Liferay

New Orleans, USA, 30 January 2008 – InformexUSA 2008 brought networking to a new level with the inauguration of a Gala Dinner program that drew more than 650 people in its first year of existence. Called ‘A New Orleans Renaissance’, the Dinner featured General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) as its keynote speaker and evoked the spirit of New Orleans of the 1960s with jazz of the period and a range of entertainment that was special to the Crescent City in that era. Held in La Louisiane Ballroom of the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center, the Gala Dinner offered the attendees of InformexUSA 2008 an evening of camaraderie and a customer entertainment opportunity that is unique in the chemical industry.

Speaking at the opening of the Gala Dinner, John Stuttard, Vice President, CMP Information and head of Informex said: “Our theme in 2008 – A New Orleans Renaissance – is a tribute to the efforts of the City of New Orleans to rebound from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, as we bring InformexUSA back to the city with which it is most associated. It also is meant to celebrate the creativity and energy of the chemical industry and related-fields as they look to make the world a better place through their work. The people who come to InformexUSA are at the cutting-edge of their fields and we’re pleased to recognize this.” New Orleans has long been considered the ‘home base’ of InformexUSA, as the city that has hosted the conference most often since it was created in 1984. InformexUSA 2006 was moved to Orlando, Florida due to Hurricane Katrina and returns to New Orleans again this year.

As keynote speaker of the event, General Powell began his remarks by pointing out the important work for the world community that is being conducted by visitors to Informex, suggesting that it was groups like the attendees of Informex that would help develop the ideas and solutions that would add to the health and happiness of the global population in the future. “When you are thinking about making that next deal or about helping your company become more profitable, I want you to take a moment to remember that your work and the work of people like you are making an important contribution to the well-being of humankind in the future,” he said. General Powell, whose talk lasted nearly an hour, focused on the importance of openness in solving the world’s problems and pointed to the significant improvements in the economic and political realities of a world that has become increasingly dominated by free markets and more democratic political systems.

Sights, Sounds and Culinary Treats of the Crescent City

The Gala Dinner’s 650+ participants were treated to an evening’s programming that was described by some in the room as ‘magical’. The Morial Convention Center’s La Louisiane Ballroom was transformed into a scene from the 1960s through dramatic and evocative lighting and décor. The Informex Gala Dinner featured a menu drawn from legendary cuisines of the New Orleans culture. Entertainment for the event was provided in the form of a casino experience and by local area musicians playing throughout the evening. According to Jennifer Jessup, Event Director for Informex, the atmosphere was designed to bring people together. “At Informex, we talk about our conference as providing ‘chemistry you can’t find anywhere else’. And from a technology standpoint, that is certainly true. But there is another way we use the word chemistry – the way people relate to each other. With this Gala Dinner, we feel we are providing a new, more exciting way for our attendees and exhibitors to interact,” she said. “With InformexUSA, we are redefining the role of the tradeshow/conference for 21st century business by focusing on the person-to-person aspects that cannot be replaced by the Internet and other types of media. Our Gala Dinner adds a new dimension of networking to our offering for both exhibitors and attendees,” she added.

Note to Editor:

InformexUSA is the leading meeting place for buyers and sellers of high-value chemistry for a broad range of applications. As leading tradeshow in the United States, InformexUSA has been a marketplace for networking and doing business in the fine, custom and specialty chemical manufacturing industry for more than 20 years. Visitors to the show come from a broad range of manufacturing industries including adhesives, electronics, agrochemicals, biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, paints, and more. Each year the event brings together an international mix of more than 4,000 fine and specialty chemicals professionals and 500 exhibitors. For more information, visit www.informexusa.com

Informex Holdings LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMP Information Limited. CMP Information Limited is the B2B communications division of United Business Media plc. operating internationally, providing creative professional media solutions to around 20 industry sectors. Its products, including magazines, exhibitions, conferences, awards, information products and websites, are targeted at business professionals across a range of markets; these include Construction & Architecture, Commercial Property, Licensed Trade, Travel, Agriculture and Ingredients. CMPi has approximately 1,000 employees in the UK, US, Asia, Europe, India and South America and in 2005, generated £177m in revenues. For more information on CMP Information limited, visit www.cmp.biz.