Polymer Topical Group Overview

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Polymer Topical Group Overview

• Thomas J. Pacansky, 2008 Chair
• Polymer_at_NJACS.org
• www.NJACS.org
• November 24, 2008

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Background and Resources

• (Re)establishing PTG is an NJACS objective
• Local polymer demographics is large enough to
  support a PTG
• Area is home to many high quality schools and
  universities and many companies with a strong
  interest in polymers
• Committed Excomm member Bill Suits is our NJACS
  Liaison and a PTG operating group participant
• Tangible support from NJACS
• Small budget, contingency funds
• Communications and publicity conduits Indicator
  and webpage
• Small but enthusiastic operating group and a
  large advisory board
• White lines
• Polymer related
• Definition of success self-supporting

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PTG Organization Chart
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Advisory Board

• Represent different segments of the local polymer
  community
• Participate in programming decisions
• Sounding board of program and speaker ideas
• Source of program and speaker ideas
• Volunteers for specific staffing assignments
• Represent NJACS-PTG at their workplace
• Polls organizations for interest in sponsorships
  and interest in future programs and timing
• Promotes upcoming symposia in affiliated
  organizations
• Resource for program organizers and other roles
  in PTG

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Advisory Board Members

• John Adams
• Andrew Auerbach, CUNY
• Asya Bakhtina (Exhibits)
• Anita Brandolini, Ramapo (PTG Chair)
• Ronald DeMartino (Secretary)
• Tamal Ghosh
• Willis Hammond, NJIT (Treasurer)
• Nicole Harris, Sun Chemical
• Mike Jaffe, NJIT (Program Chair)
• Frieder Jaekle, Rutgers
• Ankur Kulshrestha, BD Medical
• Hongbo Liu, JNJ Ethicon
• Edward Malawer, Malawer Associates Consulting,
  LLC
• Tom Pacansky, Apollo Ventures
• Munirathna Padmanaban, AZ Electronic Materials
• Bill Suits, ChemPharma (NJACS Liaison)
• Bin Wei, Henkel (Poster Chair)

Meets 2-3 times a year to identify themes and
topics of local interest
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PTG Goal

• On a continuing basis, plan and execute 2-3
  quality polymer programs per year

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Data Mining for Target Audience Definition and
Communications

• NJACS, PMSE and POLY provided data
• Demographics split evenly - balanced proportion
  of B.S M.S. Vs Ph.D.
• NJACS estimates about 800 ACS members with a
  polymer interest and up to 2000 professionals in
  the local section area.
• Programs draw attendance from surrounding
  communities up to 4000-5000 in target audience
• Many universities and companies in areahave an
  identifiable polymer interest
• 8 of 28 Local universities
• 108 of 400 corporate sites
• Very large and very diverse target audience

Broad-based communication process across
local/division members, related societies and
university/industrial communities
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Locally Popular Themes

• Advanced Polymer Materials
• Biomaterials
• Cross-topical theme
• Engineering
• Food and Care

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Multifaceted Program Content -Mirrors Target
Audience Needs
Expertise
Professional Business
Science

• In addition to themes there are other important
  programming dimensions
• Program diversity is a key to success when the
  target audience is broadly dispersed

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Target Program Format and Venue

• Site and venue
• University preferred, or hotel
• Great conference facilities
• Low Cost
• Easy commute
• Half day mini-symposium
• Afternoon 1-6PM
• Tuesday - Thursday
• Mini-symposium format
• 4-7 talks
• Each speaker is a draw
• Posters student, topical, connections, vendor
• Interactive portion of program
• Long coffee break during speaker program
• Mixer and posters at same time/location
• hors doeuvres (extent depends on sponsorships)
• Good time slots are Apr/May and Oct/Nov

Compelling theme, several speakers/leaders in
field, great venue, low cost, fits busy lifestyle
schedules
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Path to a Routine Timeline
Short organization startup and short early
program planning cycles enabled early test of
viability and approach and reduced time to a
fully integrated and routine yearly cycle
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Symposia

• All successful financially, administratively and
  met attendees needs
• Attendance larger than symposia at ACS national
  meetings
• Small ratio of presenters to attendees indicates
  an attractive program

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Survey Results

• Survey questions relate to various categories of
  information useful in planning future symposia
• Attendees information - demographics
• Announcement information
• Customer satisfaction
• Meeting logistics
• Presentations
• Future symposia themes

Survey Format Source Les McGuire
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Survey Results

• Attendees information demographics
• 7090 ACS
• 60-70 Industrial
• Of ACS members
• 50-70 NJACS
• 20 listed dont know their local section
• ACS division affiliation
• 50/50 POLY/PMSE
• 10-50 other

• Attendees are mostly ACS members
• Email list consists of ACS members (Connected?)

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Target Audience and Communications
NJACS Area
Surrounding Commute Region

• Reaching only 40 of potential audience using
  email to NJACS and local POLY/PMSE members
• Polymer audience is diverse different mix for
  different themes
• Looking for an email list to reach the regional
  non-ACS audience

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Survey Results

• Announcement Information (fraction yes)

• Email is best communication vehicle
• PTG awareness is improving

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Survey Results

• Customer Satisfaction (fraction 4-5s)

Response Scale 1-5 1low, 5good. Responses
greater than 0.5 are favorable.

