Green Agenda Alleviates Chemicals Industry Woes

Frost & Sullivan Awards Banquet Honours Chemicals, Materials and Food Industry Players Exemplifying Best Practices

London – Frost & Sullivan will host its annual Excellence in Chemicals, Materials and Food Awards Banquet at the London Hilton on Park Lane next Tuesday, 11th November 2008.

The banquet will shine the spotlight on 19 organisations which, against a backdrop of turbulences gripping the world economy and financial markets, have emerged as potent forces in their respective sectors.

The evening will celebrate the positive impact which these companies’ unique and innovative solutions and services are making across a diverse range of markets, including food ingredients, speciality chemicals, bioplastics, high-performance fibres and protective equipment.

Frost & Sullivan’s Awards will honour superlative accomplishments in a broad spectrum of categories, such as Product Line Strategy, Product Innovation, Growth Strategy Leadership, as well as acknowledging outstanding green credentials.

Compounded by the global financial crisis and weakening economy, the European chemicals industry – the world’s largest chemicals exporter – has been facing a testing time this year owing to volatile energy and raw material prices as well as a range of controversial new legislations.

Heightened environmental concern and advocacy as well as sharper focus on sustainability and eco-conscious politics, however, will offset the adverse impact of these growth-inhibiting factors and present fantastic opportunities for the chemicals sector.

Bill Stringer, Director of Frost & Sullivan’s Chemicals, Materials and Food Practice, sounds an optimistic note: “At the top of the supply chain, the chemicals sector can develop new products that will help the downstream markets meet the demands of both the consumer and the regulator, as well as drive down costs.”

In addition, the key shifts in healthcare towards the power patient, rising costs, preventative treatments and non-invasive treatments also provide fresh potential to the functional food ingredients sector, performance materials and chemicals sector.

According to Mr Stringer, future growth is very real for the sector but shifts in approaches towards better insight in the downstream markets will be a critical key to success.

Frost & Sullivan’s banquet will see a strong line-up of keynotes, expected to address the megatrends in the chemicals sector and how the paradigm shift in healthcare unleashes new potential for chemicals and food ingredients businesses.

Frost & Sullivan’s Awards presentation will be preceded by a champagne reception, which will commence at 18:30 on 11th October 2008 at the London Hilton on Park Lane. The actual ceremony and dinner will take place between 19:30 and 21:50, followed by after-dinner drinks and further networking opportunities. The evening itself will come to a close at midnight.

Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company’s TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan’s Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.