7 Reasons to attend the Mid-Year SCC Scientific Meeting in St. Louis
I enjoy being a card carrying member of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. I respect and share their mission, it has been helpful for my career, and I’ve met lots of interesting people. The SCC is a great organization. One of things I like best about the SCC is the cosmetic science seminars that are held twice a year; in New York during December and then a mid-year meeting held somewhere around the US. This year the mid-year meeting will be held in St. Louis. I’m excited to be part of the planning committee and am encouraging everyone I know to attend.
Just in case you are wondering whether you should attend, here are 7 reasons not to miss it.
1. A unique opportunity for learning cosmetic science.
This year’s SCC meeting in St. Louis will feature over 35 presentations about skin, hair, testing methods, sustainability, and fundamentals of polymer/surfactant delivery systems. It will have the latest research presented by scientists in the field. The opportunity for personal scientific enrichment will be unmatched. You can ask questions, have a dialogue and learn what other scientists’s views are about the various topics. You can’t get that from reading the pages of the latest JSCC.
2. Discover the latest in cosmetic technology
If you’re from a small company you’ll rarely get proper attention from big raw material suppliers, missing out on their latest technologies. And at big companies, you probably don’t take meetings with small raw material suppliers, so you might have missed some unique, little-known technologies. At the Mid-year SCC meeting, you can over come both of those problems. There will be poster sessions with all types of new and interesting technologies. If you can’t get a new idea here, you just aren’t trying. At the very least, you should be able to get an invite to one of the hospitality suites for drinks and food later.
3. Meet the most friendly cosmetic chemists on the planet
As a cosmetic chemist you likely spend the majority of your time in your lab and don’t get to interact with chemists outside of your company. While a local SCC meeting will introduce you to a few other chemists, a national event offers you the opportunity to meet many more cosmetic chemists. Literally hundreds of attendees will crowd the halls and the majority of them will be cosmetic scientists. You can find out all sorts of useful information like how things work at other companies, what techniques they use to develop & test products, and maybe even learn new approaches to solving your problems. Making friends throughout the industry is great for your cosmetic science career.
4. Get inspired with new ideas
Perhaps the best reason to go to the mid-year SCC meeting in St. Louis is that you will come back brimming with ideas. It might be from a talk you heard, a poster session you attended, or even a conversation you had over drinks at the hotel bar. Just remember to keep notes and follow-up when you get back home. At my last SCC meeting, I came up with over a dozen new ideas that directly helped my business.
5. Help other people
If you want to sell something, get something, solve a problem or just develop more friendships, there is no better way than helping other people. The National SCC meeting provides an excellent opportunity to meet new people and discover what problems you can help them solve. If you’re sincere and offer real solutions, they’ll be inclined to help you when you need it.
6. A great economical choice
Some companies worry about the cost of sending their chemists to a meeting like this. Well, if this is a concern the Mid-year meeting in St. Louis will be one of the least expensive choices of scientific meetings all year. You can get hotel rooms and nice dinners for a fraction of the cost of places like New York & Paris where other cosmetic science meetings are held. And as a bonus, the science will be as good or better.
7. Perfect place and perfect time of year.
Early June is an excellent time to take a short business trip to the middle of the United States. The weather in St. Louis will be wonderful and your plane ride will take no more than a couple hours whether you’re coming in from California, New York, or Florida. And who wouldn’t want to travel up the famous St. Louis Arch to see the mighty Mississippi River?
Meeting Details
Here is the date and location. Registration information will be posted as soon as it is available.
2013 Annual Scientific Seminar
June 6-7, 2013
Union Station Hotel
St. Louis, MO
Welcoming Social Event
To kick off the SCC Mid Year Scientific Meeting, there is going to be a social cocktail event which everyone is encouraged to attend. You can find more information about registering and sponsorship here:
Rumor has it that the worlds most famous cosmetic chemist is going to be there! I hope to see you there too.
