ANTEC @ NPE 2009
I am very excited to announce that SPE and The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) are coming to agreement on holding ANTEC at NPE in 2009. This is a change that has literally been in discussion for close to 20 years, but SPE and SPI have never been able to come to closure on an arrangement that gave SPE the financial and branding guarantees needed to complete the deal.

I am happy to report that with a lot of hard work and creativity, I believe we are crafting a long-term positioning for ANTEC to be co-located with NPE that will reap tremendous benefits for SPE and substantially reduce our financial risks. Article

Executive Director

December 2007 Year End Report
We reported in January that the final close for 2007 had not been finalized, but that we expected an operating loss for the year of approximately -$250,000. The “final” statements are in the attached report. The books have been closed, and the auditors have finished their onsite inspection, but until we have the final audit report, please understand that these numbers are technically subject to change. More.

Parts Competition Deadline Extended
The deadline for the 2008 Glenn L. Beall Product Design Awards competition has been extended to March 15, 2008. Parts submitted for consideration must have been first offered commercially no earlier than January 1, 2006. The product/part to be judged must be shipped, at the nominee’s expense, to the site of Plastics Encounter @ ANTEC 2008 being held in Milwaukee, WI from May 4-8. Parts will be judged prior to the opening of ANTEC and will be on display during exhibit hours. Applicants must provide for return shipment of submitted parts. Shipping details will be provided to nominees upon submission of the nomination form.

Two Product Design awards will be presented at the SPE Celebrates Banquet on Sunday, May 4, 2008, in Milwaukee, WI. The award consists of a $2,500 honorarium and a plaque.

Applications are available on the SPE website or may be requested from Gail Bristol at SPE Headquarters (+1 203-740-5447).

2008 SPE Store Catalog
It's here! Check out the exciting new 2008 SPE Store Catalog. It’s our best ever, with over 200+ training products and several new publications to move you forward in your career. Whatever your role in the plastics industry - engineer, manager, operator, technician, scientist/researcher, or student - you'll find the training and education resources you need, in the format you want, at SPE. And don’t forget to take advantage of your SPE member discount on anything you buy from the SPE Store!

ANTEC 2009 To Co-Locate With NPE
SPE has announced its intention to co-locate ANTEC 2009 with NPE in Chicago, IL, June 22-26, 2009. To learn more, click here for the press release or read Executive Director Susan Oderwald’s report.

ANTEC 2008 Technical Sessions Now Online
Check out the list of paper titles and presentations for your Division or SIG! Over 600 papers and presentations will be offered in 117 sessions at ANTEC 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 4-8. Don’t forget that Division/SIG board members are eligible for discounted full-conference registration pricing of $345, a savings of 50% off the advance member price! Advance registration ends April 23.

Meeting Space Assignments Underway
ANTEC 2008 meeting space assignments for board / business / TPC meetings and receptions are now underway. Notifications will begin in early March. Forget to submit your form? Click here to download the meeting space request form, then complete and return it to Lesley Kyle. Meetings may be held at the Midwest Airlines Center, the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, or the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee.

ANTEC 2008 Registration Site Open
The ANTEC registration site (including Plastics Encounter and SPE Seminars) is now open for business! Access to online registration is available via the ANTEC homepage.

New Fellows and Honored Service Members
SPE is pleased to announce the 2008 class of Fellows and Honored Service Members. These individuals will be honored during the SPE Celebrates Banquet at ANTEC in Milwaukee in May. More.

Student Author Travel Fund Contributions Sought
Through the generous support of SPE's Sections and Divisions, the Society is able to provide financial assistance to student authors who present technical papers at the ANTEC 2008 Conference. Some of these authors are unable to attend without supplemental travel assistance from SPE. Interested in contributing toward the Student Author Travel Fund? Click here to download the travel donation form, or contact Lesley Kyle for more information.

Technical Articles for Newsletters
Section/Division Newsletter Editors. How would you like to tap into a pool of great technical articles and industry pieces to share with your members? A fellow Editor has offered this great suggestion and we need your help to make it happen! Please email Tricia McKnight technical articles or industry pieces you’ve used in your newsletter so they can be shared with your colleagues. Articles will be posted to the Newsletter Editor Resource page on the SPE website as they are received. Special thanks to Michael LoDico (Golden Gate Section) for speaking out!

