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American Coatings Show: innovation, exchange, and forward momentum
The American Coatings Show 2026, which took place May 5-7 in Indianapolis, USA, reflected the full breadth of the coatings value chain.
The American Coatings Conference, held alongside the exhibition, delivered strong impulses from day one. In his keynote, “Reimagining Chemistry as the Catalyst: Driving Innovation, Sustainability, Performance to Fuel Growth in the Coatings Industry,” Dr. Bedri Erdem, CTO of Rust-Oleum Corporation and RPM Consumer Group, highlighted the critical role of innovation and sustainable chemistry in driving future growth. Another highlight was the presentation of the American Coatings Award to Dr. Ioanna Tzortzi (Perstorp), underlining the industry’s strong commitment to innovation.
The energy on the show floor was evident from the start: dynamic discussions, new connections, and active exchange between industry, research, and application shaped the first day. This momentum continued seamlessly into the second day. The morning began with the ACS 5K Fun Run, bringing the community together before the exhibition halls once again filled with activity. Formulators, raw material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and service providers engaged in deeper conversations, strengthening relationships and exploring new opportunities.
Sustainability emerged even more prominently as a key theme. From water-based technologies to energy-efficient processes and digital solutions for smarter production, exhibitors and speakers showcased approaches aimed at reducing environmental impact while maintaining high performance. At the same time, digitalization gained further importance, with data-driven processes and AI widely recognized as key enablers of future competitiveness.
The strong integration of exhibition and conference once again proved to be a major strength of the event. Insights from conference sessions directly translated into in-depth discussions on the show floor, accelerating knowledge transfer and innovation. Overall, the American Coatings Show 2026 demonstrated the power of direct exchange, collaboration, and technological progress.
