23rd Stainless & Its Alloys Conference

Registration and Exhibit Opens

Networking Reception

Continental Breakfast, Registration and Exhibits

Opening Remarks

Keynote Presentation

The Altering Landscape for Stainless - A Global Outlook

Stainless Supply Outlook – What Happened To The Bright Future?

The conference kicks off answering some of leading questions for stainless demand during the next year. Specific areas of discussion will include anticipated market response to more capacity coming on line and how to protect the U.S. market.

Topics for Discussion:

• Has capacity outpaced demand?

• Will the market further destabilize when ThyssenKrupp Alabama begins production?

• The U.S. will be self-sufficient in stainless steel production within the next year - How will that impact the future of the Asian/European imports?

• Will export markets expand? If so, which ones?

• Are fixed-price contracts a solution?

• Will China and other Asian countries continue to be a threat to the domestic stainless market?

Coffee Break

Alloys and Raw Materials – The Drive to Right-Size Inventory Levels

As the economy and market continue to tighten, raw material costs can impact the bottom line. The downward movement in the costs of raw materials is good news for manufacturers; but consumers’ sporadic buying cycles contribute to the rollercoaster price ride and the uncertainty in the marketplace. With the market flat and global economy weak, buying habits change weekly and are determined by the demand for finished goods. Can producers mitigate risk by negotiating fixed prices from its suppliers?

Topics for Discussion:

• Falling prices of raw materials and its implications for the mills and consumers.

• Will the future supply of scrap, molybdenum, nickel and ferrochrome be squeezed when demand improves?

• Are the current cutbacks in production enough to temporarily reduce the massive surplus of material?

• As more producers operate in a cash-negative position, what further cutbacks will be necessary?

• What acquisition and expansion projects are on hold due to tightened budgets and a dismal market outlook?

Lunch

Highlight Presentation

Health of the Inland Waterways and Linking Businesses Through the Rivers

End Market Demand – Recovery and Survival

The end-markets are unstable, with demand for automotive and consumer durables looking bleak, while energy and chemical processing potentially benefitting from the economic stimulus package. Will manufacturers shift production ratios to higher-grade materials to compensate? Our discussion continues with a look at construction, auto and the steel tube and pipe demand outlook.

Topics for Discussion:

• Can the domestic auto industry recover?

• What will the economic stimulus package mean for stainless?

• Will the oil and gas industry capital spending cuts for exploration and production further depress the stainless market?

• Will lowered expectations for financial performance delay funding for projects in the pipeline?

Coffee Break

Trends in Metallurgy and Technology – The New Horizon

We will complete our discussion of the stainless industry outlook with a look to the future. What technologies, processes and metals will bring new opportunities, lower production costs, and contribute to a steady growth in the industry? Our experts give their perspective on a brighter future.

Topics for Discussion:

• Trends in technology and its impact to the bottom line.

• What new experimental techniques can be applied in today’s steelmaking?

• New metals and substitutions for a new era.