Board Elections
Don’t forget that January/February is the time of year to conduct elections for your 2008-2009 Board of Directors. For guidance on how to carry out an election, please review the Section or Division leadership guides. These resources are available on the Leadership Services page (click on the Operations/General Information category). If you would like to conduct your elections via an online ballot, SPE Headquarters can help! Please contact Tricia McKnight for details.

Savannah Council Summary
Click here for a summary of the highlights of the Council meeting held in Savannah, Georgia, on January 26, 2008.

Student Housing Announced for ANTEC
A block of rooms at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee has been set aside for students. The single/double occupancy rate is $129. For more details, click here.

New Student Reception Announced
The SPE Student Activities Committee has announced a new networking reception at ANTEC 2008! The event, which will be held on Sunday, May 4, from 3 p.m.-6 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency, is being funded by Division, SIG and corporate donations. Advance registration is required, and more details will be announced in March. Questions? Contact Lesley Kyle or Tricia McKnight.

New Student Luncheon at ANTEC
The Student Awards Reception has been repositioned as a luncheon, and will now be held on Wednesday, May 7, from Noon-2 p.m. More details will be announced next month.

Student Chapter Booth Space
Interested in having a complimentary booth space to promote your university at Plastics Encounter @ ANTEC? Click here to download the booth space contract. Complete and return it as indicated.

Student Usher Assignments Available in March
Limited slots remain for students who wish to serve as ANTEC student ushers. While Monday and Tuesday are full, limited space is still available for Wednesday, and a waiting list is available for Monday and Tuesday. Registration closes March 1.

2008-2009 PerkinElmer Award Application Available
The PerkinElmer Instruments Company sponsors a two-part award presented yearly by the Composites Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers. It is open to undergraduate and graduate students. At the time of application, Master’s students must be in the first year of their program. Doctoral students must be in the first two years of their program.

The winner is selected based on a 250-word abstract describing his/her composite research. The abstract is due on March 3, 2008. In the first year, the recipient receives a $1,000 scholarship award and a plaque at ANTEC 2008. To be eligible for the second $1000 installment, the research described in the winning abstract must be presented in a paper at ANTEC 2009. Click here for details.

Lew Erwin Scholarship Applications Due
The application deadline for the Extrusion Division/Lew Erwin Scholarship has been extended to March 15, 2008. Applicants for this scholarship must be working on a Senior or MS project which the scholarship will help support. Click here to download the application.

Thermoforming Scholarships Announced
Congratulations are extended to the following four students who will be receiving Thermoforming Division Scholarships from The SPE Foundation this year: Marcus Gardner, Grand Rapids Community College, $7,500; Katie Lieg, University of Wisconsin, Madison, $7,500; Timothy McMaster, Pittsburg State University, $3,000; and Jared Spaniol, Penn State-Erie, $7,500.

The membership department launched several recruitment and renewal activities this past year. Click here to read a detailed report about 2007 efforts and planned activities for 2008.

Congratulations to the South Texas Section, and the Polymer Modifiers and Additives, Thermoplastic Materials and Foams and Flexible Packaging Divisions for their joint recruiting efforts at the 2008 Polyolefins conference. To date, these efforts yielded a total of 23 new/renewing members.

Wanted: New Seminar Topics and Additional Seminar Instructors
SPE is seeking qualified plastics professionals to assist in the development and execution of new seminar titles throughout North America. Seminars are one- and two-day programs addressing different topics in plastics at fundamental-, intermediate-, and advanced-levels of instruction. Different compensation models for these programs are available. To learn more about SPE Seminars, visit the SPE website; to propose a seminar or discuss the program, contact Lesley Kyle.

Rebate Payments
First installment checks for Sections and Divisions receiving a full rebate were mailed at the end of January. If you did not receive a rebate check or have questions regarding your rebate eligibility, contact Tricia McKnight.

New Employee
SPE welcomes its newest employee, Pedro Matos. Pedro serves as our Web Technician, updating and maintaining the Section, Division, and SIG pages on the SPE website. He also handles News Briefs for Sections and Divisions and works with staff on deployment of email blasts.

Pedro is working on the completion of his degree in Computer Information Systems. Prior to coming to SPE, he was employed in the customer service industry. He enjoys philosophy, science fiction, classical reading, and drawing.