• Value proposition is correct
• Increase technical/science content of future
  symposia

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Survey Results -Future Symposia

• Highest Ranking Survey Themes (fraction 4-5s).
• Green, Fall 2007
• Packaging polymers in food, pharma and personal
  care (0.76)
• Hot topics (0.73)
• Polymers in Medicine (0.72)
• Biomaterials, Spring 2008
• Biopolymers for controlled delivery and tissue
  engineering (0.95)
• Green polymers sustainability and energy focus
  (0.79)
• Polymers for sensors and diagnostics (0.74)
• Packaging, Fall 2008
• Polymers for controlled release (0.70)
• Green polymers sustainability and energy focus
  (0.67)
• Synthetic polymer chemistry - polymer with unique
  properties (0.61)

• Five theme options listed on survey (generated
  by advisory board)
• Most favorable themes are being developed into
  future symposia
• Validates popularity of themes

2008 symposia 2009 symposia 2010
symposia short list
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Summary and Conclusions

• PTG is operational
• Administrative committee and advisory board
  structure
• Work processes and roles/responsibilities are set
• First election (2009-11 chair, Anita Brandolini)
  was held at October 29, 2008 symposium
• Pipeline of symposia through 2010
• Breakeven sustainable value proposition is
  correct
• Survey as tool for customer satisfaction and to
  validate popularity of future programs
• Email is preferred communication method (vs
  flyers and Indicator)
• Announcement emails to ACS members and there is a
  large proportion of ACS attendees
• Room, catering and PM mini-symposium format are
  fit for purpose
• Increase technical scientific content of future
  symposia

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Backup Slides
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Related Societies

• AIChE
• American Physical Society
• American Pharmaceutical Society, APhA
• American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
  (AAPS)
• Controlled Release Society
• Materials Research Society
• NY Society of Cosmetic Chemists
• Society for Biomaterials
• Society of Plastics Engineers

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Future Programs Mini-symposia

• Year 2010 Short List of Themes
• Sustainability of Polymers
• Materials of Construction (flammability, energy
  efficient, thermal conductivity, etc)
• Controlled release with the local affiliate of
  the Controlled Release Society
• Synthetic polymer chemistry Synthetic
  techniques yielding polymers for high value
  applications and with unique properties
• New synthetic techniques for high value polymers
• New polymer synthetic methods high value
  applications and unique properties
• Low molar weight additives and modifiers for
  polymers
• Edible polymers for food industry and
  pharmaceuticals
• Renewable energy and feedstocks fuel cells,
  biomass, biodiesel
• Hot Topics (nano, homeland security, etc)
• Inorganic-organic hybrid polymers and materials
• Polymers in the 21st century (Faruq Marikar)
• Polymers Day (S. Waller)
• Progress in research processes and tools
  parallel processing, combinatorial methods
• Hot topics forum click chemistry, ionic
  liquids, catalysts, biomemitics, pro-performance

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Corporate Involvement Value

• Guide theme evolution and speaker selection
• Excellent local thematic programming on topics of
  corporate interest. Can not occur without
  corporate support
• Gain regional public visibility, association with
  ACS and a good cause bringing high quality
  public scientific presentations and discussion to
  the local area
• Information is communicated locally to more than
  6000 chemists and more than 600 professionals
  with a polymer interest and regionally to
  2000-4000.
• Attendees tend to be the connectors, trend
  setters, early adopters
• Continuing education and leadership development
  local, low cost and minimal time required
• Networking with local and regional colleagues
• Practice public presentations

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Education Involvement Value

• Guide theme evolution and speaker selection
• Excellent local thematic programming on topics of
  scientific interest. Can not occur without
  academic participation and endorsement
• Visibility and association with ACS and a good
  cause bringing high quality public scientific
  presentations and discussion to the local area
• Information is communicated locally to more than
  6000 chemists and more than 600 professionals
  with a polymer interest and regionally to
  another 2000-4000.
• Attendees tend to be the connectors, trend
  setters, early adopters
• Supplemental education experience and leadership
  development local, low cost and minimal time
  required
• Networking with local and regional colleagues
• Practice public presentations

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Normalized Timelines Normalized Meeting
Deliverables and Agendas

• Annual Cycle of Deliverables
• Welcome new officers, ck 15S 20F, request for
  proposals
• Initial plans for new 15S and new 20F execute
  detail plan for 15S
• Execute event 15S
• Feedback 15S and final plan new 15S and new 20F
• Summer break
• Check progress new 15S new 20F, execute detail
  plan 20F
• Execute event 20F
• Feedback 20F and check progress new 15S and new
  20F
• Elections for next year, detail plan for new15S
  and new 20F, request for proposals, ops manual
  update

• Typical Agenda
• Chair (PTG-wide focus)
• Approve minutes
• Staffing and infrastructure
• Treasurer report
• Relationships funding
• CommunicationsArrangements
• MemberNet updates
• Secretary and Treasurer (near-term programs)
• 15S 20F status and plans
• Program Chair (program planning)
• Proposal progression

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PTG Meeting Sites

• Universities
• CUNY
• Drew Madison
• FDU Madison
• NJIT Newark
• Rutgers New Brunswick
• Stevens Hoboken
• Middlesex County College
• Raritan Valley Community College
• Hotels/Conference Sites
• Hilton Parsippany (Route 10)
• Hyatt Regency New Brunswick
• Marriott East Hanover (Route 10)

• Company Sites
• BMS
• Ethicon Somerville
• ExxonMobil Annandale
• Honeywell Morristown
• JJ New Brunswick

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Critical Planning Dates
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Future Programs Mini-symposia

• Additional Topical Ideas
• Inorganic-organic hybrid polymers and materials
• Polymers in the 21st century (Faruq Marikar)
• Polymers Day (S. Waller)
• Progress in research processes and tools
  parallel processing, combinatorial methods
• Hot topics forum click chemistry, ionic
  liquids, catalysts, biomemitics, pro-performance
• Renewable energy and feedstocks fuel cells,
  biomass, biodiesel