2026 Fall Technical Conference Schedule

October 11 – 14, 2026 | Richmond Marriott | Richmond, Virginia

Monday, OCTOBER 12, 2026

Time
Event
Location

8:00 am – 4:30 pm

Registration & Information Desk

Salon 6 Foyer

8:00 am – 9:00 am

Breakfast

Monroe-Jefferson-Madison

9:30 am – 9:45 am

Welcome Remarks and Introduction
Peter Engel, Newcut
United States

Salon 6-8

9:45 am – 10:00 am

Welcome to Richmond
Matthew Robinette, CDME, CMP, ESPC
Vice President of Visitor Experience
Richmond Region Tourism

Salon 6-8

10:00 am – 10:30 am

Session 1

Best Practices & Process Controls: Chemical Processes and Imaging
Chris Hrusovsky, IEC
United States

Salon 6-8

10:30 am – 11:00 am

AM Break

Salon 6 Foyer

11:00 am – 11:15 am

The Partner Companies (TPC)
Sponsor Presentation

Salon 6-8

11:15 am – 11:45 am

Session 2

Why Good Strategies Fail: Three Hidden Traps and How to Escape Them
Blake Parkinson, Watlow
United States

Salon 6-8

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Lunch

Monroe-Jefferson-Madison

1:45 pm – 2:15 pm

Session 3

UV Imaging Transfer: Tips to Enhance the Chemical Etching Process
Sylvain Dromaint, Altix North America
United States
Jean-Clement Martel, Altix MGI Group
France

Salon 6-8

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Session 4

Developing the Rotary Etcher: Equipment Design, Process Control, and Spray Dynamics
Dylan Reitz, Chemcut
United States

Salon 6-8

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

PM Break

Salon 6 Foyer

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Session 5

When Photoresist Is Not Enough – Using Solder Resist and Direct Imaging for Titanium Etching
Dennis Pusch, Schmoll Maschinen GmbH
Germany

Salon 6-8

4:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Session 6

AI As A Thought Partner: Leveraging AI Tools to Amplify Your Work
Ana Lambert, Tech-Etch
United States

Salon 6-8

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Reception at Hotel
**Advance Registration Required**

Monroe-Jefferson-Madison

6:00 pm

Dinner On Your Own

–––

Tuesday, OCTOBER 13, 2026

Time
Event
Location

8:00 am – 2:30 pm

Registration & Information Desk

Salon 6 Foyer

8:00 am – 9:30 am

Breakfast

Monroe-Jefferson-Madison

9:30 am – 10:00 am

Annual Meeting / Officer Elections

Salon 6-8

10:00 am – 10:45 am

Session 7

Industrial Wastewater Basics
Marty Jackson, Ovivo USA, LLC, AlarUnited States

Salon 6-8

10:45 am – 11:15 am

AM Break

Salon 6 Foyer

11:15 am – 12:00 pm

Session 8

From Coil to Component: How Tariffs Are Reshaping the Precision Strip Supply Chain
Alessandra Castillo, Zapp Precision Strip, Inc.United States
Danielle Rickert, Zapp Precision MetalsUnited States

Salon 6-8

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Lunch

Monroe-Jefferson-Madison

1:45 pm – 2:00 pm

Chemcut
Sponsor Presentation

Salon 6-8

2:00 am – 2:30 pm

Session 9

Design Considerations for a New Facility
Peter Engel, NewcutUnited States

Salon 6-8

2:30 am – 3:00 pm

Session 10

When Something Goes Wrong
Glenn Miller, PCI Specialty Chemistry Inc.United States

Salon 6-8

3:00 pm – 3:15 pm

PM Break

Salon 6 Foyer

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Tour Overview
JP Ferguson, IECUnited States

Salon 6-8

3:30 pm – 3:45 pm

Spring Conference Preview
Karl-Heinz Graether, TSK Schill GmbHGermany

Salon 6-8

3:45 pm – 4:00 pm

Closing Remarks
Peter Engel, NewcutUnited States

Salon 6-8

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Board of Directors Wrap-Up Meeting

Salon 6-8

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Offsite Group Dinner
**Advance Registration Required**

Siné Irish Pub
1327 E Cary St, Richmond, VA 23219

18-minute walk – 0.8 miles (~ 1.28 km)

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Time
Event
Location

7:00 am – 8:30 am

Breakfast

Monroe-Jefferson-Madison

9:00 am

Leave for Facility Tour
*bus departs hotel at 9:00 am

–––

9:00 am – 11:30 am

1800 Touchstone Rd
South Chesterfield, VA 23834

20 miles (25-min drive) from the hotel

11:30 am – 12:00 pm

Bus from ETC back to Richmond Marriott Hotel

–––

12:00 pm

Lunch On Own

–––