Dear Colleagues:

The development of single-site catalysts (SSCs) beyond traditional metallocenes is proceeding at a rapid pace and is being done by a growing number of companies. R&D efforts have resulted in complexes which demonstrate improved incorporation of polar monomers, better operation at elevated temperatures and greater resistance to hydrogen deactivation. It is critical that systems which provide such attractive performance not only be identified, but patent-protected as well.

This year's theme, "Beyond Metallocenes: A New Millennium of Single-Site Catalysis," is intended to highlight the progress being made in non-metallocene systems, based on early and late transition metals, for both commodity polyolefins and specialty polymers. A special feature of the conference is a session on new techniques which are increasingly being employed in the polymer catalyst industry to maximize R&D productivity and yield proprietary results - tools such as combinatorial catalysis and high-throughput screening (HTS).

Since its inception in 1993, the MetCon conference series has been dedicated to the technology and products made available through metallocene and single-site catalysts. MetCon2001 continues this tradition by providing unique coverage of "state of the art" polymer catalysts and processes, single-site organometallic technologies and advanced Ziegler-Natta systems. Catalyst manufacturers, resin producers, process licensors and end-users/fabricators will all benefit from attending. MetCon2001 is an essential meeting for catalyst chemists, polymer scientists, process engineers, business managers and executives involved in the polymer industry.

In addition, we have updated our very popular workshop which will be offered as a lead-in to the conference. Now entitled "The Metallocene & Single-Site Catalyst Short Course: A New Millennium of Innovation," this one and a half day course has been expanded to provide an intensive review of both traditional metallocene and developing single-site organometallic chemistries, including the latest on both early and late transition metal complexes. It also features an update on the most important advances in catalyst and process technology as well as the impacts these advances are having on the competitive environment.

We encourage you to mark your calendars for May 15-18, 2001 and look forward to seeing you in Houston!

For more information, please contact Connie Scarcia-Haverstick, Conference Manager, at 215-628-4447 or e-mail cnf@catalystgrp.com