ACS Meeting Draws Crowds

AT ITS 236TH NATIONAL MEETING held in Philadelphia, the American Chemical Society hosted more than 14,000 attendees who explored the chemical world through a technical program of more than 8,000 papers in 717 half-day oral sessions and 93 poster sessions. The Divisions of Organic, Physical, Agricultural & Food, and Industrial & Engineering Chemistry commemorated centennials, and Project SEED celebrated its 40th anniversary. In addition, the exposition was the biggest ever, with 357 exhibitors, 511 booths, and 15 vendor workshops.

With so many activities to schedule and attend, sustainability may not have been on everyone's mind; nevertheless, the meeting's pedestrian-friendly setting and mild summer weather enhanced its eco-friendly credentials. Not everyone was happy, though. Business wasn't booming for taxi drivers, and one driver complained bitterly about all the walking.

At the ACS Council meeting, Nashville Section Councilor Ruth Woodall pointed out that despite posters urging attendees to "Reduce, Reuse & Recycle," she was seeing plenty of recyclable plastic bottles and papers tossed into the regular trash. At her urging that members "practice what they preach," ACS councilors called for recycling bins for their bulky agendas and got them within minutes.

ACS Executive Director and CEO Madeleine Jacobs pleased the sustainability-minded councilors when she announced a new "green" member benefit. In 2009, ACS members will be able to opt to receive a weekly electronic facsimile of C&EN in place of the paper edition. To encourage conversion, she also announced that C&EN will donate $10 to the ACS Green Chemistry Institute for every domestic member who signs up for the electronic edition next year. She invited members to test-drive the electronic edition by directing their Web browsers to www.cendigital.org/cendigital/sample.

As always, ACS governance reviewed the society's performance. The Budget & Finance Committee anticipates ACS to have a year-end contribution of $9.1 million—based on revenue of approximately $461 million—which is $24,000 better than the 2008 approved budget. As a result of adverse capital market conditions in the first half of the year, the society may not meet the fund balance ratio—a measure of reserve adequacy—guideline established by the board.

The Committee on Meetings & Expositions reported that the meeting hosted 14,026 participants, including 8,198 attendees and 3,095 students, 505 exhibit-only registrations, 1,768 exhibitors, and 470 guests.

The Committee on Economic & Professional Affairs reported that the ACS Career Fair drew 1,266 job seekers to 84 employers posting 515 available positions. For comparison, in fall 2007, the ACS Career Fair served 1,526 candidates and had 913 available positions among 126 employers.