Information to help purchasing and supply chain managers prepare for the 2009-2010 global economy, energy feedstocks and key chemical families will be presented at the Chemical Purchasing Summit in Boston on Sept. 17-18. The two-day conference is being organized by the editors of Purchasing and ICIS Chemical Business, sister publications within Reed Business Information.

Key topics will include a global economic outlook, crude oil and natural gas market and price forecasts, a North American chemical industry outlook and an update of the world petrochemical cycle and outlook. The speakers also plan to address world economic projections, trade trends and key market movements for next year. The credit crunch and its impact on supplier consolidation is on the docket, as are reviews of purchasing issues in organic and inorganic chemicals, and petrochemicals supply chain security and logistics issues.

Speakers who already have committed to participate include Patrick Hurd, a purchasing professional at Georgia Pacific Corp. and chairman of the Institute of Supply Management's Chemicals Group; Kevin Swift, chief economist and senior director of the American Chemistry Council; Joe Breunig, president of BASF North America; Scott Anderson, chief economist at Wells Fargo Bank; John Hotz, vice president of the polyethylene business of NOVA Chemicals; and Andrew Swanson, senior vice president of Nexant Chemsystems.

Other speakers include Paul Bjacek, head of global chemicals research at Accenture; Glen Buckley, chief economist of CF Industries; and Joseph Acker, president of SOCMA, the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association. Also, a representative from the London Metals Exchange will discuss the LME's plastics pricing program and futures trading.

Additional information is being updated regularly at a special conference website, www.icis.com/chemicalpurchasing.