PRINCETON, New Jersey, July 21 /PRNewswire/ --

- Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Keynote Event that will Celebrate the Taste of a "Global City"

Back by popular demand, InformexUSA will hold the second annual Gala Dinner at InformexUSA 2009 to be held in San Francisco, California in January. The themed event, called 'A Taste of the Wine Country', will pay tribute to a city recognized for world-class standards in food and wine. Attendees will experience an "evening outing" in the wine country, complete with sommeliers, wine tastings with local experts and a peek into the world of California winemaking. The highlight will be the keynote address by former United States Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. In 1997, Dr. Albright was named the first woman Secretary of State. During her tenure, Dr. Albright advocated democracy and human rights around the world, promoted fair business, labor, and environmental standards and reinforced America's alliances. The Gala event, which will be held on Wednesday, January 28 in the Esplanade Ballroom of the Moscone Center, is open to more than 1000 of the chemical industry's top decision makers.

According to Jennifer Jessup, Event Director, a strong turnout at the Gala Dinner in New Orleans last year demonstrated that attendees and exhibitors want a fun and relaxed venue for networking on a social level. "With the second annual Gala Dinner, we are once again providing an informal setting that will inspire dialogue and foster a culture of new ideas in the chemical industry," she said. "In providing such a setting, everyone will have the opportunity to begin a dialogue that may lead to the next great technology breakthrough. Our keynote speaker, Madeleine Albright, certainly knows what it takes to 'break the ice' and structure agreements that set the foundation for breakthroughs on a global scale," she said. "We are delighted that she will join us in San Francisco, a community often recognized as a 'Global City' for its intellectual prowess, trans-national corporations and demonstrated ability to move great ideas forward," she added.

A Taste of the Wine Country

"Our theme in 2009 -- 'A Taste of the Wine Country' -- is a tribute to all that is San Francisco and the Northern California wine country," she said. "This city is famous for its landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, Chinatown, and the nearby wine country, but more than this, San Francisco is famous for its character. In every corner of the city, from Union Square, to Cow Hollow, to the wonderful boutiques along Fillmore street, the City of San Francisco delights the senses and inspires the mind. San Francisco is also home to some of America's most prestigious universities with major programs focused on the sciences, business and the arts. We cannot think of a better city in which to host the second annual Gala Dinner," she said.

The Food and Fun at the Informex Gala Dinner

The Informex Gala dinner will feature the legendary wines of Napa and Sonoma, paired with classic California cuisine. Entertainment for the event will be provided in the form of a Vineyard experience and by local musicians who will play the sounds of the countryside. According to Jessup, the Dinner will be an atmosphere unto its own. "At Informex, we talk about the chemistry you can't find anywhere else. This is especially true in San Francisco, home to some of the world's best vineyards and entertainers. But there is another reason why the chemistry is good in San Francisco -- the way people work together in the name of innovation," she said. "The Informex Gala dinner is effectively an invitation to bring people together in the spirit of innovation," she said.

During InformexUSA Week, there will be networking events that include two major receptions, catered breakfasts and lunches, and learning events that feature exhibitor and technology showcases, a special sourcing forum and a biotechnology forum presented by leading consultants in the industry. There will also be a new Green Pavilion space for companies focused on green chemistry initiatives.

More than a networking event, InformexUSA is an important launching ground for new technologies and innovations within the chemical industry and a vital sourcing event where sourcing professionals can find the very latest the industry has to offer. For more information, and to register for the second annual Informex Gala dinner, visit www.informex.com

Note to Editor:

InformexUSA is the leading meeting place for buyers and sellers of high-value chemistry for a broad range of applications. As the leading tradeshow in the United States, InformexUSA has been a marketplace for networking and doing business in the fine, custom and specialty chemical manufacturing industry for more than 25 years. Visitors to the show come from a broad range of manufacturing industries including adhesives, electronics, agrochemicals, biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, paints, and more. Each year the event brings together an international mix of more than 4,000 fine and specialty chemicals professionals and 500 exhibitors. For more information, visit www.informex.com

Informex Holdings LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMP Information Limited. CMP Information Limited is the B2B communications division of United Business Media plc. operating internationally, providing creative professional media solutions to around 20 industry sectors. Its products, including magazines, exhibitions, conferences, awards, information products and websites, are targeted at business professionals across a range of markets; these include Construction & Architecture, Commercial Property, Licensed Trade, Travel, Agriculture and Ingredients. CMPi has approximately 1,000 employees in the UK, US, Asia, Europe, India and South America and in 2005, generated 177m pound Sterling in revenues. For more information on CMP Information limited, visit www.cmpi.biz.

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Tom Nicolay of Resource Advantage, +1-973-882-1313, tnicolay@resourceadvantage.com, for InformexUSA