More than 10,000 people registered to attend INTERPHEX 2009–taking place this week at New York City’s Javits Center–and even throughout the St. Patty’s Day celebrations, the conference vibe is business, business, business. Perhaps it has something to do with the economy, but as RJ Palermo, industry vice-president of INTERPHEX, points out, if you’re only able to attend one show this year, this is the one to be at.

Not only are there 400 new products on the exhibit floor (with isolator technology, sterile technology, and spectometers stealing the scene), but there are also a higher level of vice-presidents attending this year’s show, says Palermo. Another visible trend–flexibility. Companies are coming out with several products and product lines for multi-purpose facilities, demonstrating the changing nature of the pharmaceutical industry, explains Palermo. And for those in the outsourcing arena, nearly every major contract manufactuer and full-scale service prodvider is here at the Javits Center. “Industry is collaborating much more,” says Palermo and that’s clear throughout the conference.

If you’re interested in the educational sessions, there are three new educational tracks at INTERPHEX this year, including global issues, sustainable practices, and supply-chain security. Check out PharmTech’s live vidcast interviews to hear from some of these speakers.

Today is the first day of the INTERPHEX 2009 conference, so if you couldn’t make it into New York yet, there are still two more days to take advantage of the sessions and networking.