Over 500 delegates attended the Corrosion and Prevention 2018 conference, with attendees coming from a range of industries across the globe to attend lectures, seminars and workshops.
The focus of the conference was the safe and effective management of the continuing challenge posed by corrosion. It has been estimated that industries and governments spend billions of dollars every year on corrosion mitigation and repair, making it vital that the latest technologies and practices are applied to managing this insidious threat.
Corrosion and Prevention 2018 provided a platform for corrosion stakeholders to meet and discuss a wide range of topics. The technical streams showcased the latest developments in corrosion prevention, management and mitigation.
The event also featured a trade exhibition with more than 60 exhibitors, showcasing the latest products and services. The range of exhibitors included materials suppliers, equipment vendors, specialist contractors and consultants. The exhibition provided a valuable opportunity for corrosion professionals, interested parties and the general public to meet with the exhibitors. There was also a learning centre for exhibitors to showcase a product and give those interested the chance to ask questions and be hands on over the lunch break period.
As part of the conference, there was an Applicator Trade Day that was presented by the Australian Corrosion Association (ACA) and BlastOne International. Attendees were able to visit the BlastOne site and experience demonstrating mist and vapour blasting equipment, traditional blasting equipment, spray equipment, dust collector and vacuload and interceptor training.
Marketing and Communications Manager at the ACA, Tracey Winn, said, “There was a great response to the free trade exhibition with over 140 people attending. The Learning Centre, Applicators Forum and BlastOne site visit were all well attended and provided the opportunity for participants to experience the products first-hand and ask questions about their own specific application challenges.”
The ACA Foundation is committed to advancing corrosion mitigation through education by providing scholarships, bursaries and awards for academic excellence. A new corporate sponsorship by Denso Australia was also announced at the conference.
In announcing the sponsorship, Paul Fortune, CEO, Denso Australia, said, “In honour of David Winn OBE (co-founder of Denso Australia), it is with great pride that Denso Australia confirms its sponsorship of an educational scholarship aimed at developing the skill set of ACA members through the ACA Foundation.
“The scholarship, named the Denso Award, will contribute to the development of ACA Members’ skills through sponsorship of recipients’ ACA or NACE training courses and conference attendance. In total, Denso Australia has committed $50,000 to be made available to members over the next five years, with $10,000 dollars awarded annually to winners whom will be selected by an independent panel of judges.”
Next year’s conference, Corrosion and Prevention 2019, will be held at Melbourne’s Crown Exhibition Centre, 24–27 November 2019.
Lauren ‘LJ’ Butler is the Assistant Editor of Utility magazine and has been part of the team at Monkey Media since 2018.
After completing a Bachelor of Media, Communications and Professional Writing at the University of Wollongong in 2014, and prior to writing about the utility sector, LJ worked as a Journalist and Sub Editor across the horticulture, hardware, power equipment, construction and accommodation industries with publishers such as Glenvale Publications, Multimedia Publishing and Bean Media Group.
