The Washington Forum provided insights on the latest news and challenges that impact the surface finishing industry. We heard from knowledgeable industry experts in more than 16 hours of sessions, and the topics ranged from scientific talks to commentary on how businesses might be influenced by politics over the next four years. Our keynote speaker was Jim VandeHei, a media entrepreneur and expert on American politics who was a reporter in D.C for over 20 years. He has been called “one of the 100 most powerful thinkers of the information age” and is the co-founder of Axios. We also heard from Corey Lewandowski, the Former Presidential Campaign Manager for Donald Trump, who offered a unique insight of the man who is currently our President. Two other highlights were Peter Morici, one of the nation’s top trade and manufacturing policy experts, and Andy Friedman who is considered “one of the nation’s most sought-after speakers on all things political.”