The 2024 AMPP Annual Conference + Expo in New Orleans, Louisiana, drew approximately 6,000 attendees from the corrosion and coatings industries worldwide.

Held by the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), each year’s show represents the industry’s largest and most comprehensive event, all while offering an occasion to reconnect with friends and network with industry peers.

When compared to AMPP’s previous show in Denver, Colorado, attendance rose from just over 5,700 delegates in 2023 to nearly 6,000 in 2024. In addition, exhibitors (382) and sponsors (44) each increased in New Orleans.

Other key statistics on AMPP’s 2024 conference (photo gallery) include:

45 Research Technical Symposia

431 Technical Papers in Symposia

6 Research-in-Progress (RIP) Sessions

110 Presentations

77 Student Poster Sessions

40 Forums and Workshops

28 AMPPiTheater Presentations

32 Technical Committees and Communities of Interest

“The 2024 conference reflected the connectedness, passion, and strength of AMPP’s members and constituents,” said Gregory Muha, Director of Conferences, Exhibits, and Sponsorships.

“Six-thousand strong convened to showcase the technical acumen, innovation, product development capabilities,and comradery that makes the materials protection and performance industry the unique and special community it is today,” he added. “Countless volunteers, committee members, exhibitors, and sponsors collaborated to bring this significant industry event to life. We demonstrated how we truly are stronger together, as one AMPP.”

From informative programs and workshops to widespread exhibits and networking, the 2024 show featured updated information and research on materials, corrosion and coating trends, best practices, and products. Whether attendees are focused on corrosion, coatings, materials, or seeing new global technologies, they were able to find everything they need in one place.  

This year’s conference was the third held by AMPP since the 2021 merger between legacy organizations NACE International and SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings. With that storied history in mind, the show aims to provide everything attendees valued from the legacy CORROSION and Coatings+ events.

Awards programs at the March 2024 show included AMPP’s Scholarship Awards and EMERGing Leaders Bash (sponsored by BP and Sherwin-Williams), along with the association’s Honoree Night — which celebrates the association’s annual service, technical, and project award winners for that year.

Meanwhile, AMPP’s Publications team added to the list with the annual CoatingsPro Contractor Awards and Student Poster Awards, sponsored by CORROSION journal.

With extended hours, the Expo featured 382 companies displaying the latest in corrosion control andprotective coatings technologies. For those desiring a hands-on, interactive experience, a cathodic protection (CP) test field was available in the Exhibit Hall, and the EMERG Student Camp helped engage the industry’s next generation.

As a special volunteer opportunity under AMPP Cares, members and attendees teamed up on the show floor of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to help build more than 1,000 corrosion toolkits (cKits). These will be delivered to high school teachers in the New Orleans area and to the upcoming EMERG summer program.

To put that total in perspective, just one cKit can serve an entire classroom as a fun and stimulating learning experience, with hands-on curriculum designed to challenge, inspire, and educate students on coatings and corrosion.

Dr. Michio Kaku, a world-renowned physicist and author, served as the conference’s keynote speaker. His remarks addressed how artificial intelligence (AI) and nanotechnology could shape our industry’s future. Featured networking events included Sunday’s Opening Reception, co-sponsored by AMPP and Carboline, and Monday’s Expo Grand Opening, sponsored by Sherwin-Williams.

Finally, this year’s show was AMPP’s first with Alan Thomas walking the halls as CEO. The organization’s leadership ranks were also represented with the regular presence of Paul Vinik, Chair of the AMPP Board of Directors, and Kristin Leonard, Chair of the AMPP Global Center Board of Directors, along with numerous others from those respective boards.

The 2025 AMPP Conference + Expo will be held April 6-10, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee, and a call for presentation topics is already well underway. Make plans now to attend the world’s largest, most valuable event of the year for the materials protection and performance industry.

Editor's note: For in-depth coverage of many of these events, visit our Show Daily page.

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