ATI Corrosion Solutions Conference 2011

I recently had the pleasure of attending the 8th International Corrosion Solutions Conference hosted by ATI Wah Chang.  The event held every two years was held this year at the beautiful Chateau Lake Louise Fairmont Hotel, in breathtaking Banff, Alberta, Canada.  The conference held in the Fairmont Hotel is one of the most beautiful hotels in the world located at the base of the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains.  You could not have asked for a better place to meet with colleagues and associates in a most relaxed and beautiful setting.  The conference was also special as my wife Mary Lynn came along with me to enjoy the mountains and to meet some new friends.

Kirk Richardson and Rick Sutherlin along with their team have again pulled off a most wonderful conference.  Every aspect of this conference was professional and first class, from the highly regarded technical presentations to the sumptuous dinners and the well planned entertainment, made this a conference to remember.

ATI Wah Chang continues to amaze me by the quality of the technical presentations that are held at this conference.  Truly, there is something of interest to all who attend.  I find that papers having to do with technical presentations on welding, forming and fabrication of titanium, zirconium and stainless steel to be of great interest.  I am sure that others have found that the technical presentations on corrosion and prevention of corrosion to be of great interest also.

I have found over the years that the caliber of the people attending this conference is outstanding and many of these attendees are experts in their respective fields of endeavor.  The ability to mix socially and professionally with so many talented people is what makes this conference unique.  There are many people from all aspects of business that attend this conference, we have found sales and marketing personnel, members of the technical and scientific community, consultants and engineers from noted companies such as Dow Chemical, DuPont, Statoil and General Electric.  All of these people have the same interest and that is how do we combat corrosion and what are the newest and most recent innovations to prevent corrosion.  I personally have found this conference to be of great benefit in learning about technical advances in the industry as well as making great contacts, whether they be in the sessions or on the golf course....and speaking of the golf course.....never have I played on a golf course that was as beautiful as Banff Springs Golf Course.  I have played golf courses all over the world and at many conferences, however this golf course was special.  I was in awe of the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains, the pristine forests and of course the wildlife, which abounds in Banff.  I was also fortunate to play with three very nice guys, who all helped to propel us into number one place at the tournament.  A very special thank you goes out to Mike, Ryan an YS, for making this a very memorable and special golf outing. 

I can't wait until 2013 to see where the next Corrosion Solutions Conference will be held....until then I have great memories of this past conference.