Pittcon 2024

San Diego Convention Center , West Harbor Drive 111
San Diego (US)

Pittcon: the trade show

Pittcon is the world's largest, most comprehensive Conference and Exposition for laboratory science.

Piittcon delivers the latest products and services available in analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy which are applicable to: bioanalytical chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, nanotechnology, environmental, forensic and food analysis, homeland security and many others.

Pittcon editions

Pittcon 2024 From to San Diego Convention Center
Pittcon 2023 From to Orange County Convention Center - OCCC
Pittcon 2022 From to Orange County Convention Center - OCCC
Pittcon 2021 From to Orange County Convention Center - OCCC

Live demos, networking conferees and the presence of Dr. Karl Deisseroth in Pittcon 2017

Scientific industry it's one of the most important things for the humanity considering that it has increased our life's quality in so many senses. After an irrefutable success on their last edition in Atlanta, Pittcon arrives this 2017 at Chicago with the latest scientific topics and innovations to increase the quality of the industry.

In this next edition, the show brings the opportunity to enjoy a lot of novelties regarding conferences, live demos and discussions. In order to tell you something more, the Neventum's staff has interviewed Marian Nardozzi, the Senior Marketing Communications Specialist of Pittcon.

It's always interesting to attend an event regarding science but, what makes Pittcon different from other similar shows?

Pittcon’s roots and core audience is in analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy, but has since broadened its scope. Pittcon’s technical program, short courses and exhibits cover a wide range of methodologies and applications in food science, life science, environmental, homeland security, drug discovery, nanotechnology, bioanalytical, water/wastewater, materials—to name a few. Pittcon also offers something for everyone - an all-inclusive experience with a hands-on look at the latest instrumentation, a robust technical program, skill-building short courses, and unique networking opportunities.  

The show is also the perfect place to discover new products or trends for all the professionals who work in this industry. What are the coming trends?

Some of the trends in the industry are towards smaller, portable and miniature mass spectrometers for use in many fields including surgical and disease detection.
Pittcon offers several symposia covering Crisp which is a hot topic. There is also a lot of discussion about cannabis testing – what is legal, what is not, quality control, government guidelines, etc. And also many new developments in homeland security for the detection of explosives.
Trends are also indicating an increase in research and government guidelines in food science for issues such as food fraud, food modification and food safety.

How much important are the live demos?

We strongly believe that live demos, whether done by the exhibitor in their booth or in scheduled sessions in a specified location on the floor, are extremely valuable to the conferee. In an age of technology, internet and virtual reality, an exposition gives an attendee the opportunity to see a piece of equipment first hand. This is something that cannot be done online. This is the most important advantage of attending a trade show. You get the unique opportunity to see how a piece of equipment functions, ask critical questions, talk to technical experts, find solutions, and see, touch and test the instrumentation.


Can you give some tips for those exhibiting for the first time, not just in Pittcon but in Chicago?

  • Promote their presence at Pittcon to all of their current customers and prospects. 
  • An attractive or appealing booth is also a draw, as well as some special promotion or gives away. 
  • Bring the actual piece of equipment instead of a video or a mock-up. The more functionality you can show with your equipment, the more engaged your prospects will be.
  • Assign booth staff that will engage and interact with conferees. Aggressive, but personable and attentive booth staff are necessary to have a successful show. Someone sitting down texting or on their cell phone or reading a book are definitely the ways to have an unproductive show.
  • McCormick Place is a union building so it is best to read the display rules and regulations to be sure to be in compliance with Pittcon and McCormick Place requirements.

On the whole, Chicago is a magnificent city. Besides its striking downtown, which includes some of the tallest buildings in the world, it has a distinctive coastline, hundreds of vibrant parks and 77 unique neighbourhoods.

From an industry standpoint,  Chicago is a leading centre for food manufacturing; biotech; pharma and medical manufacturing and primary research and development facilities. Illinois boasts outstanding possibilities in the biotechnology and life science industries, and draws upon many research institutions, whether in non-profit, academic, or government sectors, as well as many research parks and life science companies.

Do you recommend us an activity or conference in particular?

To get the most out of your Pittcon experience, my best recommendation is to organize your time and build an agenda before you go. I would strongly suggest that an attendee take some time to go through:

  • Technical Program
  • Conferee Networking sessions: these informal 90-minute sessions provide a place for members of the scientific community to meet, discuss, troubleshoot and brainstorm topics of mutual interest.
  • Live Demos and Short Courses well in advance of Pittcon week to select which sessions to attend

We offer a mobile app and a web version of the app that allows you to create an agenda that will sync across all your devices.

You will want to attend: the Wallace H. Coulter lecture on Sunday which will be presented by world-renown Dr Karl Deisseroth. There will be a poster session and complimentary mixer immediately following.

What represents your event for the annual calendar of the industry?

Pittcon rotates among several different cities, and last year in Atlanta, the economic impact to the city was $25.8 million. This year is expected to bring $29.2 million to the city of Chicago.

In addition to a monetary value, Pittcon impacts the scientific world on many levels. It brings awareness of scientific research that is conducted around the world to find cures for diseases; solutions to critical food shortages and environmental issues; advances made in cancer and other disease treatment detection and research, genetic research and much more.

Attendees can find the best possible equipment to meet their needs to be able to continue with their work and research, both of which impact the world’s population and provides a better quality of life.

Give us some reasons to don't miss the show.

  • It is a once a year opportunity to connect, network and collaborate with colleagues from around the world. It is also conducive to meeting and establishing new relationships to expand one’s circle of scientific resources.
  • Pittcon offers the chance to compare and evaluate many different products from many different vendors all in one place saving one time and money instead of doing it from a lab with multiple meetings and demos with salespeople.
  • You can see all the latest innovations used in laboratories and find solutions to your critical lab challenges. 
  • Enhance your work skills by taking a Short Course to learn a new discipline or to brush up in our current field.

Lastly, can you give us some participation results from the last edition?

  • + 2,000 technical sessions
  • + 100 short courses
  • + 800 exhibiting companies from 30 countries
  • 25% of international attendees from more than 90 countries
  • 35 Conferee Networking sessions are available
  • 13,000 total attendees at Pittcon in 2016