WHAT: Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter officially welcome Pittcon, the world's largest annual exposition for laboratory science, to Philadelphia from March 17-21, 2013, at the newly expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center. Pittcon, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is projected to generate $39.3 million in economic impact for the Greater Philadelphia region. The convention will attract 17,000 attendees from more than 90 countries, from various fields including life sciences, pharmaceutical, environmental science, food science, homeland security and bioterrorism, nanotechnology, and biomass and alternative fuels. This is the first time Philadelphia will host Pittcon. 

Pittcon is a non-profit conference produced by 100 volunteers and an 11-person staff. Proceeds from Pittcon fund science education and outreach at all levels, kindergarten through adult. Pittcon donates more than a million dollars a year to provide financial and administrative support for various science outreach activities including science equipment grants, research grants, scholarships and internships for students, awards to teachers and professors, and grants to public science centers, libraries and museums.

A ribbon cutting follows brief welcoming remarks and officially opens the expo floor. Governor Corbett and Mayor Nutter will be joined by Ron Bargiel, Pittcon 2013 President; Janeth Pifer, Pittcon 2014 President; Charles Holifield, Pittcon 2015 President; Ahmeenah Young, President and CEO, Pennsylvania Convention Center; and Jack Ferguson, President and CEO, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. 

Media is invited to visit the expo floor following the ribbon ceremony as well as view a museum instrument display celebrating the 100th anniversary of mass spectroscopy, presented by the Chemical Heritage Foundation. 

Pittcon features a four-day expo with 1,000 exhibits, 2,000 technical sessions, 100 short courses and a Science Week program of free science workshops and demonstrations for area students and teachers.

WHO: Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett 
Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter
Pittcon 2013 President Ron Bargiel

WHEN: Monday, March 18, 2013
Ribbon cutting: 8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Expo floor open to media: 9:00 a.m.

WHERE: Pennsylvania Convention Center
Outside of Hall E
1101 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

IMPACT:   According to the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau:
Projected Attendance: 17,000
Total Hotel Room Nights: 27,925
Total Economic Impact for Philadelphia: $39.3 million


About Pittcon
Pittcon® is a registered trademark of The Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, a Pennsylvania non-profit organization. Co-sponsored by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, Pittcon is the premier annual conference and exposition on laboratory science. Visit pittcon.org for more information.

Contact
Khaila Edward, PHLCVB
khaila@discoverPHL.com
215-636-3412 (office)

Taylor Fleming, Pittcon 2013            
tfleming@devineandpartners.com        
215-568-2525 (office)                    

Deirdre Childress
dchildress@paconvention.com
215-418-4754 (office)

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