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Mark your calendars for CORROSION 2013! I am pleased to introduce the advance program for CORROSION 2013, your guide for navigating NACE International's 68th annual conference. Located in Orlando, Florida, next March, the 2013 conference will offer a multitude of technical and educational resources, public awareness activities, and networking opportunities, while marking a very special occasion for NACE—the 70th anniversary of the association. The technical strides made by NACE members over seven decades of corrosion control will be readily apparent during hundreds of events throughout the conference. More than 5,000 corrosion professionals will convene from around the world to participate in the technical symposia, committee meetings, seminars and lectures, training opportunities, and networking venues to obtain invaluable information for their careers and share knowledge with their peers. The accompanying exhibition—the largest of its kind in the world—will feature more than 370 companies displaying the latest in corrosion control products and services. In addition, the popular cathodic protection (CP) test field will return to the exhibit floor for the second year, and the association's anniversary will be commemorated with a unique display of antique corrosion instruments from as far back as the late 1800s. The technical program, with more than 30 symposia, will feature several new offerings, including corrosion mitigation of fire protection systems, corrosion issues related to water systems and the environment, and the relationship between coatings and CP. Several new forums will address such topics as coatings technologies for the oil and gas industry, hot-dip galvanized steel, computer modeling of corrosion inhibitors, and coating asset management. A basic workshop will provide instruction on the proper use of coating inspection instruments and standards. An added attraction in the conference host city is a new corrosion exhibit at the Orlando Science Center—a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Defense Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office and the University of Akron, with on-site support by NACE. The interactive exhibit will be geared toward children to introduce them to the field of corrosion, with activities that include inspecting fully built bridges to identify coating and corrosion damage, and going on a scavenger hunt to locate several different types of corrosion. Of course it wouldn't be a NACE annual conference without plenty of social opportunities to spend time with friends old and new, including Sunday's Opening Reception, the annual Mix 'n' Mingle event for students and new members on Monday, the NACE Foundation's Tuesday evening "Blues Bash," and the Wednesday evening Awards Dinner. I hope you are as excited as I am about all you will learn and do while participating in CORROSION 2013. NACE membership has soared to record levels—from the original 11 pipeline engineers in 1943 to more than 29,000 corrosion professionals today—a strong indicator that this is bound to be one of our most successful events in NACE history.
Kevin Garrity
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