leading position in NMR, imaging and vacuum technologies; and strengthens its consumables portfolio, while expanding their applications and solutions offerings in life sciences, environmental, and energy and materials. Agilent anticipates the acquisition of Varian to be complete by April 30, 2010, following the completion of regulatory reviews and clearances. Alongside this acquisition, Agilent announced a restructure of its business into two primary divisions: Chemical Analysis Group and Life Science Group (these divisions used to be a combined LSCA division) and a focus on customer service and the belief that the customer experience will drive the business forward.
Bruker Corporation and Agilent Technologies, Inc announced that Bruker and Agilent have entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement. Pursuant to this agreement, Bruker will acquire certain product lines of Varian Inc, which Agilent has committed to divest in connection with obtaining regulatory approval for Agilent's previously announced acquisition of Varian. The product lines to be acquired by Bruker include: Varian's global inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instruments business located in Melbourne, Australia; Varian's global laboratory gas chromatography (Lab GC) instruments business located in Middelburg, the Netherlands; and Varian's global gas chromatography triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QQQ) instruments business located in Walnut Creek, Calif. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close shortly after Agilent completes its acquisition of Varian (discussed above)
SP Industries, Inc chose Pittcon 2010 for the global launch of its new company name – SP Scientific for its VirTis, Genevac, FTS Systems and Hotpack brands. Mark Shon, Vice President Sales and Marketing, commented: "Through a process of acquisitions over recent years we have created a strong corporate entity that develops, manufactures, sells and services a wide variety of innovative laboratory and process products to countries worldwide. The focal point of our worldwide business is scientific instruments including freeze dryers/lyophilizers, centrifugal evaporators and concentrators, environmental control chambers, thermal control system, glassware washers and dryers. Through our existing brands - Genevac, Virtis, Hotpack and FTS Systems - SP Scientific will continue its strategy of innovative product development, maintaining close consultative cooperation with its customers and offering international benchmark quality products, service and support."
The 61st Pittsburgh Conference & Expo took place at the Orange County Convention Centre, Orlando, Florida, between 28-5 March and International Labmate was there in full force to bring our readers the latest product launches from the show floor, the all important stats, hot topics of discussion and debate and award presentations. Plus our visits to exhibitors stands provided valuable feedback on show success (pages 28,29,30 and 32).
Pittcon prides itself on being the leading showcase for scientific and technical innovation offering an international platform for companies to exhibit their latest product and service offerings. It has a unique blend of networking sessions, educational programmes, media offerings and the chance for customers to meet suppliers face-to-face and experience hands-on product demonstrations. It promotes informal social networking with a variety of complimentary mixers on the expo floor and the opportunity for exhibitors to hold ‘lunch & learn’ sessions for guests. Pittcon emphasises recognising achievement with awards ranging from young investigator awards to the Pittcon Hertitage Award and the conference donates nearly a million dollars each year in the form of science equipment grants, research grants, scholarships and internships for students, awards to teachers and professors, and grants to public science centres, libraries and museums.
TROUBLE AHEAD?
Some would say a pessimistic cloud hung over the build up of Pittcon this year: should Pittcon reside itself to being a sharper more B2B focussed bi-annual event to save diminishing numbers? An idea that some exhibitors were pushing for at last year’s Pittcon and is reflected on our Exhibitors Comments page; does Orlando mean business Will the chosen host city be a rewarding one?; and considering 2010 is the turn of Analytica will this affect attendance? Especially considering the economic downturn is forcing companies to become more selective as to what exhibitions they attend and how frequently.
Pittcon 2010 President Annette S. Wilson addressed some of these issues in the Pittcon press conference, most notably confirming that Pittcon will remain an annual event.
A number of reasons were given for this decision: conferees purchase instruments every year and therefore an annual show is needed that enables purchasers to evaluate the various products and make their purchasing decisions productively; secondly, exhibitors each have a different product development cycle and it would be believed to be a disservice to those that had product launches in a year in which Pittcon was not held; and finally Pittcon is also attended as an educational experience and the annual opportunity to interact and network with scientists is vital. Exhibitors expressed mixed feelings on this and the success of Pittcon 2010 as a whole (see our Exhibitor Comments on pages 28,29,30 and 32).
As for location concerns there is a reported surge in life science research taking place in the Florida area, therefore supporting the choice of Orlando as host. Annette stated that Pittcon organisers increased their marketing efforts in Europe and marketed heavily in Florida to get attendance figures up. Furthermore, Richard T. Crotty, Orange County Mayor, made a number of key points in a recent report to prove that Orlando means business: it is a thriving business centre focused on high technology with a $13.5 billion industry; it is home to the fifth largest university in the country with more than $120 million in research grants; and it is home to one of only two ‘medical cities’ being built in the world. That being said, organisers acknowledged that attendance in Orlando can struggle and admitted that they are monitoring it.
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