Press release – BCF CEO Tom Bowtell hosts official launch of World Paint and Coatings Week

IMAGE: BCF CEO and World Coatings Council President Tom Bowtell celebrating the launch of the inaugural World Paint and Coatings Week at the European Coatings Show in Nuremberg, Germany.

The inaugural World Paint and Coatings Week was officially launched at the European Coatings Show (ECS) on its opening day by Tom Bowtell, CEO of the British Coatings Federation (BCF) and President of the World Coatings Council (WCC). The campaign week has been organised through the WCC in cooperation and partnership with its various national coatings association members from around the globe.

Running from 24th – 28th March, World Paint and Coatings Week is focused on engaging with the public through social media, although other engagement events may also be organised in some countries. The week has been split into five themes, one for each day: essential coatings; sustainable coatings; innovative coatings; valuable coatings; and careers in coatings. National coatings associations have been posting about how coatings collectively contribute to these areas, while individual companies have shared case studies about how their own products help make the world a better place. It is intended to create a critical mass of activity to increase the reach of the key messages and ensure more people learn about the importance of coatings than individual organisations working on their own could achieve.

The launch backdrop of ECS 2025 – the largest show on record, with over 1,200 exhibitors from over 60 countries and tens of thousands of delegates in attendance – served to demonstrate the strength of the coatings sector globally. But Bowtell explained that the rationale of World Paint and Coatings Week was to reach out beyond the people attending the convention centre this week and explain to them – the general public and policy- and decision-makers – just how important coatings are to the global economy and society.

Speaking at the launch, Tom Bowtell said:

“I am thrilled to be launching the first World Paint and Coatings Week here at the European Coatings Show in front of so many friends and colleagues. All of us who work in the industry know just how important coatings are to the economy and to everyday life. Almost every solid object will have a coating that is designed to make it look better, work better, or last longer – or a combination of all three. However, too often this crucial contribution is overlooked, or not understood, by the general public. World Paint and Coatings Week sets out to rectify that.

“So, I encourage everyone involved in the sector to follow the World Coatings Council on social media, share their posts, and to join in with your own company case studies explaining how they are crucial to society. Whether it is through job creation or helping in the drive towards greater sustainability, working at the cutting edge of innovation or providing essential coatings that enable other parts of industry to function. The Week is already a success, and I look forward to it growing in scale and scope in future years.”

Learn more about World Paint and Coatings Week and where to follow the World Coatings Council and its members at: https://worldcoatingscouncil.org/world-paint-coatings-week/

ENDS 

Notes to editors:

The hashtag used to follow all the posts is #WorldPaintandCoatingsWeek.

About World Coatings Council:

The World Coatings Council is comprised of members representing associations from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. The Secretariat for the World Coatings Council is the American Coatings Association.

The council provides a forum for information exchange and cooperation on the major issues and priorities facing the paint and coatings industries worldwide.

For information about the World Coatings Council and the activities it is involved in on behalf of the global paint and coatings industry, visit: www.worldcoatingscouncil.org.